Born: 1895, Bintree, Norfolk
Died: 10 April 1915, Military Hospital, South Shields
Buried: St Luke’s, Eccleshill
Address: 10 Fagley Place, Fagley
Parents: Frederick Henry & Mary Ann, nee Savory
Spouse:
Siblings: Minerva
Occupation: Letterpress printer, Paul & Russell, Bradford
Organisations/clubs: Eccleshill Church Institute; Airedale Harriers
Military
Rank: Pte
Medals/awards:
Rolls of Honour: Eccleshill, Park & St Luke’s
Children:
Regiment: Northumberland Fusiliers
Frederick Francis Wilkinson
Frederick Francis Wilkinson was
born in 1895 in Bintree, Norfolk,
the son of Frederick Henry and
Mary Ann, nee Savory.
By 1901 the family had moved to
16 Crampton Street, Little Horton
and in 1911 they were living at 10
Fagley Place, Fagley. Frederick
Francis, at 15 years of age, was a
letterpress printer.
Frederick Francis enlisted on the
11th of March 1915 as Private
18343 in the 3rd Special Reserve
Battalion of the Northumberland
Fusiliers.
This Battalion was a training unit,
remaining in the United Kingdom
throughout the War and it moved to
East Boldon in August
1914.
Scott House Camp was
the base of the 3rd
Reserve Battalion and
Frederick was in training
at West Boldon where he
was billeted.
On the 10th of April
1915 one month after
enlistment Frederick died
in the Military Hospital
in South Shields.
The report in the Shipley Times &
Express on 23 April, 1915 read:
“There is something rather
poignant than a young man signing
up, willing to risk his
life for King and
country, and then dying
with something as
mundane as food
poisoning before he
ever got near the war.
“That was the fate of
19-year-old Frederick
Wilkinson of 10 Fagley
Place, Eccleshill.
“He’d only been
billeted with the
Northumberland Fusiliers at West
Boldon for a month when he died
in a South Shields hospital from
ptomaine poisoning after eating
tinned tomatoes.
“Before enlisting he had been an
apprentice printer, a member of
Eccleshill Church Institute and
keen member of Airedale Harriers
who had presented him with a
medal for winning a six-mile race.”
On the 15th of April Frederick was
buried in St Luke’s Churchyard.
He left his effects to his father
Frederick Henry who received
£3.1.11d on the 23rd of July 1915.
Because Frederick had less than six
months service the War Gratuity
was not administered.
Researched and written by Jean
Britteon, to whom many thanks
