Stockwell War Memorial

Friends of Stockwell War Memorial & Gardens

F names

William Albert George Fuller

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W. A. G. Fuller
Private, 17th Lancers (Duke of Cambridge’s Own)
Service no. L/4110
Died in hospital on 24 March 1917, aged XX
Remembered at Mazargues War Cemetery, Marseilles, Bouches-du-Rhone, France

William Albert George Fuller was born in Lambeth in 1893, the eldest of five children of Albert Arthur Fuller, a machinist from Battersea, and Rose Maud (née Everett), from Stockwell. 

In the 1911 census the family of seven lived in two rooms at 1 Saunders Place in Saunders Street, which ran between Fitzalan Street and Lollard Street in Kennington. William, aged 17, worked as a labourer. 

William attested at Kingston Upon Thames in 1914. He and his wife Annie Harris had two children before marrying in Hampstead on 12 November 1915. 

Henry Frost

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H. Frost
Service no. 2/9508
Private, East Surrey Regiment, 7th Battalion
Died on 24 March 1916, aged 29
Remembered at Calais Southern Cemetery, France

This identification was made by Chris Burge, who writes:

Henry Frost was born at the end of 1886 in Lambeth, the second youngest of what would be eight known children of parents Thomas and Letitia (née Knight) Frost. Henry’s mother died in 1897 and the family home had broken up by 1901. Henry (Harry), then 14, worked as a ‘carman’ and lived with his older brother Joseph’s family in Stockwell.

The idea of six months initial training, followed by annual camp with bounty, was attractive enough for Henry Frost to join the newly formed ‘Special Reserve’ of the East Surrey Regiment on 16 January 1908. He was described as being 5ft 2ins (1.6m) tall, weighing 114lbs (51.5kg) and with brown eyes and dark brown hair. Part way through his initial training, Henry Frost decided his future lay in the Army and he transferred to a regular battalion of the East Surrey Regiment, becoming private 9508, Frost, on 25 April 1908. After two years in the UK, his battalion was posted overseas in 1910 and Henry Frost would not return to England until late in 1914 after the outbreak of the Great War.

After a short period of acclimatisation and re-fit the the 2/East Surreys, arrived in France on 19 January 1915. Henry Frost suffered a bad case of frostbite to both feet due to the squalid conditions in front line trenches. He was invalided back to England on 17 February 1915. He returned to duty on 8 April 1915, posted to the 3/East Surreys at Dover to regain fitness before returning to France on 14 December 1915, in time for another winter. Henry Frost did not rejoin his old battalion but was posted to the 7/East Surreys, part of Kitchener’s New Armies.

In March 1916, Henry Frost’s battalion manned trenches opposite the infamous Hohenzollern Redout, which had been the scene of bitter fighting in 1915. Between 7 and 18 March, the 7/East Surreys were subjected to intense enemy shelling, suffering 34 killed, 22 missing and 243 wounded. Another 39 were hospitalised with shell shock. Henry Frost was likely to have been wounded around this time and evacuated to one of the hospitals at Calais before he succumbed to his wounds on 24 March 1916.

At some stage Henry Frost had nominated as next of kin both his bother Joseph Frost living at 11 Moat Place, Stockwell, and his brother George who lived in Norwood. It was Joseph Frost who received Henry’s medals in 1920. In the absence of a sole legatee, the war gratuity was paid in equal shares to his six brothers and two married sisters.

The creation of the Stockwell War Memorial was their chance to the honour the name of a lost brother.

Frank Thomas Frisby

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F. T. Frisby
Service no. 26192
Private, Grenadier Guards, 1st Battalion
Died on 12 October 1917, aged 36
Enlisted at Battersea
Remembered at Tyne Cot Memorial, Belgium

Chris Burge writes:

Frank Thomas Frisby was born on 4 April 1881, the first child of parents John Hulbert and Mary Ann Frisby. He was baptised as an infant on 29 May 1881 at St. James’s, Piccadilly. The family had moved to Stockwell around the time of his third birthday as the family grew with the addition of two more children, Louisa Jane Frisby and Arthur Hulbert Frisby.

Frank married Ellen Susannah Reed at St Michael’s Church, Stockwell on Christmas Eve 1900. At the time of their wedding, Frank said he was a ‘cellar man’ and the couple gave their address as 55 Russell Street.

A decade later, at the time of the 1911 census, Frank and Ellen Frisby were living in five rooms at 52 Union Road, Clapham. They had no children. Frank was now a fishmonger and employed at least one person. Widower Harry Morgan boarded with them, giving his occupation as ‘fish fryer’.

Frank and Ellen’s comfortable life was to be shattered by the Great War. Like anyone trying to run a business, the introduction of conscription early in 1916 made labour even harder to find and dwindling fish supplies led to a doubling of prices by 1916. Who could afford fish suppers now?

Conscription was soon extended to married men after its introduction, and Frank’s turn came in the summer of 1916. His army service number, 26192, is consistent with recruits to the 1st Bn. Grenadier Guards in July and August of that year. Frank would be sent to France towards the end of 1916.

Frank had been on the Western Front for close on a year when the his battalion took part in the opening of the First Battle of Passchendaele on 12 October 1917. Frank Thomas Frisby was killed in action on that day.

In due course, Ellen Susannah Frisby received a War Gratuity and widow’s pension, meagre compensation for her loss. Her husband’s medals followed in 1920. With no known grave, Frank Thomas Frisby was one of the thousands of names added to the Tyne Cot Memorial, unveiled in 1927.

In common with other families, Frank Thomas Frisby’s name was added to the headstone marking the grave of his parents at Lambeth Cemetery, Blackshaw Road, Tooting. The simple inscription reads ‘Also FRANK THOMAS FRISBY (son) Killed in action (Belgium) 12th October, 1917. Aged 36 years.

Surely it was Ellen Frisby who arranged for her husband’s name to appear on the Stockwell Memorial. Ellen continued to live at 52 Union Road into the 1930s, only moving to Tooting near the time of her death in 1944.

Frank’s brother, Arthur Hulbert Frisby, married with four children, had volunteered in 1915 and served in the Royal Engineers throughout the War, returning safely to his family in May 1919.

Frederick Amos Frewer

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F. A. Frewer
Service no. 926373
Gunner, Royal Field Artillery, “A” Bty. 290th Bde.
Killed in action age 25 on 30 October 1918
CWGC: “Son of James and Elizabeth Frewer, of 39, Arlesford Rd., Stockwell, London.”
Remembered at Tournai Communal Cemetery Allied Extension, Belgium

Information from the 1911 census

In 1911 Frederick Amos Frewer lived at 40 Chantry Road, Brixton where they had 6 rooms. James Frewer, 49,  born in Marylebone, London, was a vellum binder. Elizabeth Frewer, 44, was also born in Marylebone. Frederick Amos Frewer, 17, was a letterpress machine minder apprentice, born in Paddington, west London. Florence Elsie Elizabeth Frewer, 15, was an apprentice to an embroiderer. She was born in Paddington.

G. H. A. Fisher

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Tentative identification by Chris Burge of Mitcham War Memorial website.

This might be George H.A. Fisher, a Rifleman (Service no. 5492) who enlisted on 11 May 1914 in the Rifle Brigade (5th Battalion, Prince Consort’s Own) and was discharged at Winchester on 25 April 1918.

Excerpt from The National Roll of the Great War

Fisher, G.H.A., Rifleman, Rifle Brigade

He volunteered in August, 1914, and the following year saw service on the Western Front, wher ehe took part in many engagements, and was wounded in the fighting at Ypres. During 1916 he was again in action, and was seriously wounded at Mailly-Mailly in July, as a result of which he was discharged on account of wounds, in April 1918.

He holds the 1914-15 Star, General Service and Victory Medals.

102, Burn’s Road, Harlesden

No firm connection to Stockwell has yet been established. Fisher does not appear to be listed in the Commonwealth War Graves Commission database.

John Morgan French

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J. M. French
Service no. 668
Gunner, Royal Garrison Artillery, 1st/5th Glamorgan Bde.
Born in Lambeth; enlisted in Cardiff
Died of wounds aged 25 on 31 August 1916
CWGC: “Son of John W. French, of 282, South Lambeth Rd., London.”
Remembered at Richmond Cemetery, Surrey

Information from the 1901 census

In 1901 the French family lived at 59 Mawbey Street, South Lambeth. John French, 41, was a brakesman. He was born in Little Baddow, Essex. Sarah French, 41, was born in Glamorganshire, Wales. Rose A. French, 12, John M. French, 10, Frederick French, 7, were all at school and all were born in Lambeth. Lawrence Swan, 25, a 25-year-old single steam engine maker from Burntisland, Fifeshire, Scotland, and William Freeborn, 21, a railway porter from Turweston, Northamptonshire boarded with the family.

John Morgan French, who at some point moved to Cardiff and worked for the Western Mail as a compositor, is also remembered on the Roath Local History website Western Mail Roll of Honour, where you can find further details.