Name
Frederick Charles Dawson
1888
Conflict
First World War
Date of Death / Age
19/08/1917
30
Rank, Service Number & Service Details
Bombardier
100492
Royal Garrison Artillery
23rd Heavy Bty.
Awards: Service Medals/Honour Awards
British War and Victory medals
Cemetery/Memorial: Name/Reference/Country
THE HUTS CEMETERY
III. D. 6.
Belgium
Headstone Inscription
A BETTER [BITTER] GRIEF A SHOCK SEVERE BUT HOPE IN HEAVEN TO MEET AGAIN
UK & Other Memorials
Not on the Hexton memorials*1
Pre War
Frederick Charles Dawson was born at St Leonards, nr Brighton, Sussex in 1888, the son of Alfred Charles and Susan Sophia Dawson and baptised on 30 October 1888. They were then living at 20 Kensington Place and his father was working as a tailor. Although he appears to have been one of six children, four died in infancy.
His mother died in 1898 and on the 1901 Census at age 14 he was living at 5 Westgate Terrace, Kensington with 'relatives' Charles and Sarah Banks.
He married Daisy Ethel Dunsdon on 27 June 1909 at St Clements, City Road, Islington, London and although born in March 1908, their first child, also called Frederick Charles, was listed as Dawson not Dunsdon. On the 1911 Census he was living with wife and three children, Frederick, Alfred and Daisy, at 59 Dove Road, Hackney, Shoreditch, London. Sadly Daisy died the following year but they had two more children, Elizabeth and Ivy. He was working as a Town Carman.
He was said to be living in Hexton, Herts on enlistment. (Soldiers Died in the Great War)
Wartime Service
Frederick enlisted in Shoreditch on 2 November 1914. was initially given the reg. no. 34973, (later changed to 100492) and posted on 7 Nov 1914 to the 94th Battery, Royal Field Artillery then to the Reserve Brigade on 8 Sept 1915.
He joined the Royal Garrison Artillery (174th Heavy Battery) as a Gunner on 5 June 1916 and probably went to France in October 1916. At some point he was transferred to the 23rd Heavy Battery and was killed in action on 19 August 1917 during the Third Battle of Ypres. He is buried in The Huts Cemetery, Belgium.
Additional Information
His widow received a war gratuity of £14 and pay owing of £11 4s 5d. She also received a pension of £1 12s 6d a week for herself and her children. She gave her address as 30 Cathnor Road, Shepherds Bush, and later Bullars Road, Weybourne, Farnham, Surrey.
*1 N.B. Unable to find any connection to Hexton, Hertfordshire. More likely Hexton is a mis-transcription of Hoxton, Shoreditch.
Acknowledgments
Brenda Palmer
Jonty Wild
