Frederick Young
The last alphabetic entry on the St Ives War Memorial is the most puzzling. Frederick's only link to St Ives appears to be an entry in his pension record after death stating his wife as next of kin with her address c/o Mrs Smith, West Street, St Ives. So who was Frederick Young and why does he appear on the St Ives War Memorial?
Born in Walthamstow, London in 1888 to William John Young, a gardener, and Minnie Dargin Bury, Frederick was the second youngest of four sons (plus one child who died in infancy). In 1891 the family lived at 16 Ritchings Avenue, Walthamstow. By 1901 they had moved to 32 Mountfield Road, Ealing, and again moved to 24 Woodfield Crescent, Ealing by 1911. Frederick worked as an under-gardener and domestic, probably working with his dad and their lodger, both identically employed.
At some time after the start of WWI Frederick was employed as a munitions worker. Although a reserved occupation, a desperate need for more men meant much pressure to enrol. Frederick signed up on 2 December 1915 at Woolwich.
Frederick married Ida Jenner on Christmas Day 1915 at St Paul's Church, Newington. It may seem a strange day to marry but was a popular tradition in the 1800s and early 1900s, more out of necessity than from a seasonal romance. Christmas and Boxing Days were traditional holidays and the only days young working couples could guarantee time off.
At the time of the marriage they were both living at 68 New Street, London. Ida was a Londoner too, born in Woolwich in 1889. A daughter, Doris, was born 3 April 1917.
Held as an Army reserve for seven months, in July 1916 he was allocated to the 3/10th County of London Regiment, initially stationed at Hackney, then Sutton and Fovant, undergoing training and providing guard duty.
Frederick was transferred in January 1917 to The Rifle Brigade, 22nd (Wessex and Welsh) Battalion (Territorial) and a month later found himself in Salonika. He might have been termed a rifleman, but he was surrounded by tradesmen, their job to dig trenches and construct barbed wire defences.
After eight days training in March, Frederick and his colleagues were facing the enemy for the first time, in the front line by the end of the month and suffering casualties. Over the next 19 months they were in and out of battle.
Conditions were horrendous. Freezing temperatures and mud in winter gave way to a summer invasion of insects, including scorpions, mice, lizards and the occasional snake. Sweltering heat meant copious sweating, permanent thirst and the risk of heatstroke.
Dysentry was rife, but most deadly were the mosquitoes. The area was one of the worst in Europe for malaria and the majority of soldiers contracted the disease at some time or other. This seriously impacted on the effectiveness of the forces, sapping troops of their energy and strength. Men feared illness rather than harm in battle. The effects on manpower were devastating, with non-battle casualties up to twenty times the levels of injury or death in battle.
Once infected, the familiar symptoms of malaria gradually took hold, a repeated feeling of sudden coldness and shivering, then fever and sweating. Weakness, vomiting, headache, diarrhoea, aching limbs and trembling followed. Soldiers infected in summer continued to have regular bouts of sickness all winter. Prevention was by way of covering up skin, using netting at night and taking regular doses of quinine.
Four in a hundred afflicted by malaria died. Frederick was one of the four. He died in the 28th General Hospital, Salonica aged 30 years on 27 October 1918, just two weeks before the Armistice was declared. He is buried at Mikra British Cemetery, Kalamaria, Greece. The gravestone inscription chosen by his wife was 'In loving memory of our dear husband and daddy. Till we meet again.'
So back to the mystery. Why does Frederick Young's name appear on the St Ives War Memorial? Both he and his wife were clearly London born and bred. There is no trace of any connection with St Ives other than the address 'c/o Mrs Smith, West Street, St Ives' completed by an official in the pension application after Frederick's death. In that application Ida gives her address as 67 Portland Street, Walworth, London.
Central London's WWI memorials are of a more majestic scale than those based on the Cross of Sacrifice designed by Reginald Blomfield seen in village and town throughout England. The capital's lack of space meant any memorial had to earn its keep. They major on the magnificent, an example being The Cenotaph. One result was no space to list the names of London's fallen.
When St Ives' War Memorial was being planned, the town clerk displayed a list in the Corn Exchange showing details of St Ives men killed in the war, as reported in the Hunts Post 20 February 1920. Residents were asked to check the list and notify any corrections.
'Mrs Smith' was Emma Smith, Ida's aunt. Was Frederick's wife staying with her aunt in 1920 at the time the list was displayed? Did she, or her aunt, get Frederick added to the list so he was remembered in name at least once?
Born in Walthamstow, London in 1888 to William John Young, a gardener, and Minnie Dargin Bury, Frederick was the second youngest of four sons (plus one child who died in infancy). In 1891 the family lived at 16 Ritchings Avenue, Walthamstow. By 1901 they had moved to 32 Mountfield Road, Ealing, and again moved to 24 Woodfield Crescent, Ealing by 1911. Frederick worked as an under-gardener and domestic, probably working with his dad and their lodger, both identically employed.
At some time after the start of WWI Frederick was employed as a munitions worker. Although a reserved occupation, a desperate need for more men meant much pressure to enrol. Frederick signed up on 2 December 1915 at Woolwich.
Frederick married Ida Jenner on Christmas Day 1915 at St Paul's Church, Newington. It may seem a strange day to marry but was a popular tradition in the 1800s and early 1900s, more out of necessity than from a seasonal romance. Christmas and Boxing Days were traditional holidays and the only days young working couples could guarantee time off.
At the time of the marriage they were both living at 68 New Street, London. Ida was a Londoner too, born in Woolwich in 1889. A daughter, Doris, was born 3 April 1917.
Held as an Army reserve for seven months, in July 1916 he was allocated to the 3/10th County of London Regiment, initially stationed at Hackney, then Sutton and Fovant, undergoing training and providing guard duty.
Frederick was transferred in January 1917 to The Rifle Brigade, 22nd (Wessex and Welsh) Battalion (Territorial) and a month later found himself in Salonika. He might have been termed a rifleman, but he was surrounded by tradesmen, their job to dig trenches and construct barbed wire defences.
 |
| British troops digging trenches in Salonika. |
Conditions were horrendous. Freezing temperatures and mud in winter gave way to a summer invasion of insects, including scorpions, mice, lizards and the occasional snake. Sweltering heat meant copious sweating, permanent thirst and the risk of heatstroke.
Dysentry was rife, but most deadly were the mosquitoes. The area was one of the worst in Europe for malaria and the majority of soldiers contracted the disease at some time or other. This seriously impacted on the effectiveness of the forces, sapping troops of their energy and strength. Men feared illness rather than harm in battle. The effects on manpower were devastating, with non-battle casualties up to twenty times the levels of injury or death in battle.
 |
| Soldiers taking their regular dose of quinine. |
Four in a hundred afflicted by malaria died. Frederick was one of the four. He died in the 28th General Hospital, Salonica aged 30 years on 27 October 1918, just two weeks before the Armistice was declared. He is buried at Mikra British Cemetery, Kalamaria, Greece. The gravestone inscription chosen by his wife was 'In loving memory of our dear husband and daddy. Till we meet again.'
So back to the mystery. Why does Frederick Young's name appear on the St Ives War Memorial? Both he and his wife were clearly London born and bred. There is no trace of any connection with St Ives other than the address 'c/o Mrs Smith, West Street, St Ives' completed by an official in the pension application after Frederick's death. In that application Ida gives her address as 67 Portland Street, Walworth, London.
Central London's WWI memorials are of a more majestic scale than those based on the Cross of Sacrifice designed by Reginald Blomfield seen in village and town throughout England. The capital's lack of space meant any memorial had to earn its keep. They major on the magnificent, an example being The Cenotaph. One result was no space to list the names of London's fallen.
When St Ives' War Memorial was being planned, the town clerk displayed a list in the Corn Exchange showing details of St Ives men killed in the war, as reported in the Hunts Post 20 February 1920. Residents were asked to check the list and notify any corrections.
'Mrs Smith' was Emma Smith, Ida's aunt. Was Frederick's wife staying with her aunt in 1920 at the time the list was displayed? Did she, or her aunt, get Frederick added to the list so he was remembered in name at least once?
If you have any information about Frederick please get in touch via the make contact page.
Source materials
1891 Census
1901 Census
1911 Census
1915 Marriage Register
Medal Rolls Index Card
Headstone Inscriptions Report
Pension application
Commonwealth War Grave Register
Commemorative Certificate
Source materials
1891 Census
1901 Census
1911 Census
1915 Marriage Register
Medal Rolls Index Card
Headstone Inscriptions Report
Pension application
Commonwealth War Grave Register
Commemorative Certificate
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