No. 17985, Private, Frederick WORBY
Aged 40
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Frederick was born in Little Livermere in 1878 (Thingoe Q1-1878 4A:551), the son of Henry and Caroline WORBY (née 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 [8-3-1878] 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 Louisa [14-9-1902] born Timworth and Doris Mary [21-8-1909] born Eriswell, and son Percy [25-3-1906] born Brandon. The pension card adds a son, George [6-6-1911], the family living at 4 Eriswell. |
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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 separate 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. The Bury Free Press of 27th October 1917 reported:- ERISWELLSOLDIER DIES OF WOUNDS - WIDOW AND SIX CHILDREN LEFT The war casualties among men on active service from the parish of Eriswell have been fortunately comparatively light, but now one man has given his life and left a widow and six children, for whom widespread sympathy is felt. The sad news is that Mrs. Worby, High Lodge Farm, first received a letter from an officer informing her that Prvt Frederick Worby, 11th Suffolk Regiment, had been seriously wounded, but she must hope for the best. Appended is a copy of a letter Mrs.Worby received giving her the particulars of he husband's death. The letter reads:- "Dear Mrs. Worby ;- I am grieved to tell you that Prvt Worby was very badly wounded in the abdomen by a bomb, and although everything possible was done for him he passed away at 2 am on the 15th. I told him I was writing to you and he said he gave you his love:to be sure and say he was all right. He was buried with military honours and is with many comrades in the cemetery attached. The graves are very well looked after and his name, etc will be on his cross -With sympathy, Q.Graves, Matron." |
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