Name
Frederick William Banfield
1885
Conflict
First World War
Date of Death / Age
12/10/1916
Rank, Service Number & Service Details
Private
7885
Bedfordshire Regiment
2nd Bn.
Awards: Service Medals/Honour Awards
1914 (Mons) Star (with Clasp & Roses), British War and Victory medals
Cemetery/Memorial: Name/Reference/Country
THIEPVAL MEMORIAL
Pier and Face 2 C.
France
Headstone Inscription
N/A
UK & Other Memorials
Hemel Hempstead Town Memorial,
St Mary's Church Memorial, Hemel Hempstead,
Marlowes Baptist Church, Marlowes,
Pre War
Frederick William Banfield (known as Fred) was born in Hemel Hempstead, Herts in 1885, the son of William and Ann Banfield and one of ten children. On the 1891 Census the family were living at 5 Edmonds Place, Boxmoor, Hemel Hempstead, where his father was working as a general labourer. By 1901 they had moved to 120 Cotterells Road, Boxmoor, Hemel Hempstead and Fred, aged 16, was working as a Blacksmith. He was employed at the Boxmoor Iron Works which produced quality agricultural implements.
His father William died in 1904 and was buried at Heath Lane Cemetery, Hemel Hempstead on 30 April 1904.
He enlisted into the Militia in March 1903 when he turned eighteen and later the same year joined the regular army on 28 December 1903, serving with the 2nd Battalion, Bedfordshire Regiment. He was initially based at Petersfield, Hants in 1904, then to Tidworth Camp, Wiltshire, followed by Gibraltar in 1907 and Bermuda in 1909.
On the 1911 Census he was listed in barracks in Aldershot as a Lance Corporal in the Bedfordshire Regiment. He later was stationed in South Africa.
His mother had remarried in 1909 to George Wilson and on the 1911 Census they were living at 14 Bridge Street, Hemel Hempstead along with 8 of Fred's siblings.
Wartime Service
Frederick Banfield was a serving soldier with the Bedfordshire Regiment at the outbreak of war. The 2nd Battalion were at Robert Heights near Pretoria in South Africa and were immediately recalled to England, landing in Southampton on 19 September 1914. After refitting for European warfare, they left Southampton on 5 October 1914 on the board the S S Winifredian and landed in Zeebrugge on 7 October 1914.
He saw his first action during the First Battle of Ypres on 18 October and was wounded by shrapnel in November 1914.
Fred fought in the Battle of Neuve Chappelle in March and suffered badly from frostbite in April 1915, followed by action at the Battle of Festubert in May, Givenchy in June and the Battle of Loos in September.
In 1916 he saw action during the Battle of the Somme, including the first day of the Battle of Albert, the assault of Trones Wood and the Battle of Delville Wood in July.
He was killed in action by machine gun fire on 12 October 1916, aged 31, during fierce fighting at the Battle of Le Transloy. He has no known grave and his name is commemorated on the Thiepval Memorial, France.
Additional Information
N.B. The surname is often misspelt as Bandfield. His registered name is without the 'd'.
His mother received a war gratuity of £12 10s and pay owing of £14 3s.
A memorial service was held at Marlowes Baptist Church on 29 October 1916 for Frederick Banfield and seven other members of the congregation who had been killed.
Acknowledgments
Brenda Palmer
Jonty Wild, www.dacorumheritage.org.uk, www.hemelatwar.org, www.hemelheroes.com
