Name
Frederick John Basill
April 1896
Conflict
First World War
Date of Death / Age
08/04/1917
21
Rank, Service Number & Service Details
Private
265397
Hertfordshire Regiment
Attd. to 254th Tunnelling Coy, Royal Engineers.
Awards: Service Medals/Honour Awards
British War and Victory medals
Cemetery/Memorial: Name/Reference/Country
BETHUNE TOWN CEMETERY
VI. C. 71.
France
Headstone Inscription
No Inscription
UK & Other Memorials
Hatfield Town Memorial, Hatfield In Memoriam Book, St Luke's Church Memorial, Bishops Hatfield, Hertfordshire Regimental Memorial, All Saints Church, Hertford, Not on the St Albans memorials(*1), We are not aware of any memorial in Roe Green
Pre War
Frederick John Basill was born in St Peter's(*1), Herts in April 1896, son of Edward Basill (B 1859 in Hatfield) and Mary Ann Basill (nee Hipgrave) (B 1861 in Roe Green, Hatfield). The eighth of 10 children. He was Baptised on 17th August 1899, in the Parish Church of Bishops Hatfield, with his Brother William Henry and sister Ada.
1901 Census records Frederick aged 5, living with his parents, 2 brothers and 4 sisters, in Roe Green, St Peters Rural. His father was working as a bricklayer’s labourer.
He attended Hatfield C of E School and Hatfield National School, later to become St Audrey's School. He left School in March 1910 to start work.
By 1911 Frederick had left School and was working as a General Labourer's Boy, living at home with his parents, 2 brothers and sister Emily, in Chantry Lane, Roe Green, Hatfield. He was now working as a labourer’s boy (general).
Officially recorded as born, living and enlisting in Hatfield.
Wartime Service
Frederick enlisted as a Private in the Hertfordshire Regiment on 13/2/1914, initially with the Service No. 2332 and later 265397.
He was 5ft 4 inches tall and in good health. Before he enlisted he had been working as a farm labourer for a Mr White at Roe Green and was living with his family at 3, Greenfoot Cottages, Roe Green. Frederick left for France on 5/11/1914. At one point, (7/5/1916) he was attached for duty to 255th Tunnelling Co. R.E. entitled to working pay of 1/- per day. He had been allotted a new regt. no. 265397 on?/4/1916. Frederick was killed in action on 8th April 1917 and is buried in the CWGC Bethune Town Cemetery in France.
The Bishop’s Hatfield Parish Magazine of September 1914 recorded in the 1st List of Men Mobilised from Hatfield: “Frederick Basil - Roe Green - Territorials.”
The same magazine of December 1914 recorded “Private F. Basil writes from hospital abroad, laid up with kidney trouble.” Then in March 1917: “Promotions – Frederick Basil – Lance Corporal.” and in May 1917: “Frederick Basil 1st Herts, Charles Bray R.F.A, John Pallett, Beds Regt. Our deepest sympathies with the relatives and families of the three brave men mentioned above who have fallen in the service of their Country.”
The Herts. Advertiser of 12th May 1917 recorded: “Pte F J Basill – Killed in Action.
Pte. Fredk. J. Basill of the 1st Herts. Regt. whose home address was Roe Green, Hatfield and news of whose being killed in action on April 8th was received on April 15th? Joined the Territorials shortly before the War and was mobilised on August 1914. He went to France in November of that year and was home on furlough as recently as last November, whilst his elder brother left for France only last week.
Very sympathetic letters have been received by Mrs Basill from her boy’s comrades, one of whom wrote “He was one of the youngest lads in our squad but his age certainly did not make him any the less efficient or lacking in spirit. He made the supreme sacrifice on the morning of the 8th April at about 10 o’clock. As he spent twelve months in our company we can understand in a small measure of your loss He died as he lived, a soldier in every sense of the word, and was buried with full military honours, along with five of his mates, who were killed at the same time” Another wrote “Your dear son’s parcel arrived here quite safely on Easter Monday but unfortunately after he had been killed in action. He was a great chum of ours, very calm, xxx and collected and always looked upon as a true friend. The greatest sympathy is sent to yourself and family from all his comrades.”
Awarded Victory medal and British War Medal.
Additional Information
His effects of £20-6s-2d, Pay Owing and £12-10s-00d, went to his mother Mary A. Basill.
Hatfield Parish Council Souvenir Committee Ledger: Mrs Basil (Mother) of Roe Green, Hatfield received an “In Memoriam and Roll of Honour Album”.
*1 We believe that St Peter's was a Parish in St Albans which was abolished for civil purposes in 1894. It was also known as St Albans St Peter. The parish church was St Peter's Church in St Albans.
Acknowledgments
Stuart Osborne
Jonty Wild, Stuart Osborne, Christine & Derek Martindale, Hatfield Local History Society (www.hatfieldhistory.uk)
