Frederick Barnes

A Private with the 11th Battalion, Frederick died on 19th of July 1918 at the age of 20. 

Frederick was born at Norwich in August 1897, a son of Frederick Ferrer and Lucy Barnes. In 1901 his family lived at 219 Raglan Street. Frederick attended Clapham Road School and, on 1 February 1905 when his family’s address was the Telephone Exchange, Bevan Street, Frederick became a pupil at Saint Margaret’s School. In 1909 his family moved to Norwich, but moved back to Lowestoft, living at Crown Street, and Frederick was re-admitted to Saint Margaret’s School on 10 May 1910. In 1911 his family lived at 37 Mariner’s Street. Later they lived at 6 The Prairie, Lowestoft, before moving to 68 Howard Street Central, Great Yarmouth. After Frederick’s mother’s death his father lived at 52 Ketts Hill, Norwich.  

Frederick enlisted in the Army at Lowestoft. He joined the Royal Sussex Regiment, service number G/21971. He was posted to the 15th Battalion, then the 12th and then the 11th. By March 1918 he was serving with B Company.  

On 22 March 1918 the 11th Battalion were at Villers Faucon. About 11 a.m. they were ordered to withdraw to positions 400 yards behind the village and at 2 p.m. they again withdrew to a line in front of Tincourt Wood, before reorganising and taking up a line left of Busy, behind the wood. About 9 a.m. the next day they withdrew to high ground north of St. Denis and at 3 p.m. they were forced to retire to the rear of Mount St. Quentin and they held this position for two hours before withdrawing up the Somme valley and crossing the river at Bliscourt 

On 23 March 1918 Frederick was wounded by a gunshot to his right thigh and he was taken prisoner. He was taken to prisoner of war hospital at Trier, seriously wounded. An official report in Red Cross records states that everything was done to keep him alive and that he was able to regain some strength. He bore his pain with great patience and that ‘quietly and peacefully he was able to go to a better life’.  

There are two pension record cards connecting Frederick with Sarah Millicent Barnes of 20 Saint Thomas’ Road, Finsbury Park. One of the cards states that Sarah was to be awarded a £5 grant, but then notes that the grant was cancelled and adds ‘soldier un-married’. Sarah Barnes was married to George Barnes, who served with the Essex Regiment and survived the war. It is possible that the pension administrators had confused Frederick with George Barnes.