Name
Frederick William Lawson Forfeitt
22 July 1889
Conflict
First World War
Date of Death / Age
20/05/1915
26
Rank, Service Number & Service Details
Private
2739
Hertfordshire Regiment
1st Bn.
'B' Coy.
Awards: Service Medals/Honour Awards
1914 (Mons) Star, British War and Victory Medals
Cemetery/Memorial: Name/Reference/Country
BETHUNE TOWN CEMETERY
IV. C. 32.
France
Headstone Inscription
JOINED, FOUGHT AND DIED FOR HONOUR, TRUTH AND RIGHT
UK & Other Memorials
St John the Baptist Church Memorial, Aldenham, St John the Baptist Church Roll of Honour, Aldenham, Radlett Town Memorial, Christchurch Memorial, Radlett, St Albans Grammar School Memorial, St Albans School Roll of Honour 1914-16, Hertfordshire Regimental Memorial, All Saints Church, Hertford, Not on the Elstree memorials, Barclays Bank WW1 Memorial, Lombard St., London
Pre War
Frederick William Lawson was born on 22 Jul 1889 in Elstree, Herts to Frederick Joseph and Lucy Jane (nee Cooper, widow Ashton) and was baptised in Radlett, Herts on 8 Oct 1899.
On the 1901 Census the family were living at Medburn, near Radlett where his father was a schoolmaster and they were living at School House. Frederick had three sisters, Winifred, Elsie and Constance. He was educated at Medburn School where his father was headmaster, and later at St Albans School, where he was also a member of the Cadet Corps.
On leaving school he entered Barclays Bank in St Albans in 1904 and on the 1911 Census was living with his family in Medburn and working as a Bank Clerk. He remained at Barclays Bank in St Albans until the outbreak of war.
Wartime Service
Frederick enlisted in St Albans on 4 September 1914, as Private 2739 in the 1st Battalion, Hertfordshire Regiment and went with them to France landing at Le Havre on 6 November 1914 and proceeded to Ypres to join 4 (Guards) Brigade in the 2nd Division.
They were in action at Ypres, Cuinchy, and at Festubert on 18 May 1915 when the Herts supported the Irish and Grenadier Guards in their attack and in consolidating the advanced position that night and the following day but were heavily shelled during that day and also during their relief that night. Casualties were 17 killed and 91 wounded. Frederick was one of those wounded and died from his wounds the following day, 20 May 1915. He is buried at Bethune Town Cemetery, France.
Additional Information
His father received a war gratuity of £3 and pay owing of £8 12s 7d. He also received a pension of 5 shillings a week. Probate was granted to his father in July 1915 with effects of £272 9s 1d..
Acknowledgments
Brenda Palmer, Neil Cooper
Jonty Wild
