Frederick William Burgess

A Private with the 9th Battalion, Frederick died on 30th of November 1917 at the age of 28. 

Frederick was born at Lowestoft on 5 December 1888, a son of Frederick Thomas and Mary Clara Burgess. He was baptised at Saint Margaret’s Church, on 3 February 1889. In 1891 his family lived at 26 Crown Street. By 1901 they were living at 10 Beckham Road, and this was still their home in 1911 when Frederick worked as a house painter. 

Frederick volunteered and enlisted in the Army at Lowestoft. He joined the Suffolk Regiment, service number 12658, and was posted to the 9th Battalion and arrived in France with the battalion on 30 August 1915. 

On 20 November 1917 the 9th Battalion were involved in an attack on the Hindenburg Line near Marcoing. On 22 November they moved to the Hindenburg Support System and on 27 November returned to front line trenches. The battalion war diary records that on 30 November the enemy attacked a post held by C Company and the company were forced to withdraw but later retook the post. During that day one officer was killed and two others wounded, and four other ranks, including Frederick, were killed and twelve others wounded. 

Frederick, and the three other men killed, are buried in adjacent graves. 

Frederick’s legatees were his mother and Freda Rebecca Cheek who lived at 423 London Road.