Frederick James Rackham

A Private with 9th Battalion, Frederick died on 19th of December 1915 at the age of 26. 

Frederick was born at Blundeston in 1889, a son of Samuel and Emily Rackham. In 1890 his mother was imprisoned for neglecting her children, but in 1891 Frederick and his brother were living with their mother at High Street, Blundeston. It seems that his parents became estranged and by 1901 Frederick was living at 8 Old Market Place, Lowestoft, with his mother, and siblings, and the census suggests that his mother was married to William Reynolds. In 1911 the family’s address was 8A Old Market Place, and Frederick was a general labourer. Note the 1911 Census shows Frederick’s surname as Reynolds. Later his mother lived at 3 Albany Terrace, Albany Road, Lowestoft. 

Frederick volunteered and enlisted in the Army at Lowestoft. He joined the Suffolk Regiment and was posted to the 9th Battalion. He arrived in France with the Battalion on 30 August 1915. 

On 18 December 1915 the Battalion took over front line trenches at St. Jean les Ypres, to the east of the town of Ypres, Belgium.

At 5.30 a.m. on 19 December 1915 the Germans made a gas attack on the Battalion’s positions. The gas attack was followed by a heavy bombardment that lasted through the day and into the night. The attack failed. 

The Battalion’s casualties were:
Officers: one wounded
Other ranks: four killed; one died of wounds; one died of gas poisoning; 40 wounded; 18 suffering from gas poisoning.

Frederick was killed in action on 19 December. Initially he was buried at map reference C.27.b.6.5. and in 1919 reburied at White House Farm Cemetery.