Private Frederick Albert Simmonds

Frederick Albert Simmonds was born in the spring of 1877 to parents George and Adelaide (nee Fenner). His parents had married back in 1861 and by the time Frederick was born his parents already had seven children: Matilda, William, Georgina, Ada, Alfred, George and Edith. The family were living at Dumpton Park Lodge in Kent, where his father was gardener for Dumpton Park House. Frederick also had two younger siblings: Arthur and Percy.

By 1891 the family appears to have relocated to Mitcham and Frederick’s father was now working as a Game Keeper at Ravenbury Park Farm.

In April of 1893 Frederick mother Adelaide died aged 53 and just two months later Frederick’s younger brother Percy died aged 14.

Frederick aged 22 married Alice Maud (nee Leybourne) on 24th December 1899 at St. Peter and St. Pauls Parish Church in Mitcham. His occupation was listed as a labourer and his two witnesses were his sisters Georgina and Edith.

In 1901 Frederick, still working as a labourer and Alice who was working as a laundry maid were living at 9 Queen Road with one child called William aged 9 months.

By 1911 the couple had moved several times and were now living at 9 Chapel Road, in Mitcham and Frederick was working as a Greensman, at the Princes Golf Club. They had five children: William 10, Alice 9, Arthur 7, Matilda 5 and Edith aged 3. (Another child called Elsie had been born in October 1910 but sadly died in the December). The couple had been married for 11 years and were living in a 5-room property.

With the outbreak of war in 1914, Frederick enlisted in Kingston as a Private with the 1st Battalion A Company East Surrey Regiment and given the service number 2272.

The East Surrey regiment were involved in many great battles of 1914 including fighting at Mons, Le Cateau, The Marne and Aisne.

In 1915, after the battle of La Bassee, the 1st Battalion withstood a most determined attack on Hill 60, near Ypres. Frederick was Killed in Action at Ypres on 20th April 1915. On this day his regiment war diaries reported the following: “A quiet time till 11am – then heavy shelling of the Hill. The Germans scoring many direct hits with heavy Howitzers, trenches were blown up and many men killed. The Germans could make no head way owing to our hand grenades and rifle fire. At about 3:30pm a terrific bombardment commenced, which lasted for two hours. The Hill during this time being a mass of smoke, flames and debris. The enemy also employed shells giving off asphyxiating gases freely.”

Frederick is Commemorated at Ypres (Menin Gate) memorial, and his name also appears on the Mitcham War Memorial along side a cousin called Percy Simmonds.