Frederick Robert Smith, 7th Norfolks, 1917

In loving memory of
FREDERICK ROBERT
the beloved son of
FREDERICK & ELIZABETH SMITH
passed away June 17, 1917.
Aged 35 years.
Late Lce-Cpl. 7th Norfolks.

In my walks through Norwich Cemetery over the years as well as the official war graves and the family headstones which record a loved one who died in some foreign field, I occasionally spot a headstone like this one that alludes to military service. And on investigation some of them have turned out to be missed official war grave commemorations – one the official Government agency responsible for such thing should have been made aware by the armed forces but weren’t.

I have two going through the process now to try and get recognition, and I’m aware of at least two requested by others that were formally accepted in the last year for this cemetery.

To find out if Frederick Robert Smith should be another one, I started to do some digging in the archives.

Frederick Smith, no middles names, was recorded as born 29th September 1885 when he enlisted at Norwich on the 24th August 1914.
He had been born just outside the old city walls at what was then the separate village of North Heigham. (Service Record).

In fact the birth of a Frederick Robert Smith, mothers’ maiden name Cowell, was registered with the authorities in the Norwich District in the October to December quarter, (Q4), of 1881. Then as now you had 42 days after the event to register the birth, and what was then published as part of a quarterly index of births in England & Wales reflected the quarter registered – which wasn’t necessarily the same as quarter born. So if he was born at the end of September but in 1881, not 1885, his birth might well have been registered in Q4.

The most likely birth match for his future wife, Gertrude Elizabeth Cowell, was registered with the authorities in the Norwich District in the October to December quarter, (Q4), of 1886. Her mothers’ maiden name was Smith. The most likely marriage of her parents was that of a Frederick Cowell to a Sarah Smith recorded in Norwich in Q1 1876. .

On the 1891 Census of England and Wales the 9 year old Frederick R., born Norwich, was recorded living at 62 Vauxhall Street in the parish of Heigham, Norwich. This was the household of parents Frederick, (aged 33, a Butcher, born Norwich), and Elizabeth, (aged 30, born Tasburgh, Norfolk). Their other children living with them at this time were Louisa E., (8) and Hilda G, (3 months) – both born Norwich. As well as a live in servant, the couple also had a visitor staying with them on the night of the census – the 4 year old Gertrude Cowell, born Norwich.

By the time of the 1901 Census of England and Wales the family had moved to the Victoria Inn on the Street at Hockering. Father Frederick, (41, born Norwich) was now the Inn Keeper. He lives there with wife Elizabeth, (39,born Tasburgh) and children Frederick R., (19, Butcher, born Norwich), Louisa, (18, Domestic Servant), Hilda, (10), Herbert, (7) and Ada K., (2) – the last of those born Hockering.

There appear to have been a number of short lets of the Victoria Inn during this period, but this site does not list Frederick Smith as the licensee. www.norfolkpubs.co.uk/norfolkh/hockering/hockervi.htm

Indeed father Frederick doesn’t turn up on the Norfolk Register of Electors at that address until the 1902 edition, i.e. the one prepared in late 1901 for use in 1902 :- www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:2HY2-C6F

On the same 1901 Census the 14 year old “Gerty” Cowell is recorded as a live in Domestic Servant with the George family on St Benedicts Street, Norwich.

On both the 1911 Census of England & Wales and at the initial time of his enlistment in 1914 Frederick described himself as unmarried.

His service record was subsequently updated to show that he had married the spinster, Gertrude Elizabeth Cowell in the parish church at Heigham, Norwich, on the 5th April 1908. Details were verified from the certificate.

The marriage of a Frederick Robert Smith and Gertrude Elizabeth Cowell appears in the civil index in the April to June quarter, (Q2), of 1908.

The service record also records the couple had a son Frederick Herbert Smith, born 17th February 1909.

The birth of a Frederick Herbert Smith, mothers’ maiden name Cowell, was registered with the authorities in the Norwich District in the January to March quarter, (Q1), of 1909.

On the 1911 Census of England & Wales there is a 29 year old Frederick Smith, single, and a Butcher, born Norwich, who was recorded living at Miles Cross Lane, Hellesdon, Norfolk. (Mile Cross Lane now forms part of the Norwich City Ring Road). He is living there with parents Frederick, (53, a Butcher), and Elizabeth, (aged 50). The couple have been married 33 years and have had 8 children, of which 7 were then still alive. As well as Frederick, also still living with them are:-
Herbert…………..aged 17..born Norwich….Butcher
Ada………………aged 12..born Hockering, Norfolk
Nellie……………aged 10..born Hockering, Norfolk
Lily……………...aged 7…born Norwich.

But there is no obvious match for wife Gertrude and young Frederick Herbert Smith on this census.

The contact address that was given for her on her husbands army papers was 56 Clifton Street, Old Palace Road, Norwich. The occupants of that address on the 1911 Census of England & Wales was her widower father, the 58 year old Frederick Cowell, a Blacksmith born “Roningham” – earlier censuses show Tasburgh and Wreningham – and his son Ernest, unmarried and a 22 year old House Painter.

The surviving service record for Frederick Smith shows that he enlisted in the Norfolk Regiment on the 24th August 1914. He gave his age as 28 years and 329 days and his date of birth as we have already seen as the 29th September 1885. He was a Butcher, had never served an apprenticeship and had never “resided out of his Father’s house for three years continuously in the same place or occupied a house or land of the yearly value of £10 for one year, and paid rates for the same”. He had no previous military experience.

At least one of the pages in his service record shows him as F.R. Smith.

He was described 5 feet 8 and three quarter inches tall, weighed 144lbs, had a fresh complexion, with blue eyes and dark brown hair. He had no distinguishing marks.

He initially gave his next of kin as his father Frederick and brother Bertie, both of Mile Cross Lane, Old Catton, Norwich – most modern residents of the area would struggle to know where the old villages of Old Catton and Hellesdon stopped and started as they are now suburbs of Norwich. Only later was an amendment made to add his wifes’ details. A separation allowance was subsequently a paid for her and the son Frederick Herbert by the Army.

He reached the Regiment Depot at Britannia Barracks the same day as he enlisted, and would be posted the next day to the 7th Battalion, “C” Company with service number 12243.

7th (Service) Battalion
Formed at Norwich in August 1914 as part of K1 and came under orders of 35th Brigade in 12th (Eastern) Division.
31 May 1915 : landed at Boulogne.
www.longlongtrail.co.uk/army/regiments-and-corps/the-brit...

His wife Gertrude would give birth to a daughter Lily Elizabeth, on 14th December 1914, in the East Wymer District of Norwich. Sadly the service record is noted that Lily died on the 3rd February 1915.

The birth of a Lily E Smith, mothers’ maiden name Cowell, was registered with the authorities in the Norwich District in the January to March quarter, (Q1), of 1915. The death of a Lily E. Smith, aged under 1 was registered in the same District and the same quarter.

Fredericks’ service record, his medal index card and the service medal roll for his 1914/15 Star all show he went with the 7th Battalion when it deployed overseas to France. The service record shows he sailed from England on the 30th May 1915.

On the 13th July 1915 he was appointed paid Lance Corporal.(Service Record)

An issue with his heart was first recorded on the 12th October 1915. On the 20th October 1915 he was transferred from the 2nd General Hospital to the Hospital Ship St David at Havre for his return to the UK. This followed on from his diagnosis of V.D.H. On the 21st October 1915 he arrived back in the UK, having been medically evacuated. While he was receiving in hospital treatment he was posted on to the establishment of the Regimental Depot for pay, admin and disciplinary purposes. (Service Record)

VDH and DAH are two acronyms that are often seen in men’s army service records. They both relate to heart trouble.

VDH means valvular disease of the heart. It is the more serious of the two and implies some organic disease or heart malfunction;
www.longlongtrail.co.uk/what-were-vdh-and-dah/

By the 30th October 1915 he was before Medical Board being considered for discharge. The medical history was given as Originated 12 Oct 1915 at Loos. Man had rheumatism at 25 years of age + fits since, three a year, the last, three months ago, cut head in falling. Mitral regurgitation, states that he had had epileptic fits for which he was invalided this is probably true but there has been no evidence of fits here dyspnoea & palpitation no oedema. Since being before the board he has had influenza. The medical board decided his condition was as a result of active service, the state was permanent, and his ability to work was reduced by three-quarters. (Service Record)

On the 14th December 1915 Frederick was discharged from the Army, being “No longer physically fit for War Service”, (Kings Regulations 1912 Paragraph 392 (xvi)). This was as a result of his V.D.H. He had been in the army for 1 year and 113 days and had seen service in a Theatre of War. His military character was given as Very Good. (Service Record)

His Chelsea Hospital number for his continuing medical treatment was 50790/D. (Service Record)

It looks like the Ministry of Pensions initially had his address as 56 Clifton Street, Old Palace Road, Norwich, but this was subsequently amended to 17 Devonshire Street. It’s unclear whether he lived there or those were simply Gertrudes’ addresses. (Service Record)

A review of his case by a medical board on the 1st May 1916, lowered his incapacity to only half, and this was confirmed by the Invalid Board on the 11th May 1916. However in a letter dated 5th July 1916 Frederick requested an increase. A medical report was not obtained until the 11th April 1917, at which point his incapacity was rated at six tenths, although it was noted he was earning 25s (presumably per week).The Invalid Board confirmed this on the 9th May 1917 and increased his pension for six months. The last pension board note is “Man died 29-11-17”.

That confused me at first and I began to wonder if there were possibly two Lance Corporal Frederick Smiths who’d served with the 7th Battalion, Norfolk Regiment and who had died post discharge.

But the death of a 35 year old Frederick R. Smith which was recorded in the St Faiths District of Norfolk in the April to June quarter, (Q2), of 1917 appears to be the only likely match in the death records for England & Wales in that year.

And as he died before the end of 1918 Private 12243 F.R. Smith, 7th Battalion, Norfolk Regiment, also has an entry in the Army Register of Soldiers Effects covering the calculation and payment of his War Gratuity to his widow Gertrude E in March 1920, (The Register was a Financial Ledger rather than an inventory of belongings). His status is given as discharged 14th December 1915 and died 17th June 1917.

For now the assumption is that the November date is when news of his death was received by the Ministry of Pensions.

As he was no longer in the Army, for him to be regarded as a war casualty by the Commonwealth War Grave Commission, his cause of death had to be directly related to the cause of his discharge. To that end I obtained his death certificate.

Recorded as “Frederic” Robert Smith, a 35 year old Master Butcher, he died on the 17th June 1917 at Mile Cross Lane, Hellesdon, which meant his death was recorded in the St Faiths Civil Registration District. He was living then at 17 Devonshire Street, Norwich, and the certificate was noted under Rank or Profession that he was also Lance Corporal 7th Norfolks No 12243. The death was registered the following day by his widow Gertrude Smith, who was present at the death, and who also lived at 17 Devonshire Street, Norwich.

The problem is that the cause of death is shown as Phthisis Pulmonalis and there is no helpful additional note which appears on some death certificates to show how long he had been suffering. Phthisis Pulmonalis is also known as Tuberculosis. As an infectious and notifiable disease that was tracked by the public health authorities, it’s unlikely that the doctor who gave the cause of death information had made a mistake.

The October 1915 Medical Board noted that he had difficulty breathing, (dyspnoea). And from my limited reading on the internet it appears the Tuberculosis bacilli can lie dormant in the lungs but infect other major organs, manifesting symptoms there first. However it looks like the Army already had more than enough cause to discharge him, and so in their haste may not have tested for the presence of TB. There is certainly no reference to any such test being done. If indeed it did occur in this way then it probably condemned him to his fate, as early treatment could well have prolonged his life and could even have led to a recovery.

There was also a bit of a sea-change in how TB was viewed in 1916. Given the levels of society that the Army traditionally recruited from, soldiers who developed TB were usually regarded as having brought it with them, an everyday hazard of the poor housing they lived in and the kind of work they were likely to have done before joining up. At best active service may have made things worse – over and above the degeneration that could be expected anyway if the condition was left untreated. But the volunteers of 1914/15 and the conscripts of 1916 onwards were coming from different backgrounds where TB could not be regarded in the same way. The presumption now was that it would be aggravated by active service and indeed there was a good chance it was caused by active service.

However to my mind it seems very likely that what Frederick was suffering from when he was discharged in December 1915 was the early stages of TB. But sadly the addresses given for Gertrude, 56 Chatham Street and 17 Devonshire Street were in one of the poor parts of Norwich where it was likely tuberculosis was then endemic. A man weakened by heart issues would have been very vulnerable to such an infection and his death, coming after some 18 months, could mean his TB infection occurred post-discharge.

So unless the CWGC has a change of heart in interpreting the link between V.D.H. and T.B., for now at least it seems this is unlikely to progress. This webpage and image are likely to be the only recognition the world will see of his sacrifice.

Taken in: UK / England / Norwich District (show map)

Taken on: February 11, 2016

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Norwich

Norwich Cemetery

Norfolk

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In memoria

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Frederick Smith

Frederick Robert Smith

7th Battalion Norfolk Regiment

Died after discharge from Tuberculosis

17/06/1917

17th June 1917 « less

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