Frederick Herbert Beavers

A Private with the 1st Battalion, Frederick died on 17 February 1915, at the age of 36. 

Frederick was born at Lowestoft on 17 July 1879, a son of James William and Jane Hannah Beavers (note his mother’s name is also given as Jane Eliza on some records). In 1881 his family lived at 31 East Street, Lowestoft.

He was baptised at Christchurch, Lowestoft, on 29 August 1882. 

By late 1901 Frederick was living at 37 Baldwin Street, Radford, Nottinghamshire, and working as a shop assistant. On 25 December 1901 he married Florence Annie Bednall at Christchurch, Radford. In 1911 Frederick was working at a foundry and boarding at 25 Brown Street, Burnley, with Isabella Ackroyd and her children. 

Frederick volunteered and joined the Army at Burnley. He served with the East Lancashire Regiment and had service number 12503. On 28 January 1915 Frederick was posted to the 1st Battalion in France. 

From 1 February 1915 the 1st Battalion were holding entrenched positions at Le Gheer, near Ploegsteert, Belgium. These positions were frequently subject to enemy sniping an occasional shelling. The battalion’s war diary records very little activity for the month of February 1915 and the entry for 17 February, the day on which Frederick died, simply says ‘all quiet.’

Frederick’s ‘sole legatee’ was Isabella Ackroyd.    

Frederick’s father died in 1917 and by March 1919 Frederick’s mother was living at 1 Strand Terrace, Whapload Road, Lowestoft.  

Frederick’s brother James William served with the South Lancashire Regiment and was killed in action on 14 February 1917.

Frederick's name appears on the war memorial at Saint Margaret's Church, Lowestoft.