No.12752, Lance Corporal, Frederick Francis PREWER
Aged 18
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Frederick Francis Prewer was born in Exning (Newmarket Q2-1897 3b:509], the 2nd son of George and Sarah PREWER (née CLAYDON) of 3 Eleanor Terrace, Exning.
1901 census...Aged 4, he was at 3 Elderside Terrace, Exning with his father George PREWER [36] a groom born in Hargrave, mother Sarah [33] born in Kirtling and brother David[8] born Exning, sisters Florence [6] born Burrough Green, and Lilian [2] born Exning. Also there was his uncle Willie Claydon. 1911 census...Aged 14, an errand boy, he was still at 3 Elderside Terrace, Burwell Road, Exning with his parents, brother David was now a grocers assistant, sister Lilian [12] and new siblings, brothers Tom [9], Jack [7] and sister Evelyn [4], all Exning born. One child had died, but not sure if it was Florence since she does not appear in census or death registers. His parents later moved to Ness Road, Burwell |
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The 1st battalion's last attack before being sent to Egypt was a complete muddle. They were ordered on 1st October to move up and cover 1st
Welch and 2nd Cheshires attack on Little Willie, a trench near Vermelles. On the 2nd October (minus "D" Coy, and 70 men of "B" Coy who
had been diverted to help the Northumberland Fusiliers) the 1st Suffolks reached the support trenches. Next morning HQ and "A" Coy moved
to Central Keep, "B" occupied a nearby trench whilst "C" remained in support. "D" still had not arrived. Orders came for an attack on the Hohenzollern Redoubt, directed initially at Little Willie at 8:30 pm , which was, if
successful, to carry on beyond Fosse 8 and dig in. At 7pm after recce was made they began winding up Central Bergeau but made very slow progress due to the
crowded state of the communication trench. This delay led to zero hour being put back to 10 pm and then midnight. In the event that was eventually 2 am. They
were to aim at a red light outside the German trench, but with the delay meant the position of the moon had shifted and the Germans, aware they were coming,
had inconveniently failed to display the lamp. There was no artillery support, no one had any real idea where they were going and the whole dismal affair ended
with about 160 casualties. The missing "D" Coy, it later transpired, had been diverted en route and sent to a different part of the line. The order to repeat
the attack was cancelled, and the 1st Suffolks returned to Annequin and then Perriere. On October 21st they received orders to entrain to Marseilles from where they
sailed to Egypt. The death toll in this sorry affair was 32 on the 3rd, which under the circumstances was very fortunate. Three newspaper cuttings at the time :- The Cambridge Independent Press of 15th October 1915:- Death of a Burwell Lad Mr,. and Mrs. Prewer of 1 Ness Road, Burwell have received information from Serg. Griffiths, of the Welsh Regiment, of the death of their second son,Lance Corpl. Fred Prwer, of the 1st Suffolks, in the trenches in France on Sunday, October 3ed. Mr Prewer is road foreman to the Newmarket Rural Council. Young Prewer was 18 years of age on August 13th. he worked as Messrs Laing's grocery shop before the war. When he enlisted he was only 17 years of age, but he allowed his age to be recorded as 19. He was wounded in the arm some four months ago, when he wrote home to the Rev. J.W.Upton, sating that he hoped top come home on a short furlough, but he could not get leave, although for some weeks he was not sent to the firing line. Sergt.Griffiths, who appears to be attached to the Suffolks, writes to his parents to say that he was struck on the back of his head by a piece of shrapnel and died about ten minutes later. He was talking to the sergeant just before the shrapnel hit him. The sergeant sent home the photographs of his sister and his sweetheart and of a Burwell friend that were found in his pockets. On Tuesday morning the Vicar caused the bell to be tolled. On Sunday evening a memorial service will be held at the Burwell Congregational Church. The Late Lance-Corp., PREWER -On Sunday evening last a memorial service was held in the Congregational Church, when the Rev.J.W.,Upton paid a last tribute of esteem to the memory of Lance-Corpl., Fred Prewer of A Co., 1st Suffolk Regt.,who was killed in action in France on October 3rd. The hymns known by the deceased were sung during the service, and the text of the discourse was from St.John's Gospel, xv..13, Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends." Mr.and Mrs. Prewer and family desire to publicly thank the many friends who have sympathised with them in their great sorrow. -The sister of Corporal Prewer has received the following letter from Sergt.W.Griffiths, of the 6th Welsh Regt., who was attached to the 1st Suffolk Regt., with which Corporal Prewer was serving: "Dear Miss Prewer - It is with the deepest regret that I have to inform you of the death of your brother, No.12752, Corporal F.Prewer, A Company, 1st Suffolk Regt., which occurred about 2:30 pm on the 3rd inst. He had just spoken to me when a fragment of shell struck him in the back. He lived about ten minutes when he passed away. I can assure you he suffered no pain and every means was taken to save him, but with no result. it was my very unpleasant duty to take charge of all the articles found on him, which I handed over to the platoon sergeant of his Company. I retained the photos which I enclose. You and your family have the great consolation of knowing that he died in defence of his country, doing his duty as a son of our glorious Empire. I sincerely pray that God will console you all in the great loss you have sustained and that HE will assist you to bear it with great fortitude - Again, expressing my deepest sympathy, I am, your truly, W. Griffiths". and also "BURWELL LAD THAT COULD BE TRUSTED": Capt. E.D.C. Hunt, of the 1st Suffolks, writes from St Male, Felixstowe (sic), to the parents of Lance-Corpl.Fred Prewer of Burwell, of the 1st Suffolk, killed in action in France, October 3rd, as follows:- "Dear MNr. and Mrs. Prewer, -I have long been intending to write to you and to send you my deep sympathy in the loss of you dear son, No.12752 Lance-Corpl.,Prewer. It took me some weeks to find out what had happened to your son, and when I heard it took me some time to find out the details. I therefore apologise for the delay, and hope you will excuse it. I think your son must have fallen the same night I was hit, October 2-3. He was in my Company, "A", throughout the summer, and always showed great promise and bravery. I have always put great trust in him, and if I was going out on any patrol work or for any dangerous purpose, I always took your son with me, because I felt I could trust him as well as any man in my Company, because he always kept cool and was always bold and keen. I cannot speak too highly of him. I think there was real affection between us, and we did all we could for one another. Everything was so upset during the night of October 2-3 that I have no recollection of where your son was when he was hit. The Germans allowed us to get within about 40 yards of their trenches, when they let out the most terrific fire, and it was a surprise to me that we did not have more casualties. I myself was hit in the right hand, but managed to get back without further injury. Please accept my very deep sympathy in the loss of your gallant son, and at the same time excuse my long delay in writing to you |
Approximate area of fighting, much now built over
© Pierre Vandervelden www.inmemories.com
headstone many years ago
Vermelles Quarry Cemetery in the early days
Fred's stone is in the row nearest bottom left of photo
click here to go to the Commonwealth War Graves Commission website for full cemetery/memorial details