Frederick was born on 8th January 1892 in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia to parents Harry and Annie.
He worked on the sea from a teenager (aged nineteen), listed as working as a deckhand aboard a vessel in Newcastle from 24th April 1911 until 4th March 1912
Formerly in the Merchant Services he joined the Royal Navy as a short service of five years plus seven on retention on 15th August 1913 as a Stoker, listed as 5’9” tall with black hair, blue eyes and a fresh complexion and tattoos of clasped hands and crossed flags on his left forearm.
HMS PEMBROKE II - 15/08/1912 - 06/01/1913, training as Stoker 2nd Class
HMS ST GEORGE - 07/01/1913 - 15/10/1913, rising to Stoker 1st Class on 23/08/1913
HMS PEMBROKE II - 16/10/19131 - 25/02/1914
HMS ECLIPSE - 26/02/1914 - 13/04/1914
HMS YARMOUTH - 14/04/1914 - 09/07/1915
HMS PEMBROKE II - 10/07/1915 - 23/11/1915, served 21 days detention due to a break away.
HMS VANGUARD - 24/11/1915 - 09/07/1917, serving during the Battle of Jutland, Frederick rose in rating to Acting Leading Stoker on 22/02/1917
He was an active member aboard the ship being part of the Stoker’s Racing Whaler’s Crew.
Frederick is mentioned on the Naval Memorial at Chatham and listed on the Commemorative Roll (book) within the Australian War Memorial. His Star, Victory and British war medals were issued to the legal representative of his mother Elizabeth, his parents receiving his pension also.
(#69 - 825/843)
Sources:
Ireland, Crew Lists and Shipping Agreements, 1863-1920 Microfilm of Original Records at the National Archives; Dublin, Ireland; Agreements, Crew Lists and Muster Rolls of Merchant Vessels Registered at Irish Sea Ports 1850-1921
Royal Navy Registers of Seamen's Services, 1848-1939 National Archives of the UK; Kew, Surrey, England; Royal Navy Registers of Seamen's Services; Class: ADM 188; Piece: 1118
British Army and Navy Birth, Marriage and Death Records, 1730-1960 National Archives of the UK; Kew, Surrey, England; Admiralty: Naval Casualties, Indexes, War Grave Rolls and Statistics Book, First World War.; Class: ADM 242; Piece: 010 (1914 - 1919
CWGC Register
Naval Medal and Award Rolls, 1793-1972 Class: ADM 171; Piece: 119
Navy Lists, 1888-1970 National Library of Scotland; Edinburgh, Scotland; British Navy Lists. National Library of Scotland, 2020. https://doi.org/10.34812/y3wn-j486; Reference: 92149074
WWI Pension Ledgers and Index Cards, 1914-1923 Western Front Association; London, England; WWI Pension Record Cards and Ledgers; Reference: 193/1026/WIN-WIT
Image courtesy of Peter Bunn