Captain Frederick Raymond Milholland
| Date of Birth | 01 January 1896 |
|---|---|
| Age at Death | 22 |
| Date of Death | 26 February 1918 |
| Service Number | |
| Military Service | 6th Battalion, Yorkshire Regiment |
| Merton Address | 6 The Downs, Wimbledon |
| Local Memorial | Mitcham War Memorial |
Additional Information
Frederick was born in Jamaica on 1st January 1896. His family lived at Half Way Tree, a neighbourhood in the parish of St. Andrew. Frederick’s father John Fitzalan Milholland was the Crown Solicitor for Jamaica.
Frederick’s mother Mary Edith was the daughter of James Pain, (sometimes known as Payne) a famous Fireworks manufacturer. The family’s ancestors had been pyrotechnists and gunpowder sellers since at least 1670 when their name was mentioned in the London Gazette. Pains had premises in Eastfields, Mitcham where they manufactured fireworks from 1872 to 1966 when they moved to Salisbury.
Frederick was the eldest son of four children. His siblings included Arthur and twins Philip and Phyllis. Arthur and Philip both became pyrotechnists like their grandfather James Pain.
The family travelled between Jamaica and England several times, often staying at the Pain’s family house in Mitcham. In 1907 Frederick was enrolled at Oundle School in Northamptonshire. He was made Captain of the School in 1913 and 1914 and was elected Domus Exhibitioner in Classics. He also was elected the “Rhodes Scholar for Jamaica” which had been awarded to a Jamaican candidate every year since 1904. The candidate selection was based on qualities of character as well as intellect. He also studied at Balliol College, Oxford.
In December 1914 Frederick took a commission in the 7th battalion Yorkshire Regiment. During the war Frederick’s battalion would have seen a lot of action and in 1916 he was wounded at Mametz Wood on the Somme. He was promoted to Captain in 1917 and transferred to the 6th battalion when the 7th was disbanded in February 1918. He had only been with his new battalion for just over a week, when on 26 February he was shot by a sniper when he was inspecting the front line. He was taken to a field ambulance and then on to a Casualty Clearing Station where sadly, he died of his wounds.
Frederick is buried in Chocques Military Cemetery, France and his grave is marked with a cross and the words “Lest We Forget. His family were living at 6, The Downs, Wimbledon at the time of his death but his name is included on the Mitcham War Memorial due to his close ties with the Mitcham area.