Name
Fred Stevens
Circa 1899
Conflict
First World War
Date of Death / Age
16/09/1916
Rank, Service Number & Service Details
Private
28707
Duke of Cornwall's Light Infantry
6th Bn
Awards: Service Medals/Honour Awards
British War and Victory medals
Cemetery/Memorial: Name/Reference/Country
THIEPVAL MEMORIAL
Pier and Face 6 B.
France
Headstone Inscription
Not Researched
UK & Other Memorials
Hitchin Town Memorial, Tilehouse St Baptist Church War Memorial, Hitchin, St Mary's Church Roll of Honour (book), Hitchin, Hertfordshire Regimental Memorial, All Saints Church, Hertford
Pre War
Frederick was born around 1898/99 in Hitchin and christened on 7 February 1899, Holy Savior Church, Hitchin. His parents were Frederick and Alice (née Cook), who married in St Mary’s Church, Hitchin on 17 June 1899.
In 1901 the family were living at Gosmore, nr Hitchin. Present were both parents: Frederick (23) and Alice (22), with Frederick (senior) working as a roadman. Their children were: Frederick (2) and Florence Alice (1).
By 1911 the family were living at 51 Tilehouse St, Hitchin, Herts. Present were both parents, Frederick’s father now working as a gas stoker in the gas works and the census recorded they had been married for 11 years with 7 children, of whom 1 had died. The children listed above were present but had now been joined by Hilda (8), Nellie (5), Charles (2) and Arthur at 8 months.
Officially he was recorded as living in Hitchin when he enlisted in Hertford.
Frederick has an entry in the National Roll of the Great War these were normally placed by family members using what they knew and are not always 100% correct. It records that he volunteered during December 1914, which is confirmed by his Hertfordshire Regiment service number 4350 – “His memory is cherished with pride.”
Wartime Service
Fred was posted to the Hertfordshire Regiment with the service number 4350 and was on ‘special duties’ until July 1915, but the nature of them has not been discovered.
In July 1916, he was posted to the 6th Battalion, Duke of Cornwall’s Light Infantry with the service number 28707. That Battalion was in the 43rd Brigade of the 4th (Light) Division.
He was initially reported as missing and it was not until July 1917 that he was declared to have been killed in action at Grandecourt on the 16th September 1916. On the day of his death the Battalion launched an attack on Gird and Gird Support trenches in front of Guedecourt in the Somme sector, moving forward in a single wave. At 9.25am heavy machine-gun fire from the right brou ght the assault to a standstill. A renewed attack at 6.55pm was also a failure. The casualties were heavy.
He has no known grave, but is remembered on Pier/Face 6B of the great Thiepval Memorial to the Missing in France.
Additional Information
After his death £2 14s 1d pay owing was authorised to go to mother, Alice, on 15 March 1919. Later, a war gratuity of £7 10s was authorised to be paid to her on 7 December 1917.
His pension cards record Alice Stevens, his mother, as his dependant, living at 51 Tilehouse Street, Hitchin. She was awarded a pension of 3s 6d a week from 29 May 1917.
Acknowledgments
Adrian Dunne, David C Baines, Jonty Wild, Stuart Osborne
