Frederick Freeman
- Family History
- Military history
- Extra information
- Photographs
Son of John Francis and Martha Freeman of 29 Birch Street, Warsop.
Frederick had several siblings, Alice Lilian(1898-1945), John Henry (1899-1936), Frank (3/9/1906), Walter (8/4/1909), Ethel(7/5/1915)and Basil (8/1/1921).
In 1921 the family were living at 7 Vernon Street, Shirebrook.
Frederick married Margaret I Crosby in late 1935 and they had two sons, Frederick born in 1936. and Geoffery in 1939. Geoffery was born in Northumberland which is where Margaret hailed from. Margaret married Thomas Richard Dillon in 1944 and she had two more sons, Thomas in 1944 and James in 1947.
John Francis served in WW1. He enlisted on 12/8/1915, at the age of 43. Initially he served with the Sherwood Foresters and then with the Durham Light Infantry. He was discharged as no longer physically fit for war service on 22/1/1917 but later rejoined, 28/5 to 1/11/1918 when he was discharged again but later served in the Labour Corp from 10/6/1919 to 25/3/1920.
He had served prior to WW1 with the Sherwood Foresters from 1899 to 1902, serving in India and the Boar War. On his service record he stated that he rheumatism in his legs and shoulders which was affecting his ability to work as a miner and to maintain his wife and children.
The 2nd Bn was deployed to the Hook of Holland to cover the evacuation of the Dutch Royal family (12/5-14/5/1940) and then deployed to France to defend the port of Boulonge. They held their position for 3 days (22/5-25/5/1940) under heavy fire, buying valuable time for the evacuation of Dunkirk.
Frederick's date of death is not known and is shown on CWGC as between 23/5 and 4/6/1940 which covers the period from Boulonge to the end of the evacuation of the B.E.F. from Dunkirk.
Frederick is buried at Outreau Communal Cemetery, France plot A.4.
This cemetery is on the outskirts of Boulonge so it is likely that Fredeick died during the fighting at Boulonge. All the casulties in this cemetery died during the period 23/5-4/6/1940 and most have no confirmed date of death the same as Frederick.
There are 21 soldiers buried at Outreau of which 17 are from 2nd Bn of the Irish Guards.
3 other men from the Warsop area died during the evacuation of Dunkirk, Stanley Jones, George Moore and Joseph Preston.
No photos