Frederic Raymond Charlesworth

A Captain with the 25th (Montgomeryshire and Welsh Horse Yeomanry) Battalion, Frederic died on 19th of September 1918 aged 24. 

Frederic was born at Westminster, London, on 7 January 1894, a son of Basil Arthur and Helen Lilian Royds Charlesworth. He was baptised at Saint Peter’s Church, Cranley Gardens, London, on 3 February 1894, and his family lived at 48 Evelyn Gardens. In 1901 his family lived at Walworth House, Hitchen, Hertfordshire. Frederic attended Suffield Park Preparatory School, Cromer, Norfolk, from 1903 to 1906, and Eton College from 1907 to 1910. In 1911 Frederic was a boarder with Richard Lee, a private tutor, at 18 East Cliff, Southwold, and Frederic was a ‘student for Oxford University.’ By this time his family were living at Gunton Hall, Lowestoft. Frederic studied at Magdalen College, Oxford, but did not take his degree because he had decided to go forward for service in the Army. 

Frederic was a Cadet with the Oxford University Contingent, Senior Division, Officer Training Corps, and was commissioned as a 2nd Lieutenant with the 1/1st Montgomeryshire Yeomanry on 14 May 1915. On 13 March 1916 his unit arrived at Alexandria and spent the next months training to fight as infantry. On 4 March 1917 his unit became the 25th (Montgomeryshire and Welsh Horse Yeomanry) Battalion Royal Welsh Fusiliers and this was also when Frederic was promoted to Lieutenant. The following months were again spent in training. Frederic was the directing officer for his battalion’s part in the Battle of Beersheba in October 1917. In November 1917 his battalion was involved in the Battle of Tel et Khulweilfe and the following month took part in the advance to, and capture of, Jerusalem. In April 1918 the battalion moved to Alexandria and sailed for Marseilles, arriving on 7 May. In August 1918 Frederic was granted leave to England and he became engaged to Florence Maud Mary Winter. 

On 18 September 1918 Frederic’s battalion were involved in an attack at Ronssoy and Frederic led the attack at Orchard Post. The following account was written by his commanding officer:

He was hit by machine-gun bullets as he was leading his company forward in the attack, and as the gun was doing serious damage to his men he gallantly went for it to try and silence it and save his men. Although in doing so he sacrificed himself, his act saved numerous lives. We have lost in him a splendid officer and a splendid companion. He had done magnificently with his company, and his men adored him – nothing was ever too much trouble for him to do for them, and he lost his life in trying to save them. I cannot tell you how those of us who had served for the last year and a half with Raymond feel his loss; all last winter in Palestine he did splendidly, and, however hard the times, was always bright and cheery.

Frederic died of wounds at 20 Casualty Clearing Station: one of 110 men of his battalion that became casualties at Ronssoy. 

President Warren, of Magdalen College, described Frederic as “truly a young knight of God.” 

Frederic’s brother-in-law was Sir James Domville who served with the Royal Navy and died in 1919.