BALAAM, Frederick George


No.13748, Lance Corporal, Frederick George BALAAM
Aged 25


9th Battalion, Suffolk Regiment
Killed in Action on Wednesday, 17th October 1917



Fred G Balaam was born in Sapiston in 1892,(Thetford Q1-1892 4B:367) son of Harry and Emma Jane BALAAM (née POLLARD).

1901 census...Aged 9, he was at The Heath, Sapiston with his father Harry BALAAM [35] horsekeeper; sisters Emily [12] and Selina [5]; brothers Leslie [10] and Wilfred [7]. All were born in Sapiston. His mother and brother Thomas have not been found on this census so far.

1911 census...Aged 19, a farm labourer, he was in Sapiston with his parents, mother Emma [46] recorded as born in Weston Market [Market Weston]; brothers Harry (Leslie?) and Wilfred, both farm labourers and Thomas [12]; sisters Selina and Hilda [7]; grandfather, widower George BALAAM [76] farm labourer. All except his mother born in Sapiston.

The pension card (1919) has his parents at Triangle House, Sapiston

He was the cousin of Donald Balaam from Fakenham Magna see here




Enlisted in Lakenham.
The war diary just says 17.10.17 Bn in front line trenches. They were in the line at Loos in the vicinity of Fosse 11 and CWGC records only Fred and Private W.G.Mumford killed of the 9th Battalion, Suffolks.



These things are sent to try us, the Army have changed his name to Francis




Cousins Donald and Frederick Balaam commemorated on the family monument in Sapiston churchyard
photo by nic_2 via warmemorialsonline.org.uk




the two cemeteries



Fred was originally buried in grave C:6 in Corkscrew British Cemetery, Loos-en-Gohelle which was the other side of the D943 Lens-Bethune road, near Fosse 11. That area is now between the A21 motorway and the coal mines. The graves there were all concentrated to Loos British Cemetery in 1920


The Bury Free Press of 17th November 1917 reported:-
SAPISTON SOLDIER KILLED
The sad news has been received by Mr. andMrs. Harry Balaam, of Triangle Hose, Sapiston, that their second son,Lance-Corpl Fred G.Balaam,of the 9th Suffolk Regiment has been killed in action. The deceased gallant soldier was a bright, intelligent and attractive young man, winning for himself wherever he went a great number of friends. At the time of his enlistment in September 1914 he was employed by Mr.Notley, at the Field Farm, Fakenham. He went out to France in the summer of 1915, and was wounded in September 1916; he returned to the front in October of the same year, and was killed by an enemy shell on the 17th September 1917, aged 25 years. Much sympathy is felt for the bereaved parents in their loss.....the following is an extract of a letter received by the mother from a cousin and chum of the deceased:-
"Well. I expect by now you have had bad news of poor Fred being killed.I deeply regret to have to write to you about it, but I fell I must let you know all about it, as you know, he has been such a good chum to me, and I shall miss him very much. I was not with him at the time, but he saw him the day after; he was being taken to the back of the line to be buried. He was killed about 5 o'clock in the morning of the 17th, and was buried two days later in a British cemetery behind the line by our Battalion Chaplain.He was killed by a shell, death being instantaneous. Everybody in our Company liked him very much."
We regret very much to report that another son (the third) of Mr.and Mrs. Balaam is now lying in hospital at Dumbarton, Scotland. Wilfred Balaam, of the R.H.A. being seriously kicked by a horse whilst on active service in France on the 27th September last.


photo: Rodney Gibson




photo:Rodney Gibson



Fred Balaam is buried in Loos British Cemetery, grave 20:E:18
commemorated on the family grave with his cousin Donald at Sapiston church
He is commemorated on the Trade Union Members, Service and Casualties 1914-1918 records under Honington branch.

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


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