Name
Frederick Coker
26 August 1890
Conflict
First World War
Date of Death / Age
01/10/1916
26
Rank, Service Number & Service Details
Private
54077
Canadian Infantry
18th Bn.
"A" Coy,
Awards: Service Medals/Honour Awards
Searched but not found
Cemetery/Memorial: Name/Reference/Country
REGINA TRENCH CEMETERY, GRANDCOURT
I. D. 19.
France
Headstone Inscription
LO, I AM WITH YOU ALWAY, EVEN UNTO THE END OF THE WORLD
UK & Other Memorials
Bourne End Village Memorial, St John's Church Roll of Honour (book), Bourne End, Not on the Hemel Hempstead memorials, Not on the Bovingdon memorials
Pre War
Frederick Coker was born in Bovington, Herts on 26 August 1890, the son of (John) William and Annie Coker, and baptised there on 21 September 1890.
On the 1891 and 1901 Censuses the family were living at Bourne End, Boxmoor, where his father was working as a Farm Labourer. Frederick was listed as a Private in the "Special Reserve" on the 1911 Census, where he was living with his family at London Road, Boxmoor, Herts.
He emigrated to Canada and worked as a farm labourer.
He married his wife Mary in Canada before enlistment and her address was given as c/o Mrs Dennis, Springfield Post Office, London, Ontario and later changed to Steel Street, St Thomas, Ontario.
Wartime Service
He had served with territorial army and enlisted on 24 October 1914 with the Canadian Overseas Expeditionary Force. He arrived in England with the C.O.E.F. on 29 April 1915 having sailed from Halifax on the SS Grampian.
He suffered from tonsillitis on 2 June 1915 and spent 6 days in hospital at Moore Barracks, Shorncliffe, which was a large military camp in Kent which served as a staging post for troops destined for the Western Front.
He was embodied overseas and left Folkestone on 14 September 1915, He was originally missing believed killed but later reported as killed in action on 1 October 1916.
Additional Information
N.B. On Canadian records his date of birth is given as 26 August 1892. Mrs Coker, 190 Chestnut Street, St Thomas, Ontario, Canada, ordered his headstone inscription: "LO, I AM WITH YOU ALWAY, EVEN UNTO THE END OF THE WORLD".
Acknowledgments
Brenda Palmer
www.dacorumheritage.org.uk, central.bac-lac.gc.ca (Library and Archives Canada)
