WORBY, Frederick


No. 17985, Private, Frederick WORBY


Suffolk Regiment, 11th Battalion
Died of his Wounds on Monday, 15th October 1917
Aged 40


Frederick was born in Little Livermere in 1878 (Thingoe Q1-1878 4A:551), the son of Henry and Caroline WORBY (nee CLUTTERHAM)

1881 census... Aged 3 he was at 89 Barracks, Little Livermere with his father Henry WORBY [33] an agricultural labourer born Gt Livermere; his mother Caroline [32] born Timworth; sister Annie M [11] and brother Henry [8]. All the children were born in Little Livermere.

1891 census... Aged 13, he was at 73 Common, Little Livermere with his parents ( father was out of work); brother Henry was a farm labourer; as was Frederick. There were now 3 other children, John [9],Ethel M [6] and Herbert E [4 months] all born in Little Livermere.

1901 census... Aged 22, Frederick was now married to Flora ARBON [21] born Stanton. They were living at Barracks, Little Livermere with their son Horace F [2] born in Great Livermere, and daughter Violet M [4 months] born in Little Livermere. They had a 16 yrs old boarder, Alfred Brinkley.

1911 census...Aged 33 and now a horsekeeper on farm, Frederick was at 72 High Lodge, Eriswell with Flora, Horace and Violet. In addition were two more daughter, Daisy [8] born Timworth and Doris [1] born Eriswell, and son Percy [5] born Brandon.




He enlisted in Brandon. At the outbreak of war many men enlisting from Cambridge and the Isle of Ely were sent to the Suffolk Regiment depot at Bury St Edmunds . This resulted in so much overcrowding that temporary arrangements were made in Cambridge,This seperate unit never had an official title but the Cambridge Service Battalion officially became the 11th Suffolks in late 1914, and were often referred to still as the Cambridgeshires.
In October 1917 the 11th Suffolks were moved to Flanders, arriving at Elverdinghe on October 8th and thence to Soult and Leipsic Camps. They then settled to repairing roads and trenches in the front line area. A very unpleasant task in bad weather and under constant shell fire and machine gunning. In the period 8th to 15th they suffered 50 casualties. It has to be assumed that Frederick was one of these, dying after being moved to a CCS at Dozinghem,(The 4th, 47th and 61st Casualty Clearing Stations were stationed at Dozinghem, just north of Poperinghe.


His medal index card is a mystery since to gain the Victory Medal, one had also qualified for the British War Medal.



Frederick Worby is buried in Dozinghem Military Cemetery, Belgium grave 11:F:18

click here to go to the Commonwealth War Graves Commission website for full cemetery/memorial details


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