Name
Frederick John Silvester
8 December 1890
Conflict
First World War
Date of Death / Age
23/05/1916
25
Rank, Service Number & Service Details
Lance Corporal
2834
London Regiment (First Surrey Rifles)
21st (County of London) Bn.
Awards: Service Medals/Honour Awards
1914 /15 Star, British War and Victory medals
Cemetery/Memorial: Name/Reference/Country
CABARET-ROUGE BRITISH CEMETERY, SOUCHEZ
III. E. 13.
France
Headstone Inscription
None
UK & Other Memorials
St James’ Church Memorial, Bushey
Pre War
Frederick John Silvester was born on 8 December 1890 in Herne Hill, London, the son of George Frederick and Agnes Annie Silvester and was baptised on 5 April 1891 at the Church of St Paul, Herne Hill. He was one of seven children, but one died in infancy.
On the 1891 Census the family were living at 223 Milkwood Road, Brixton, London and remained there in 1901 at which time his father was working as a builder's clerk. His parents had moved to 95 Glencoe Road, Bushey by 1911, but Frederick was then living as a boarder at the home of Charles and Jane Luker at Finsden Road, Herne Hill and working as a ship owner's clerk.
At the time of enlistment he gave his address as 14 Hawarden Grove, Herne Hill, S.E.
Wartime Service
Frederick enlisted on 3 September 1914 in Camberwell and joined the London Regiment as a Rifleman serving with the 21st (County of London) Battalion (1st Surrey Rifles) from 8 November 1914. He served in France from 15 March 1915 and was appointed unpaid Lance Corporal on 24 May 1915, changed to paid Lance Corporal on 7 September 1915. He was admitted to a field ambulance station on more than one occasion with diarrhoea, as well as having problem with his patella and pyrexia (unexplained fever).
He was killed in action on 23 May 1916 and is buried in Cabaret-Rouge British Cemetery, Souchez, France.
Additional Information
His father obtained probate of his estate on 23 October 1916 in London with effects of £222 13s 2d and received a war gratuity of £7 10s and pay owing of £7 4s. A pension card exists with his father as dependant but gives no indication if a pension was awarded.
Acknowledgments
Brenda Palmer
Jonty Wild
