Name
Frank Albert Groom
1888
Conflict
First World War
Date of Death / Age
20/10/1917
39
Rank, Service Number & Service Details
Private
25444
Northamptonshire Regiment
6th Bn.
Awards: Service Medals/Honour Awards
British War and Victory medals
Cemetery/Memorial: Name/Reference/Country
DOZINGHEM MILITARY CEMETERY
XI. G. 21.
Belgium
Headstone Inscription
THERE REMAINETH A REST TO THE PEOPLE OF GOD
UK & Other Memorials
Great Gaddesden War Memorial,
We are not aware of any memorial in Gaddesden Row,
Studham Clock Tower Memorial, Beds,
Studham Roll of Honour
Pre War
Frank Albert Groom was born in 1888 in Studham, Bedfordshire, one of six children ( 4 boys and 2 girls) and was the eldest child of Frederick Groom and Alice (nee Cutler). On the 1891 Census, the family were living at 6 Clements End, Studham, where his father was working as an agricultural labourer. They had moved to Common Side, Studham by the 1901 Census.
Frank married Daisy Annie Ginger in 1909 and on the 1911 Census they were living at Kinsworth Road, Studham, Beds with their two children Dorothy and Phyllis and he was working as a Labouring Gardener. They had a son William in 1913. They later lived at Widmore Cottages, Gaddesden Row, Hemel Hempstead, Herts. They later lived at Widmore Cottages, Gaddesden Row, Hemel Hempstead, Herts.
[N.B. Studham is on the border of Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire and is sometimes said to be in Herts on one census and Beds on another. ]
Wartime Service
Frank enlisted in Hemel Hempstead and served with the 6th Battalion, Northamptonshire Regiment as Private 25444.
The 18 (Eastern) Division (of which 6 Northants were a component) were detailed to be the Northern Flank troops for the attack on 12 October 1917. Frank was wounded during this fighting and died on 20 October 1917 from wounds received in action (named as the first Battle of Passchendaele as part of the larger Third Battle of Ypres (also known as Passchendaele) and is buried at Dozinghem Military Cemetery, Belgium.
Additional Information
His widow, Mrs D A Groom, 2 Widmore Cottages, Gaddesden Row, Hemel Hempstead, Herts., ordered his headstone inscription: "THERE REMAINETH A REST TO THE PEOPLE OF GOD", She received a war gratuity of £5 10s and pay owing of £2 1s 5d. She also received a pension of £1 6s 3d for herself and her children.
Brother Theodore served as Pioneer 23300 and Sapper 343866 in 2 Signal Company Royal Engineers, went to France 17 Aug 1914 and survived. Brother Victor served as Gunner 206406 Royal Horse Artillery in France from 1917 and was demobilised in Feb 1919.
Acknowledgments
Brenda Palmer, Neil Cooper
dacorumheritage.org.uk, hemelatwar.org.
