No. 16988, Corporal, Frederick George BALL
Aged 30
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Frederick George Balls was born in 1885 in Freckenham (Mildenhall Q3-1885 4A:670), son of Richard and Rose BALLS (née LOCK).
(various records have the surname with or without the 'S')
1891 census...Aged 6, he was in Freckenham with his father Richard BALLS [30] farm labourer; his mother Rosa [31] born Mildenhall; sisters Annie [8] and Alice [2]/All except his mother were born in Freckenham. 1901 census...Aged 15, he was at Hall Gatehouse, Herringswell with his parents (father now horse keeper) and sister Annie and Alice. 1911 census...Aged 25, a labourer, he was at Chalk Hill Cottages, Barton Mills with his parents and sister Alice. In 1915 (Bath Q1 C:859) he married Eliza MIZEN (b.25-9-1879). On the pension card she is entered as Eliza of Beaumont, Lansdown, Bath . CWGC have his widow as E.Ball of of 22 Ashley Rd., Bradford-on-Avon. In the 1939 register she was still at 22 Ashley Road, with her brother Victor |
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He enlisted in Birmingham. As his Army service records are not available and he died of his wounds it is impossible to say exactly where or when he was wounded but the newspaper cuttings are helpful. Bailleul was an important hospital and Casualty Clearing Station centre for more than 3 years and Frederick Balls could have been brought there from many battlefields. The fact that he was not evacuated to UK meant he was too seriously wounded to be moved on. An "in Memoriam" notice in the Bury Free Press of February 10th 1917 stated he was wounded on the 14th February near Armentieres and died on 16th.
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