GS/29280, Private Frederick Walter LOCKWOOD, Royal Fusiliers formerly 1405, 4th Battalion, Suffolk Regiment

Frederick Walter Lockwood was born, in Bramford, on 3rd July 1893.
In 1911 the family were living in Paper Mill Lane and Frederick was working as a boiler attendant at Edward Packard & Co. An “F Lockwood” is listed on the factory Roll of Service and his employer is recorded in his service documents. “F Lockwood – 4th Suffolk Inf” is also listed on the Schools Roll of Honour.
A service record has survived which tells us that he had enlisted in the Territorial Force as Private No 1405, 4th Battalion, Suffolk Regiment (D Company) on the 18th March 1912.

He was 18 years, 8 months old, 5 feet 3 inches tall with a 33½ inch chest. As a Territorial he wasn’t obliged to serve abroad and at the outbreak of war he was “embodied” i.e. to serve full time. However, when the Military Services Act was passed in 1916 all eligible men were effectively enlisted, and Territorials “discharged”. Frederick was discharged on 5th April 1916. Usually this would mean that the soldier was conscripted and/or transferred to another unit. There is nothing else on his record to suggest that Frederick did anything more than his 4 years’ service that he signed up for. However, there is, in capital letters, “N.E.” written at the top of his attestation form. This probably stands for “Not Excepted” or “Not Exempted” which meant that he was likely to be “called up” under the Act. Information from family sources who have his medals and some personal correspondence say that he was Private No GS/29280 in the Royal Fusiliers from July 1916. His medal records show that he was in the 4th Battalion in France from 26th July 1916 to 26th March 1918 but then transferred to the 17th Battalion, Royal Fusiliers, from 30 September 1918 until 3rd October 1918. From the 4th October 1918 until the 7th June 1919 (when he was demobbed) he was with the 11th Battalion.
A postcard kept by the family records his presence in Tipperary with the 4th Battalion – No. 6 Company – No. 24 Hut, East Camp. He married Alice Wilding in 1920 and died in 1970.
The picture on the left shows Fred (left), Walter Snr and one of the other brothers. Detailed examination of the photo shows Fred wearing the Royal Fusiliers cap badge and at least three “overseas chevrons” on his right sleeve. These chevrons were authorised in early 1918, so the picture was taken after then. The three (blue) chevrons indicate three years’ service abroad. A red chevron was awarded for those serving abroad from 1914. This agrees with what we know about Fred’s service from 1916 to 1919.