L/Cpl 22380 Charles Frodsham

In 1891 they are at 89 Gordon Street, Liverpool. His father is 39 years of age and is a dock labourer born in Liscard, his mother Elizabeth is aged 35 and was born in Liverpool. Their children all born Liverpool are listed as; Samuel 17 a dock labourer, Benjamin aged 11 a scholar, Ellen 9 a scholar, Robert 7 a scholar, Elizabeth 4 a scholar, and Charles 11 months.

 

His father died in 1895 aged 43.

The 1901 Census shows the family at 109 Gordon Street. Elizabeth is head of the household described as a 45 year old widow. Charles is 10 and his siblings are shown as; Benjamin aged 21, Ellen (19), Robert (17), Elizabeth (13) and Jessie (8). 

 

In 1911 the family is living at 109 Gordon Street. Charles, 20, is an apprentice upholsterer in a chair works. His mother is the head of the household, she is now a widow aged 57. Also listed at the property are Charles' siblings, all born in Liverpool; Benjamin aged 31 and Jessie aged 19. Also present is a boarder.  

 

His service record survives and shows that Charles enlisted in Liverpool joining the 3rd Battalion as Private 10722 soon after war was declared, on 9th August 1914 giving his age as 25 years and 140 days, and his occupation as upholsterer. He is described as being 5' 8 and a half inches tall, weighing 121lbs with a 35 inch chest. He had a fresh complexion brown eyes and dark brown hair. He was discharged from 3rd Battalion (Reserve) on 07th December with his records annotated as follows; Discharged in consequence of: having been found serving in the 4th Liverpool City Battalion. This was also known as the 20th Battalion of The King's Liverpool Regiment.

His service number with the 20th Battalion was 22380 and his records show an enlistment date of 11th November 1914.

Formed in November 1914 the 20^th Battalion were originally billeted at Tournament Hall, Knotty Ash before on 29^th January 1915 they moved to the hutted accommodation purposely built at Lord Derby’s estate at Knowsley Hall. On 30th April 1915 the 20th Battalion alongside the other three Pals battalions left Liverpool via Prescot Station for further training at Belton Park, Grantham. They remained here until September 1915 when they reached Larkhill Camp on Salisbury Plain. He arrived in France on 7^th November 1915.

From 06th May 1916 until 18th September 1916 he was attached to the Royal Engineers. He returned to the 20th Battalion. He was granted leave to the UK from 15th - 25th August 1917. He was appointed unpaid Lance Corporal on 15th January 1918. The 20th Battalion was disbanded in France and he reverted to Private at his own request upon his transfer to ‘C’ Company, 19th Battalion K.L.R. on 07/2/1918. He was again appointed unpaid Lance Corporal on 08th March 1918.

He was declared Missing on 22nd March 1918. 

The Battalion diary gives an overview of the events of the 22nd March 1918 as follows:

22^nd  GERMAINE – HAM- MOYENCOURT

The battalion moved up accordingly being in position at 6:30 a.m. About 3pm the enemy attacked the left of our position and advanced on our left flank towards FLUQUIERES. At 4:30 pm an attack was launched on our front and the enemy forced his way through on our right. The remainder of the Battalion was forced to retire to south of FLUQUIERES. During this engagement the Battalion lost 11 Officers and About 21 O.R. The order was given to retire to the defences at HAM. The Battalion by this time was very weak, and passing through the 20^th Division took up positions in HAM, as ordered, getting into position at 2am.

His mother Elizabeth wrote to the International Red Cross in the hope that Charles had been taken prisoner. 

A reply was sent on the 06th June 1918 informing her they held no information.

His death was assumed for official purposes to have occurred on or since 22nd March 1918. He was 28 years of age, he has no known grave and is commemorated on the Pozieres Memorial in France. 

The POZIERES MEMORIAL relates to the period of crisis in March and April 1918 when the Allied Fifth Army was driven back by overwhelming numbers across the former Somme battlefields, and the months that followed before the Advance to Victory, which began on 8 August 1918. The Memorial commemorates over 14,000 casualties of the United Kingdom and 300 of the South African Forces who have no known grave and who died on the Somme from 21 March to 7 August 1918.

The cemetery and memorial were designed by W.H. Cowlishaw, with sculpture by Laurence A. Turner. The memorial was unveiled by Sir Horace Smith-Dorrien on 4 August 1930.

A year later, his mother Elizabeth is still searching for news on Charles as reported in the Liverpool Weekly Courier on Saturday 15 March 1919: 

A MISSING “PAL.”

Lance-Corpl. (22380), C Company, 11 Platoon, 19th K.L.R. Pals, is reported missing since March 22nd, 1918. Can any returned prisoner of war furnish any information to his mother who resides at 109 Gordon Street, Everton, Liverpool. 

 

Charles earned his three medals which his mother Elizabeth, living at 109 Gordon Street, Everton, signed for, as well as his memorial scroll.

 

Charles is commemorated in the Hall of Remembrance, Liverpool Town Hall, Panel 3 

In a signed declaration on 06th August 1919 his mother declared his living relatives to be; herself and her son Benjamin and two daughters Jessie and Ellen.

 

His family paid tribute to Charles in the Liverpool Weekly Courier on Saturday 16 August 1919: 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Also in the Liverpool Weekly Courier on Saturday 25 March 1922:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

- Never forgotten by his sister and brother-in-law Jim. 

 

On the 1921 Census at Gordon Street, his mother Elizabeth is aged 67, son Benjamin is aged 41, widowed daughter Ellen Taylor is 39,  widowed son-in-law John Williams is 33, grandson John Edward Williams is 9.  

 
His mother, Elizabeth, died, aged 81, around Christmas 1933.