Frederick Haigh
- Family History
- Military History
- Extra Information
- Photographs
Fredrick Haigh was born in Awsworth, Nottinghamshire in 1893. His parents were London born Frederick and Clara, nee Mile, who already had 3 daughters, Florence, Mary and Alice and were resident at Church Street, Awsworth, Notts. The couple had married at Nottingham in 1883, Frederick senior being a police constable. By 1901, the family had moved to Worksop, living at 159 Carlton Road with Fred senior still employed in his police constable duties. It was in that year of 1901, that their fifth child, Charles, was born. By 1911, Fred senior was 56 and was now living as a retired police officer at Dunham on Trent, Notts with wife, Clara, Mary and Charles. Frederick junior was now making his own way in life and was living as a boarder and employed as a butcher by Albert Blythe in Lincoln aged 18.
Frederick enlisted at Lincoln, went to France 13 August 1915, was killed in action and remembered on the Loos Memorial, France.
An article in the Retford Times reads:- Pte Fred Haigh Retford Times 19/11/15 Worksop hero's Death Ex constables son killed in action The photo above is that of Pte Fred Haigh (10796) of the machine gun section of the 2nd batt Welsh Regiment who was killed in action on Sept 26th . The deceased lad, who is a son of Mr and Mrs Haigh of 15 Elm Road, Worksop, left Aldershot with his regiment in August 1914 for France. He fought in seven engagements, and was wounded by a shrapnel shell in the left leg at the battle of Mons. He had his leg dressed on the battlefield and stuck to his guns. He was home in Worksop for seven days last August, when he celebrated his 22nd birthday. Mr Haigh who is an ex-police constable has received a letter of sympathy from the King and Queen. It is extremely interesting to know that the deceased had served under the Prince of Wales in the trenches. As was announced in these columns last week a parcel addressed to him from the Chums Association arrived too late. Sergt Finnagan writing from France says that at the advance on Loos Pte Haigh set his gun in action and went for the reserve guns when he was shot in the head. He was a brave fellow who knew no fear and he died a hero's death, he was given a soldiers funeral and his loss cast a gloom over the whole section. This week Mr G Ridsdale the Hon secretary of the Worksop and district Soldiers and sailors sweets association has received a letter from Sergt Finnagan which runs as follows;- " I beg to acknowledge parcel addressed to Pte Haigh , but I am sorry to inform you that he was killed in action on Sept 26th while firing his gun on a column of retreating Germans. He was always a brave lad and died doing his duty. I have known him personally since we came out here in August 1914., for he has been in my section practically ever since. I can only speak of him in the highest terms. The contents of the parcel have been distributed amongst his comrades in the machine gun section and they all join in thanking the committee for them. "
