No.5726, Lance Corporal, Frederick Charles DOUBLE
Aged 24
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Frederick Charles Double was born in Ipswich on May 6th 1891 (Ipswich Q2-1891 4A:908) son of Bernard and Emily DOUBLE (née CRISP).
1901 census...Aged 10, he was at Main Street, Little Green, Cheveley with his father Bernard DOUBLE [40] carpenter born Holbrook, Suffolk; his mother Emily [37] born Wherstead, Suffolk; brothers Sidney [19] a plumber, born Croydon, William B. [17] labourer, born Holbrook and George E [12] born Ipswich, and sisters Mabel M. [13] and Blanche B. [8] both born in Ipswich. 1911 census...Aged 19? he was in the Army (Royal Scots Greys), in barracks in the Fulford Road, York. His parents, brothers William Bernard and Claud james [10] born Cheveley and sister Blanche Beatrice and a visitor Harriett FULLER single [23] born Barrow, were still at Little Green. The pension card has hs mother at 62 Little Green, Cheveley |
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He enlisted in London. The Royal Scots Greys were the 2nd Dragoons, so his move of unit was actually within the same regiment. The 1st Royal Dragoons War Diary (WO 95/1153): "13/5/15 4 am - Very heavy bombardment of GHQ line [near Ypres in the Second Battle of Ypres], Railway, Shell-out Camp to HALTE commences. Our wood was heavily shelled and the ground all around but no damage was done. The fire trenches in front did not get a very heavy fire. The enemy employed Heavy Howitzers, HE shrapnel and 'whizz-bangs'. 5.30/6 am - A slight lull. Rifle fire could be heard but not very heavy. Capt Atkinson tried to get telephone contact communication but was hit in the back by shrapnel and died within half an hour. 6 am - Firing started again as heavily as ever. The General sent a message asking for our Howitzers to be turned on DEAD MAN'S WOOD, but we could not hear our own guns, though these may have been shooting. The noise was terrific. Sclater-Booth had been posted as an observer at the corner of the communication trench but we had no news from him. 7 am - Lt Col Smythe-Bingham, Comding 3rd DGds informed the General that the Germans had broken through his line. On receipt of this information the Royals were ordered to form up for the counter-attack. The Colonel with most of the Regiment moved up through the wood towards the front edge; "C" Sqdn on the Left, "B" in centre, and "A" on the Right. Fitzgerald and Waterhouse were told to go with the remainder and cover the flank of the Regiment by moving to BELVARDE FARM and getting in touch with the 3rd DGs there. This party of about 15 reached the trenches of 3 DGs. Worthington stated that their line was intact and in no way in want of assistance. Having made certain of this, the men were left with 3rd DGs and Fitzgerald and Waterhouse returned to Regiment to report. About 8 of our men were in communication trenches. They were told to join 3 DGs and stay with them. From the communication trench, it was impossible to get a good view of the left front. We could see about fifty Germans dressed in Khaki kilts with dark packs on their backs moving across the left of 3rd Dragoon Guards from right to left. There was also a number of enemy groups mostly moving towards a house near the railways in I 6 c, and another farm in I 5 d. The Regiment meanwhile having advanced to the edge of the wood with their left near the railway and their right on the communication trench had found there was no need for their help and returned again to their original dugouts, holding a trench just above just above the dugouts from which a good view of the situation on our left could be obtained. During this operation we had been subjected continuously to a very heavy shelling and our losses had been very severe. Captain Lambert had been killed early whilst looking for a machine gun position on the left near the Railway..... 8.30 am - We now had got all our men back into the dugouts or in a trench just above them. From the left of the trench the situation could be seen. The line held by 6th Cav Bde was intact, but on the left the 7th Cav Bde North of the railway had fallen back. Their Right ie the Leicestershire Yeomanry were almost in line with the wood occupied by the Regiment, consequently our left ie the 3rd DGs were in the air. The Germans appeared to be massing in the Farm houses referred to above and certain number of them had occupied the trenches vacated by the 7th Brigade and some irregular trenches in front of these. There was a gap of over 60 yds N of the railway, which was unoccupied. From our position we could enfilade any further German advance and selected a Machine Gun position to take them in flank. They did not, however, come on any further and this gun did not come into action. We had an observation post at the corner of the wood, and Corporal Talbot rendered valuable service at this duty. 10 am - About this time, Captain Miles who was in one of the dugouts was hit by a shrapnel bullet through both calves. Capt Sclater-Booth consequently took command of 'C' Squadron. The Germans continued to concentrate in the farms referred to above and the General asked our guns to shell the farms. This they did but without much success as most of the shrapnel burst too high. There was no artillery observer with us and no telephone. The wounded were evacuated to WITTEPOORT FARM during the morning...... Later the farm at WITTEPOORT was shelled and the wounded were taken to dugouts near the MENIN ROAD. Pte Shaw on a bicycle and L Cpl Fox both carried messages for the Brigadier with conspicuous gallantry and Sergt Mortimer, Pte McCann and Cpl Proctor did good work in carrying ammunition to the N.S.Y. [North Somerset Yeomanry] trenches...... The Blues now arrived and took up a position of readiness near our dugouts. They had had orders to counter-attack along the railway at 2.30 pm - the attack to be preceded by a bombardment of the enemy's position. At the same time the Regiment was ordered to move up to the N.S.Y. trenches as they were reported to have lost heavily in both officers and men. The Colonel remained to assist the Brigadier who was suffering from the effects of his wounds. 3.0 pm - About 3 pm we arrived in the N.S.Y. trenches NW of HOOGE LAKE and found that they had no officers left in this part of their line, and were very short of Non-Commissioned Officers. The men, too, were much exhausted but by no means demoralized, though they had been heavily shelled. The trenches had been considerably damaged in places and we could not at first get touch with the left Squadron who were at BELVARDE FARM. There were several badly wounded men in the trenches and these could not at first be got out. We now took over the line with our Officers and also put in about 30 of our men keeping the rest in reserve in the dugouts occupied by the KRR behind the HOOGE LAKE. As soon as it got fairly dark we set to work to improve the trenches and parapets and to dig a fresh trench connecting up with the left Squadron of the N.S.Y. Midnight - We were relieved by the KRR." Only 5 of the 26 Dragoons that were killed have identified graves. Thanks to Mike Tuff...from the Cambridge Independent Press of 6th August 1915:- News has been received by Mrs Double of Little Green, Cheveley, definitely confirming the news of the death of her son, Corpl.Frederick Double of the 1st (Royal) Dragoon. He was killed in the second battle of Ypres on May 13th. Two months ago Mrs Double received the following letter, dated May 25th, from her son's Commanding Officer: "Dear Madam, - I very much regret to inform you that your son Frederick has been returned missing since May 13th.On that day the regiment was under heavy shell fire in a wood and had many casualties, so there is no possibility of his having been made a prisoner. I am afraid he must have been killed. One sergeant in the regiment says positively that he saw your son and that he was dead. The regiment was ordered away from the spot where the majority of the casualties occurred before it was dark enough to search for the killed and wounded, and this work had to be carried out for us by another unit. We have a report from this unit that they buried 20 men in the wood, but so far we have been unable to ascertain who these men were. I cannot tell you how sorry I am to have to write such a letter as this, and I wish to express my deepest sympathy and that of all ranks of "A" Squadron. Assuring you of my deepest sympathy, - Yours truly, W.T.Hodgson, "A" Squadron, The Royal Dragoons." Corpl.Double was born on May 6th 1891and was educated at Cheveley C.of E. School, where the kindest remembrances of him are still retained . On leaving school, in 1905, he was employed by Mr.C.J.Spurling, butcher of Cheveley, to whom he had frequently written describing his experiences in the trenches in France. He also worked in the same trade for a few years in London under Mr.Henneywell until he was 19 years of age, when he enlisted. During the period he was in London he attended the "Sons of the Thames" Athletic Club and very quickly became proficient in cycling, boxing, swimming and other sports. He became light weight boxing champion of the above club when only 17 years of age.He defeated Bob Yeomans, Bill Barton, Jack Lewis, Harry Jameson,Tom Jameson and several other noted men and in 1912 at Bloemfontein, he was awarded a cash prize of £5 with silver medal, bearing the following inscription: "Army and Navy Boxing Championship, Middle weight, 1st prize won by F.C.Double, 1912". The opinion of critics was that Double had fought well throughout and had shown himself to be the most scientific boxer of the meeting. This championship he retained to the end. A memorial service for Corpl.Double was held in church on the afternoon of Sunday 25th July. The service used was that authorised for use on such occasions, with hymns 499 and 221. "O rest in the Lord" was played at the opening and the Dead March at the end of the service.A large number of parishioners attended to express their sympathy with the family in their bereavement. |
photo: Commonwealth War Graves Commission
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