Name
Frederick George William Ockenden
1889
Conflict
First World War
Date of Death / Age
09/09/1919
32
Rank, Service Number & Service Details
Gunner
42557
Royal Field Artillery
Awards: Service Medals/Honour Awards
1914 (Mons) Star (with Clasp & Roses), British War and Victory medals
Cemetery/Memorial: Name/Reference/Country
WATFORD CEMETERY
I. 3. 606.
United Kingdom
Headstone Inscription
He has no family inscription on his Headstone.
UK & Other Memorials
Not on the Cheshunt memorials, Not on the Watford memorials
Pre War
Son of Francis/Frank and the late Fanny (nee LIVERMORE) OCKENDEN; husband of Gertrude Elizabeth SMYTHE (formerly OCKENDEN, nee DYER) of Cheshunt, Herts.
His parents married 1880 in the Fulham, London, district. Fanny died 1891 in the Fulham district aged 30. Francis remarried 5 July 1891 at St Matthew’s, Hammersmith, London, to Susan FORD. Francis died 1929 aged 70; Susan died 1941 aged 75; both in the Fulham District.
Frederick was born 1889 in Fulham, and baptised 4 August 1889 at St Andrew’s, West Kensington, London. He married 26 December 1912 in Richmond, Surrey; they had two children. He died at the Military Hospital, Bletchley, Beds, aged 30*, and was buried 12 September. Gertrude remarried 1922 in the Hammersmith district to Alfred SMYTHE.
On the 1891 Census, aged 1 he lived in Fulham, with his widowed father and two siblings. On the 1901 Census, aged 12 he still lived in Fulham, with his father, step-mother and three siblings. On the 1911 Census, he is proving elusive.
He originally enlisted as Frederick George William JACKSON in Woolwich, London, 15 March 1906 for Short Service (3 years with the Colours, 9 years in the Reserves) in the Royal Field Artillery no. 42557: a stableman aged 18, 5’7″ tall, C of E. He was granted a Good Conduct Badge 15 March 1908, and assumed his true name of OCKENDEN 14 May 1908. He extended his service to complete 6 years with the Colours 3 January 1909, and spent this part of his service at Home. He was transferred to the Army Reserve 15 March 1912.
Wartime Service
Frederick was mobilised from the Reserve at Glasgow 6 August 1914 in the 8th Howitzer Brigade. He served in France from 17 August 1914, until he suffered a gun shot wound to the left arm in action at Zonnebeke 28 April 1915. He returned to England 30 May 1915 and was discharged as Gunner 24 November 1915, no longer physically fit for war service. He was entitled to the Victory, British War and 1914 Star medals, his qualifying date being 19 August 1914 (issued in the name of JACKSON, returned for amendment 9 October 1919), and awarded the Silver War Badge 12 December 1916.
Buried in Watford
Additional Information
Gertrude received a widows pension of 36/6 a week from July 1920, and a Grant of £16, in August 1920.
Acknowledgments
Stuart Osborne
Jonty Wild
