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Frederick Arthur Sargeant. Died 3 July 1916
Frederick was born in 1887 to father Henry and mother Mary in Easthampstead, Berkshire. He was the last born and had four brothers. By the age of 24, Frederick had become a carter with his brother, Henry George and his family on the Billingbear estate.
Frederick joined the Royal Berkshire Regiment, 5th Battalion around August 1914. John Chapman describes the early days of the 5th Battalion: ‘The 5th were the first of the new Royal Berkshire battalions to be formed after Kitchener’s appeal for 100,000 volunteers. Lt Col Foley was given the task of forming the new unit. After a few days at Brock Barracks the new recruits were moved to Shorncliffe on 15th August with six regular officers and a few regular NCOs. Training began immediately although there was a severe shortage of equipment. They moved to Folkestone on 2nd January 1915 and on 23rd Feb to Aldershot to join the rest of their new Division. They were now part of 35th Brigade, 12th Division. They moved to France on Sunday 30th May’.
Frederick was to die in an attack on Ovillers village on the Third of July 1916 at the Somme. Ovillers was a day one objective of the battle, ie July 1st. John Chapman describes the day: ‘They were transferred to III Corps on 16th June 1916 and made their debut at the Somme on 3rd July at Ovillers fighting over ground strewn with the bodies of men from the 2nd Battalion. This engagement won them 6 MCs, 6 DCMs, and 17 MMs but the Battalion was reduced to 340 men. They came under severe counter-attack on the 8th August winning another 14 MMs. 300 reinforcements joined them in October and they retired to Arras to recover’.
Name: SARGEANT, FREDERICK A.
Initials: F A
Nationality: United Kingdom
Rank: Private
Regiment/Service: Royal Berkshire Regiment
Unit Text: 5th Bn.
Date of Death: 03/07/1916
Service No: 19420
Casualty Type: Commonwealth War Dead
Grave/Memorial Reference: Pier and Face 11 D.
Memorial: THIEPVAL MEMORIAL
Billingbear House (1911) with brother Henry