Name
Frederick William Searle
1898
Conflict
First World War
Date of Death / Age
21/10/1916
18
Rank, Service Number & Service Details
Private
G/15588
Royal Sussex Regiment
12th Bn.
Awards: Service Medals/Honour Awards
British War and Victory medals
Cemetery/Memorial: Name/Reference/Country
CONNAUGHT CEMETERY, THIEPVAL
XII. L. 3.
France
Headstone Inscription
Not Researched
UK & Other Memorials
St Giles’ Church Memorial, Wyddial, Not listed on the Hertfordshire Regimental Memorial, All Saints Church, Hertford
Pre War
Frederick was born in 1898 in Clavering, Essex, his parents were Walter and Lydia Searle.
In 1901 the family were living at Church End, Rickling, Essex. Present were both parents: Walter (29) and Lydia (37). Walter working as a shepherd. Before marrying Walter, Lydia had been widowed and Donald Capewell was her son by her previous husband. She and Walter had married after 1891. The children listed in the census were: Donald Capewell (12), Dorothy (4), Frederick (2) and Edwin Victor (11 months).
We believe Lydia died in 1903 and Walter later married Martha Fisher in 1907.
By 1911 they were living at Wyddial, nr Buntingford, Herts. Present were Walter and Martha (28), Walter was now working as a domestic gardener. The census recorded they had been married for 4 years with 2 children, all living. The children listed were Frederick – now listed as Frederick William, Edwin (10), Reginald (3) and Frank (1) – the latter two Walter and Martha’s children.
Frederick enlisted into the Hertfordshire Regiment as Private 4665, this number would have been very soon after February 22nd 1915.
Officially Fred was recorded as born in Clavering, Essex, and he enlisted in Hertford.
Wartime Service
We know that Frederick was originally in the 1st Hertfordshire Regiment, but at some point he became Private 15588 in the 12th Bn. Royal Sussex Regiment, and was with them when he died.
His date of death is recorded as 23 January 1917 on the Wyddial memorial and on two pension cards. This is curious because the Commonwealth War Grave Commission, Soldiers Died in the Great War and British Red Cross records give the date as 21 October 1916, which we believe is correct. Another reason why earlier date is correct is that the 12th Battalion were in Belgium on that date not France, where he died.
It is not easy to see how the confusion arose, except, perhaps, we know that members of his family made enquiries of the British Red Cross as to whether they had any information about Frederick’s fate on 20 July 1917. Perhaps they received the reply saying that he was dead and confused the date he had died. However, it is less easy to understand how the same mistake was made in his military pension card records.
On October 21st 1916 the Battalion marched to Wood Post at the Schwaben Redoubt and replaced the 13th Bn. there ‘C’ Company took part in an attack with other units of the 116th Infantry Brigade on Stuff Trench. It was recorded as “completely successful”. Between the 21st and 22nd 62 Ors were wounded and 26 were listed as missing.
Given the contact made to the Red Cross mentioned above, it is probable that Frederick was one of those listed as missing on that date and later buried. After the war his body was found at Thiepval Cemetery, map ref. 57d.R.19.d.6.7. and he was reburied at Connaught Cemetery, during the concentration of burials.
Additional Information
After his death £3 9s 5d pay owing was authorised to go to his father on 16 May 1917. Later, a war gratuity of £7 was authorised to be paid to him on 27 September 1919.
His pension cards record his father as his dependant, living at Brown’s Cottages, Wyddial, nr Buntingford, Herts. There are no details of any pension awarded.
His date of death is incorrectly listed as 23rd Jan 1917 on the Wyddial memorial.
Acknowledgments
Ian Kelly, Jonty Wild
