Date of birth: 22/04/1896

Place of birth: Walworth, Surrey, England, United Kingdom

Profession: Clerk

Country: England, United Kingdom

Force: British Expeditionary Force

Rank: Corporal

Service number: 325107

Enlistment place: Ilford, Essex, England, United Kingdom

Units:  —  Essex Regiment, 10th Bn.  (Last known unit)

Date of death: 22/10/1917

Place of death: Meunier House, Poelcapelle, Belgium

Cause of death: Killed in action (K.I.A.)

Age: 21

British War Medal Medal

Victory Medal Medal

Frederick Charles Wing was born on 22 April 1896 in Walworth, London. He was the fifth child in a family of ten. His father’s name was William James Wing and his mother was Louisa Ann Lucas. After leaving school, Frederick went to work as a clerk. In February 1914 he enlisted in the Essex Territorial Force for a period of four years. When the war broke out he was assigned to the 12th Platoon, of “C” Company, part of the 10th Battalion Essex Regiment. In July 1915 Frederick’s battalion arrived in France and in 1916 he fought in the Battle of the Somme. He then went to Flanders, where in 1917 the 10th Battalion Essex Regiment was deployed in the Third Battle of Ypres. On 22 October 1917 the 53rd Brigade of the 18th Division, to which Frederick’s battalion also belonged, carried out a small attack at Poelcapelle. The aim was to eliminate several German pockets of resistance. “C” Company was responsible for taking the German strongpoint at Meunier House, but before they had even reached their starting position the number of casualties was so great that they needed to rethink their whole plan. In the end, a depleted company took Meunier House. Frederick Charles Wing lost his life during the attack on Meunier House. His body was never found and he is commemorated on the Tyne Cot Memorial to the Missing. One day after his death, his mother wrote her last letter to Frederick. She mentions that it seems strange but that she has a very anxious feeling and hopes he is well.

53 Infantry Brigade: 10 Battalion Essex Regiment, (The National Archives, KEW (TNA), WO 95/2038/4 ). https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C14303 Sources used

lt.-col. T. M. Banks and Capt. R. A. Chell, With the 10th Essex in France, (Gay&Hancock, ltd., London, 1924), p. 218-229. Sources used

McCarthy C., The Third Ypres Passchendaele. The Day-by-Day Account, (London, Arms & Armour Press, 1995), pg. 120-122. Sources used

Commonwealth War Graves Commission Database https://www.cwgc.org/find-records/find-war-dead/casualty-details/875439

Namenlijst (In Flanders Fields Museum) https://namenlijst.org/publicsearch/#/person/_id=d2e4a366-a4e1-465d-abf7-1dd8a8b7e66f

Lives of the First World War (Imperial War Museum) https://livesofthefirstworldwar.iwm.org.uk/lifestory/4829166