Frederick William Mingay

A Lance Corporal with the 8th Battalion, Frederick died on 26th of September 1916 at the age of 21. 

Frederick, who was often known as Fred, was born at Carlton Colville in 1895, a son of James Elizabeth and Eliza Ada Farrants Mingay. He was baptised at Saint Peter’s Church, Carlton Colville, on 6 April 1895 and was received into the church on 28 July 1895. Fred’s mother died in 1897 and his father remarried and, by 1901, the family were living at the Sycamore Estate, Oulton Broad. By 1911 the family were living at 15 Sycamore Avenue, Oulton Broad. Later his father lived at 17 South Elmham Terrace, before moving to 39 Victoria Road, Oulton Broad.

Fred volunteered and enlisted in the Army at Lowestoft in 1914. He joined the Suffolk Regiment, service number 13960. Fred arrived in France with the 8th Battalion on 27 July 1915. 

From 24 September 1916 the 8th Battalion were involved in a Brigade attack intending to drive the enemy off of the Thiepval Spur. The first objective was the Schwaben Trench, the second objective the Zollern Trench, and, the ultimate goal was the Schwaben Redoubt and Midway Line. 

The battalion moved into position on the 24th and the attack commenced at 12.35 p.m. on the 26th and as soon as the bombardment of the enemy positions commenced the battalion moved off. Within six minutes Joseph Trench had been captured along with a large number of prisoners. Around ten minutes later the first objective had been taken and, within an hour and following the barrage closely, they had taken their second objective. At 2.14 p.m. the advance resumed and at this point they encountered heavy resistance and machine-gun fire from both flanks. By midnight consolidation of the Zollern trench was completed and string points created. The attack was resumed on 28 September. 

The battalion’s casualties from 24 to 29 September were:

Officers: three killed, four wounded
Other ranks: 25 killed, 161 wounded, 15 missing

Fred was killed in action on 26 September.