No.20447, Private, Frederick DOWNING
Aged 39
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Frederick Downing was born in Chippenham in 1877 (Newmarket Q4-1877 3B:5561), baptised October 7th 1877. Son of George and Sarah DOWNING (née MUNNS). There could have been a problem, his nephew Frederick Downing was only 7 years younger and might possibly have been be the casualty, but Frederick elder (as below) had as his sole legatee his sister Sarah C Drake, which settles it. 1881 census...Aged 3, he was at 7 New Row, Chippenham with his widower father, George DOWNING [54] an agricultural labourer born in Chatham, Kent; his brothers Samuel [24], Christopher [19] and William [16] who were all farm labourers, and sisters Ellen [14] and Isabella [11], together with married sister [Sarah] Canfield DRAKE [21] and her husband Alfred [21]. They were all born in Chippenham with the exception of George. His mother had died in 1880. 1891 census... Aged 13, a farm labourer, he was at 7 New Row, Chippenham, with his father George; brothers William and Alfred, sister Ellen and nephew Frederic [6] 1901 census... Aged 23, a farm labourer he was still at 7 New Row, Chippenham, with his father and brother Alfred. 1911 census... Aged 32, he was a farm labourer, lodging with the MOSS family at High Street, Chippenham. His father had died in 1907. |
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He enlisted in Newmarket. On April 8th, 1917 the 11th Suffolks were moved to Roclincourt and on the 9th at 5:30 am they attacked the German lines as part of the 1st battle of the Scarpe (9-14 April). Checked but not delayed by machine gun fire they reached their first objective, Black Line, with no losses. Just after 8am they moved on to the German second line, where they established battalion HQ, capturing 20 prisoners in the process. They then consolidated their position. Their losses for the day were 24 of which only Frederick and seven others have no known grave. The Bury Free Press of 3rd November 1917 reported CHIPPENHAM MAN KILLED IN ACTION Official information has been received by the relatives of Prvt Frederick Downing of the 11th Suffolk, that he was killed in action or died of wounds on or shortly after April 9th, 1917. Some weeks back they were informed that he was wounded and missing. |
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