FISHER, Frederick John William


No.16993, Private, Frederick John William FISHER
Aged 32


1st Battalion, Suffolk Regiment
Died of Wounds/Illness on 2nd January 1919


Frederick John William Fisher was born in Wetherden (2nd qtr 1886 Stow 4a:737) son of John and Elizabeth FISHER (née MATTHEWS)

1891 census...Aged 5, he was at Wetherden with his father John FISHER [32] farm labourer; his mother Elizabeth [35] (mother's age wrong) born Ashfield; sisters Sarah [8] and Susan E [3]. All except his mother were born in Wetherden.

1901 census...Aged 15, stock assistant on farm, he was at The Street, Wetherden with his parents; sisters Victoria [14] and Amelia [10].

1911 census...Aged 25, a shepherd, he was still at The Street, Wetherden with his parents; sisters Lilian Sarah Ann [28] and Victoria [23] and niece Rose Jane FISHER [6]. All 5 siblings survive.

He married Ella Elizabeth SANSOM [15-2-1893] on 16th September 1911 later of The Green, Horringer. Their three children, Alice Elizabeth [16-12-1912], Frederick Arthur [28-11-1914] and Ada Elizabeth [19-2-1917 were all born in Rougham.

On the pension card his widow was at The Green, Horringer. Apart from his burial in Little Saxham, that place is not mentioned anywhere in any of the documents seen.

His headstone also commemorates the deaths of his two brothers in law, George SANSOM see here
and William SANSOM see here


He enlisted in Bury St.Edmunds on 9th December 1914, giving his age as 28 year 8 months, a married shepherd residing at Rede Drift, Rede, Suffolk, having served 4 years in the Suffolk militia. He was 5 feet 4 inches tall, weighed 124 lbs, chest 33.5 to 36 inches
He joined the 3rd Suffolks at Felixstowe on 10th December 1914, posted to 1st Suffolks on 1st April 1915 on joining the BEF. He received a very severe wound to his face and jaw on 28th April 1915 and was admitted to 12th Field Ambulance, then to 27 Hospital Bailleul on 29th, to 13th General Hospital, Boulogne on 30th and evacuated to UK per HMHS "St.Andrew", on 4th May 1915. He was in Brighton Hospital then until he was discharged on 17th June 1916 as no longer fit for military service, passed as fit for light garden work. His widow's address in April 1919 was "Mordaboy", Ickworth. He had been working as a domestic gardener.
He died at the Red Cross Hospital, 113 Northgate Street, Bury St.Edmunds as a result of his wounded jaw and influenza and pneumonia. In fact his death certificate quotes 1-Influenza, 2-Pneumonia, 3- Jaundice and 4- gunshot wound that damaged upper jaw, causing partial paralysis of his face and inability to masticate food


The war diary for 10th to 30th April 1915 seems to have been lost. According to Murphy, on the 28th they were moving between Frezenberg Ridge and Velorenhoek trying to avoid heavy shelling, which actually set fire to Battalion HQ





Frederick Fisher is buried in Little Saxham (St Nicholas) Churchyard near south boundary
and commemorated in Little Saxham

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


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