Name
Frederick William John Fountain
Conflict
First World War
Date of Death / Age
23/04/1917
36
Rank, Service Number & Service Details
Private
27823
Bedfordshire Regiment
4th Bn.
Awards: Service Medals/Honour Awards
Not Yet Researched
Cemetery/Memorial: Name/Reference/Country
ARRAS MEMORIAL
Bay 5.
France
Headstone Inscription
Not Researched
UK & Other Memorials
St Matthew’s Church Memorial, Oxhey, Not on the Bushey memorials
Pre War
Born in Bushey on 19 August 1881, Frederick William John Fountain, or Fred as he was known, was the only son of William and Maria (née Armstrong) Fountain. His parents were married in December 1876 at St James’, Bushey, Herts. and by the time of the 1881 Census were living in Paddock Road, Oxhey. His father was a labourer.
At the 1891 Census, Frederick was aged 10 and living in Oxhey with his parents and his sister, Emily Charlotte, who was born in 1883. Frederick’s father died in 1896 at the age of 42 and Frederick continued to live with his mother and Emily.
At the 1901 Census, when Frederick was 19, they were living at 73 Villiers Road, Oxhey with two boarders. Frederick was employed as a general labourer and Emily as a laundry maid.
By 1911, Emily had married George Eli Bosworth, a bricklayer. They had a son, George, aged 2. Fred, his mother and two boarders were living with them at 64 Villiers Road, Oxhey. Maria died, aged 71, in 1925.
Wartime Service
Fred enlisted in Bedford as Private 27823 with the Bedfordshire Regiment, 4th Battalion and served in France and Flanders. He was killed in action, aged 36, on 23 April 1917 during the capture of Gavrelle in the Battle of Arras.
He is referred to as Fred on his pension card and his dependant is given as his mother, Maria Fountain of 64, Villiers Road, Oxhey, Watford.
He is remembered with honour at the Arras Memorial and at St Matthew’s Church in Oxhey.
Additional Information
Information provided with the kind permission of Bushey First World War Commemoration Project – Please visit www.busheyworldwarone.org.uk. Information also drawn from the Our Watford History website - please visit www.ourwatfordhistory.org.uk.
Acknowledgments
Andrew Palmer
Dianne Payne - www.busheyworldwarone.org.uk, Jonty Wild
