Frederick Benjamin Foreman

A Private with the 9th Battalion, Frederick died on 16th of September 1916 at the age of 20. 

Frederick was born at Lowestoft on 1 September 1896, a son of William Emmanuel and Emily Foreman. He was baptised at Saint Peter’s Church, Kirkley, on 1 November 1896, and his family lived at 20 Lorne Park Road, and this was still their home in 1901. From 23 March 1903 Frederick were a pupil at Cunningham School. By 1911 his family was living at 4 Wivenoe Cottages, Florence Road.

Frederick enlisted in the Army, at Lowestoft, during the early stages of World War One. He joined the Suffolk Regiment, service number 15528. Frederick arrived in France, as part of the 9th Battalion, on 31 August 1915.

On 13 September 1916 the 9th Battalion were in trenches near Guinchy on the Somme. At 6.20 a.m. they attacked the German lines and were able to capture two lines of German trenches, however, the enemy artillery and machine-gun fire inflicted heavy casualties. The situation could not be cleared up and so, at 7.30 a.m. A Company made an attack on the German strongpoint known as The Quadrilateral, but they failed to reach their objective due to enemy machine-gun fire. By the end of the day two officers and 15 men had been killed and 10 officers and 185 men wounded. 

On 15 September the Battalion made an attack on the enemy trenches with a final objective between Lesbouchs and Morval. The Battalion were to advance at 7.50 a.m. There was heavy enemy artillery and machine-gun fire and half of C Company could not even leave the trench. The rest of the Battalion were held up by heavy machine-gun fire from The Quadrilateral. There were many casualties, including Lieutenant-Colonel Mack. During the day the Battalion lost four officers and 35 men killed, seven officers and 99 men wounded, and two officers and 93 men missing. 

The Army Register of Soldiers' Effects shows that Frederick was killed in action between 13 and 16 September 1916. But the 9th Battalion war diary states that there were no casualties on 16 September.  

Note: in some, non-military, records his first names are given and Benjamin Frederick. 

Frederick's brother William served with the King's Royal Rifle Corps and died in 1917.