Frederick Wainwright
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Frederick was born in 1895 in Sutton in Ashfield and was the son of Frederick a deputy colliery manager and Elizabeth Wainwright née Ball of 3, Montague Street, Newton, Auckland. His father Frederick was born in 1868 in Worthing, Sussex, and his mother Elizabeth Ball was born in 1873 at South Normanton, Derbyshire; they were married in 1895, their marriage was recorded in the Mansfield Registration District. They had a futher son Frank who was born in 1897 also in Sutton in Ashfield. In the 1901 census the family were living at 49 Sherwood Road, Sutton in Ashfield, and are shown as Frederick 33 yrs a colliery deputy manager he is living with his wife Elizabeth 28 yrs and their two sons Frederick 6 yrs and Frank 4 yrs. They were living at Bentick Row prior to the family's emigration to New Zealand in 1907.
Private Frederick Wainwright served with the Wellington Regiment, New Zealand Forces, enlisting in New Zealand. He left New Zealand for Egypt in April 1915 and was killed in action during the fighting at Chunuk Bair, Gallipoli, on 8th August 1915. He is commemorated on the Chunuk Bair (New Zealand) Memorial.
His father, Frederick snr., wrote to the 'Notts Free Press' from his home in Auckland with the news of his son's death, the letter was published on 29th October 1915 in the paper :- “As a resident for many years in Sutton-in-Ashfield and Kirkby-in-Ashfield (Bentinck Cottages), may I say that my wife and I and two boys left there eight years ago for New Zealand, and, being well known in Sutton and Kirkby, I thought you would insert in the Roll of Honour the death of my eldest son, aged 20, who was killed in the Dardanelles whilst fighting for King and Country. “My son, Frederick Wainwright, joined the 4th Contingent of the Wellington Infantry and sailed from here for Egypt last April. He first worked at the General Post Office as telegraph messenger, then as exchange clerk, and later in Wellington G.P.O., Accountants’ Branch. “I might state that I have the “Free Press” sent out to me every week from Sutton, and I look forward to it coming and enjoy it as it keeps us in touch with things happening at home. I was sorry to see in it the report of the awful accident at Bentinck Colliery, and I sincerely offer my deepest sympathy to the dependents of those poor men who were killed. I am well known at the colliery, having worked there for nine years up to the time of my coming to New Zealand”. Above article is courtesy of Jim Grundy and his facebook pages Small Town Great War Hucknall 1914-1918
