Name
Frederick Ellis Gubbins
Conflict
First World War
Date of Death / Age
21/12/1917
19
Rank, Service Number & Service Details
Corporal
39468
The Queen’s (Royal West Surrey Regiment)
2nd/4th Bn.
Awards: Service Medals/Honour Awards
British War and Victory medals
Cemetery/Memorial: Name/Reference/Country
JERUSALEM WAR CEMETERY
S. 106
Israel and Palestine (including Gaza)
Headstone Inscription
Not Researched
UK & Other Memorials
North Mymms War Memorial, St Mary's Church Roll of Honour, North Mymms, North Mymms Memorial Hall Memorial, Welham Green, Not on the Hatfield memorials
Pre War
Frederick was born outside of North Mymms in Chipping Warden where his family had lived for over 200 years. His father was a dairy farmer and Frederick an assistant stockman.
He was employed in the gardens of North Mymms House, he did not enlist when he was 18 owing to bad health.
Wartime Service
According to the Parish news, he enlisted in February 1917, went to France in July 1917 and then to Egypt, he was in the troopship “Transylvania” when it was torpedoed, he was saved along with Major Bryan Laing from Abdale House but some 441 were killed.
Frederick rested at Marseilles then went to Alex arriving on the 11th June, he spent some time in an isolation Hospital with scarlet fever, then qualified for a bombing course. The War Diary for the day he died tells us “Close hand to hand fighting resulted, but on every occasion the enemies counter attacks were driven off with bayonet and bomb, on some instances our men beating back the Turks with clubbed rifles, entrenching tools and even clenched fists, and all our positions were maintained.” That day saw eight officers and 32 other ranks killed and 66 wounded, of whom 6 died of wounds. Frederick was one of them.
Additional Information
His parents at the end of the War were living in Banbury Oxfordshire.
Acknowledgments
Family information Mike Allen
