FULLER, Frederick




No. 47792, Private, Frederick FULLER
Aged 35



5th Battalion, Suffolk Regiment
(formerly 6456 2nd Battalion Suffolk Regiment.
Died of Illness at home at Lacey's Lane on Wednesday 2nd April, 1919

Born in Chippenham in Q2-1883[Newmarket 3b:528], son of Henry and Elizabeth Hannah FULLER (née PAYNE), of Phantom, Chippenham,

1891 census...Frederick [7] was at Phantom, Chippenham with his father Henry [36] Agr.Labourer born Chippenham..his mother Elizabeth H [35] born Isleham...brothers James H. [14] Agr labourer and William [12] Agr.Labourer, Robert [9] and sisters Mary S [3] and Louisa [1]. All the children were born in Chippenham

1901 census...At 3 Jockey Club Cottages, Exning were Frederick [17] Agr. Labourer with his parents and brother William [22] sisters Louisa [11] and Julia [5] born Snailwell and brother Walter [2] born Exning. Brother Robert had joined the Army and sister Mary was at the Stores, Exning.

1911 census...His parents were still at Jockey Club Cottages, with Robert who had left the Army and was a gas fitter, his sister Julia Annie and brother Walter. Frederick was in the Army and although apparently in UK, cannot be found in the census. Unusually, much of his Army records exist for both periods of service and both regimental numbers. He was actually discharged as time served in 1916 and promptly re-enlisted, only to incur the illness that led to his death.

The pension card has his mother at 11 Victoria Terrace, Exning.

Frederick was a younger brother of Robert FULLER.

Frederick's entry in "Our Exning Heroes" reads as follows:

Fuller, F.   7th Suffolks
Frederick Fuller, a younger brother of Robert, was born in June, 1883, and at one time worked for Mr. Marriott. He was in Ireland when war broke out, and at once was despatched to France and fought in the Battle of Mons. He afterwards was sent to Egypt, where his illness began, which eventually terminated fatally. He was invalided home, but consumption set in, and after being for some time at Bury Sanatorium he was brought home to Exning, where he died on April 2nd, 1919 , and was buried in Exning Cemetery.
He had formerly served three years in India, where he gained certificates both for education and also as a football player, of which game he was specially fond. As a boy, he sang as a chorister in Snailwell Church.


He enlisted in the Suffolk Regiment as Private #6456 on 19th March 1903 for 3 years plus 9 on Reserve, his apparent age being recorded as 19 years 3 months. He was 5' 4" (162.6 cm)tall, weighing 122 lbs (55.5 kg) and a chest of 33"(83.8 cm) and was living with his father at Lacey's Lane, Exning The dates are somewhat blurred on his records but the summary appears to be:
Home....19 Mar 1903 to 28 Jan 1905 (1st Btn)-------------India....29 Jan 1905 to 27 Dec 1907 (2nd Btn) ( he extended his service to 6 plus 6 on 16th May 1906
Home....28 Dec 1907 to 12 Aug 1914-------------France...13 Aug 1914 to 20 Oct 1915 ( he extended his service again,to 12 years, on 25 Nov 1911
Home leave 21 Oct 1915 to 28 Oct 1915----------France...29 Oct 1916 to 27 Mar 1916. He was ordered back to UK ,to depot, on 6 Mar 1916 for discharge having completed his 12 years service. Returning on SS "Archangel" to depot on 13th March. He appears to have re-enlisted and been placed on Reserve on 28 March 1916 , although his actual discharge was effective from 10 April 1916.

On re-enlisting his preference was for the A.S.C. however he was mobilised as Private # 47792 in the Suffolk Regiment on 3rd February 1917 and was sent from Southampton on HT "Saxon" on 19th July 1917, arriving Alexandria, Egypt Aug 4th and joined the 1/5th Battalion as a cook.
He was taken ill and admitted to No.27 General Hospital, Cairo on September 11th.His operation was not successful and he was admitted to No.71 General Hospital Cairo where another operation failed. Admitted to General Hospital No 70 at Abbassia early in April 1918. Further treatment being unsuccessful he was evacuated to UK by MT "Kalyan from Alexandria on 21st June 1918. Discharged as no longer fit for war service on 18th September 1918 and awarded a pension of 27/6. In September 1918 Tuberculosis was added to his problems and he attended the Sanitorium.

His medal card does not record the clasp to the 1914 Star, which can mean the "Battle of Mons" mentioned in Our Exning Heroes did not happen or more likely because he died before the clasp was instituted and no-one submitted a claim for him. There is no record of any medals from his service in India. The clasp signified being in range of enemy fire, and claims for the clasp were forwarded to Unit Commanders to confirm the facts, there was no automatic qualification.




Frederick is buried in Exning Old Cemetery Ref: B.C. 101

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


BACK