ROSE, Frederick




No. 12183, Private, Frederick George ROSE
Aged 20


11th Battalion, Suffolk Regiment
Killed in Action on Monday 2nd April 1917

Born in Q3-1896 [Newmarket 3b:525], in Exning, son of Frederick and Sarah ROSE (née ASHBY) of Landwade Road, Exning.

1901 census...At Landwade Road, Exning were Frederick G[4] with his father Frederick W. [30] a coach painter/coachman born Kentish Town, London, his mother Sarah Road [32] born Exning, sisters Matilda M [7] and Edith E [2] and brother Alfred [1] all born Exning, plus grandfather Robert Ashby [80]

1911 census...At Brickfields Cottages, Exning were Frederick George [14] now a farmboy, his parents, sisters Matilda Maud and Edith Emma, brothers Alfred William and Cecil Robert [4] born Exning and sister Hilda May [9] born Exning. One sibling had died.

[30-4-1895] at St Martin's Church, Exning on 27th November 1916 was registered with him as Frederick G. ROSE. His son Frederick James (just to carry on the forename confusion ) was born 25-6-1917, never to see his father. The family nwere at Valley Farm Dairy, Exning on the pension card.

CWGC have Frederick's forename as George. An Army clerk somehow seems to have erred in an entry on Frederick's Medal Index Card (below) by giving the wrong date of his death. One has to assume that CWGC, "Soldiers Died and "Our Exning Heroes" have it correct



His brother in law Joseph PERRY mentioned below, died of his wounds on 18th September 1917 and is named on the Newmarket War Memorial.


Frederick's entry in "Our Exning Heroes" reads as follows:
Rose, F.G.   7th Suffolks
Frederick George Rose volunteered at the outbreak of the war, although he was at the time considerably under age, and after a few months training went out to France. He was married in Exning Church to Rosina May Woodbridge on November 27th, 1916, and leaves one little boy.
He was killed in action on April 2nd, 1917 by a shell which burst in the trenches and death was instantaneous. His brother-in-law, Pte. Perry, was near him when he was killed and helped to bury him. His Lieutenant writes as follows:
"Your husband was a senior soldier in one of my sections and had frequently been of great use to me as a bomber"
He was buried in a cemetery between Arras and St. Catherines. Before enlisting he worked at Mr. Woodbridge's. He was only 20 when he died.

The 11th Suffolks were not involved in any major operations at the time, holding the line alternating with fetching and carrying stores, raiding parties etc. They were generally getting ready for the forthcoming battle of Arras. Only Frederick and one other died from the 11th Suffolks that day.




photo: Rodney Gibson




photo: Rodney Gibson



Frederick is buried in Ste. Catherine British Cemetery, near Arras Ref: A.15

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


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