Name
Frederick William Wells (*1)
Conflict
First World War
Date of Death / Age
07/11/1918
28
Rank, Service Number & Service Details
Private
20730
East Surrey Regiment
1st Bn.
Awards: Service Medals/Honour Awards
British War and Victory medals
Cemetery/Memorial: Name/Reference/Country
ROCQUIGNY-EQUANCOURT ROAD BRITISH CEMETERY, MANANCOURT
XIII. B. 1.
France
Headstone Inscription
Not Researched
UK & Other Memorials
John Dickinson & Co Memorial, Croxley Mills, Croxley Green, St. Michael & All Angels Church Memorial, Watford, Watford Borough Roll of Honour
Pre War
*1 We believe Frederick appears as W F Wells in the John Dickinson memorial.
Son of Frederick and Kate Wells (nee Moseley). His parents married 1882 in the Chichester, Sussex, district. Kate died 1930 in the Watford district aged 63.
Frederick was born in 1890 in Borough Green, Wrotham Kent (not Roatham, Sussex ).
The family moved to Croxley Green soon after he was born where Frederick senior took a job at Croxley Mills.
On census day 1891 they were at 18 Mill Square Croxley Green with his parents and three siblings. By 1901 they were in New Road and in 1911 the family lived at 241 New Road. In 1911 Frederick senior was a beaterman and Frederick junior (aged 20) a clerk at a paper mill (presumably Croxley Mills).
Frederick’s younger brother, Leonard, also worked at the mill as a coating mixer. Frederick married Clara in 1914.
He married of Clara Ashberry (formerly Wells, nee Green) of 13 Rose Gardens, Watford.
Recorded as enlisting in Watford.
Wartime Service
Private Frederick Wells died of pneumonia. The cemetery where he is buried is located in the Somme area, southeast of Bapaume. In November 1918 it was used by 3rd Canadian and 18th Casualty Clearing Stations.
From 1916 Frederick’s battalion was part of 95th Brigade, 5th Division. The Division was involved in the offensives at Arras and Passchendaele. Then, in November 1917 they moved to Italy as reinforcements after the disaster at Caporetto. However, the Division was recalled hurriedly to France in April 1918 after the German Spring Offensive. They fought at Hazebrouck and then joined the attacks across the old Somme battlefields from August onwards.
He enlisted in Watford; was entitled to the Victory and British War Medals.
Acknowledgments
Brian Thomson, Sue Carter (Research) and Watford Museum (ROH on line via www.ourwatfordhistory.org.uk)
