MEEKINS, Frederick John


No.7742, Private, Frederick John MEEKINS
Aged 25


"D" Company, 1st Battalion, Suffolk Regiment
Died of his Wounds on Monday 2nd August 1915


Frederick John Meekins was born in Lackford (Thingoe Q2-1891 4A:788), baptised at St Lawrence, Lackford on 24th May 1891, son of Thomas George and Harriet MEEKINS(née SEALES).

1891 census...Aged 3 weeks, he was at The Green, Lackford with his father Thomas G MEEKINS [40] bricklayer born Hesset, Suffolk; his mother Harriet [37] born Bury St Edmunds; brothers George J. [15] bricklayer's assistant, born Bury St Edmunds, Ernest H [10], Albert E.[3] and Frank W. [2]; sisters Kate [13], Minnie E [12], Mary J. [8] and Beatrice A [4]. All the children except George were born in Lackford.

1901 census...Aged 10, he was at The Green, Lackford with his parents, brothers William R,(bricklayer's labourer), Albert E, Frank W and Alfred H [5] and sister Drusilla [6]. The new siblings were born in Lackford. Sister Beatrice died in 1909 and brother William died in Canada in 1910
1911 census...Aged 20, he has not been found in this census but it seems more than likely he would have been with the Suffolk Regiment . His parents were still in Lackford where his mother was had a grocery shop, with sister Drusella assisting, brother Ernest was a groom and brother Alfred was assisting his father. Four of Harriet's fourteen children had died.


He enlisted in Bury St Edmunds.

He was buried by the Germans in Roeselare Communal Cemetery (as was Wlliam Kidd in May that year, from their regimental numbers they probably enlisted the same day). This town remained in German hands all of the war until 14th October 1918..
Frederick died in hospital from heart failure (herzschwäche) in a German military hospital in Roeselare. He is J Meeking on the International Red Cross record card. Unfortunately this one card for him is not the one which would tell us where he was captured or when. That will require much more research.



remembered on his brother's gravestone in Lackford




photo: peterswar.net



Frederick Meekins is buried in Roeselare Communal Cemetery, Belgium grave 4:C:3

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


BACK