Add Information to Record of a Person who served during the Great War on The Wartime Memories Project Website

Add Information to Record of a Person who served during the Great War on The Wartime Memories Project Website





Additions will be checked before being published on the website and where possible will be forwarded to the person who submitted the original entries. Your contact details will not be forwarded, but they can send a reply via this messaging system.

please scroll down to send a message

215424

L/Sgt. Frederick George Wormald

British Army 19th Btn Durham Light Infantry

from:West Hartlepool

(d.18th Jul 1916)

On 16th December 1914, the 'Hartlepools' (i.e. West Hartlepool and Hartlepool) were subjected to the first World War 1 shell attacks on British soil and in those attacks, Private Theophilus Jones was the first soldier to die on British soil. Less than three months later, on 3rd March 1915 at West Hartlepool, my uncle, Frederick George Wormald enlisted in the 19th Battalion of the Durham Light Infantry.

Frederick was the middle child of seven children born to John and Frances Elizabeth Wormald of 76 Westmorland Street, West Hartlepool. He was born in 1898 which made him 17 years and 3 months old when he enlisted however, he lied about his age and told the recruiting staff that he was two years older, 19 years and 3 months. He was a small lad, about 5ft 2inches and weighed around 10½ stones. Before enlisting, he had worked as a drapers assistant.

On 11th August 1915 he was promoted to Corporal and later, on 28th October, further promoted to Lance Sergeant.

In July 1916, Frederick was engaged in the fierce fighting in Delville Wood, north east of the town of Longueval, The Somme, France. The fighting in Delville Wood was one of the bloodiest confrontations of the Somme. On 18th July 1916, in an area less than one square mile, 20,000 shells fell. On that day, Frederick was killed in action. He was only 18 years of age.

After the war ended, Frederick's body was buried in Delville Wood Cemetery, France. Frederick's parents were never able to travel to France to see his grave.



Please type your message:     

We recommend you copy the text about this item and keep a copy on your own computer before pressing submit.
Your Name:            
Email Address:       @ **Please put first part of your email, (before the @ sign) in the first box, and the second part in the second box. Do not include @, it is automatic. Do not enter your full email in each box or add an @ sign or random spaces.**