SHARMAN, Frederick John


No.3/8844, Lance Corporal, Frederick John SHARMAN
Aged 18


1st Battalion, Suffolk Regiment
Died of his Wounds, as a Prisoner of War on Wednesday, 19th May 1915 (Memorial has 20th)


Frederick John Sharman was born in Bardwell on 17th April 1896 according to his Prisoner of War cards but actually registered Thingoe Q2-1897 4A:792, son of John and Ellen Sophia SHARMAN (née WALES).

1901 census...Aged 3, he was at 3 Carr Lane, Bardwell with his father John SHARMAN [39] shepherd, born Langham; his mother Ellen [23] born Ixworth and brothers Charles [5] and Harry [2]. All the children were born in Bardwell.

1911 census...Aged 14, labourer, he was at 122 Eastgate Street, Bury St Edmunds with his father; brothers Charles (labourer)and Harry and sister May [9] born Bury St Edmunds. Of 5 children one had died.

The family address given to the International Red Cross was Church Lane, Timworth.

His younger brother Harry died in France in September 1918. see here




He enlisted in Bury St Edmunds. Initially he was in the 2nd Battalion, Suffolk Regiment. He was awarded the 1914 Star so must have been either a regular or a Reservist, but he has no clasp for being within range of enemy guns before 23rd November 1914. That was more than likely to be due to the fact that the clasp was not instituted until after the war and then had to be claimed and verified.

He had a gunshot wound to the head and died of tetanus at 3:30 am on 19th May 1915 in a German Reserve (Louisen)Hospital in Dortmund and was buried in the SE of Dortmund. He had dictated a letter to his parents to the Sisters of Louise Pretorius, telling them of his illness. His personal effects were :-cigarettes, tobacco, pipe, empty purse, cards. Unfortunately the card detailing where and when he was captured is missing.

After the war all the British graves in Germany were concentrated into four major cemeteries, hence Frederick was moved to Cologne Southern.



photo: Commonwealth War Graves Commission



Frederick Sharman is buried in Cologne Southern Cemetery, grave 15:B:13
also commemorated on the Bury St.Edmunds roll of honour

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


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