Ashtead War Memorials - WWI
L/Cpl Frank Percival Vickery
23rd Bn, Middlesex Regiment
Frank’s father, Walter Vickery, a native of Sidmouth, Devon, came to lodge in Ashtead before 1881 but in that year he seems to have married Sarah (as Mrs Hill, born in Leatherhead) because FP Vickery’s birth was registered for September Quarter 1882 at Epsom.
The family took up residence in Glebe Road Ashtead and, by 1901, having attained the age of 19, Frank was employed as a general labourer. At the time of WW1 a later residence was at 2 Mount Pleasant, Skinners Lane, Ashtead.
During 1915, he enlisted [either at Leatherhead or Mill Hill, the sources vary] with 23rd (Service) Battalion (2nd Football), Middlesex Regiment (Duke of Cambridge’s Own), which had been formed on the 26 June, and married Mary L Wragg [reg. Epsom 9/1915].
In November 1915 the battalion moved to Aldershot to be attached to 123rd Brigade, 41st Division before being sent to France. The 41st Division had concentrated between Hazebrouck and Brailleul by 8 May 1916 to take part in the opening battles of the Somme that resulted in severe casualties on both sides.
In particular this Division was at the forefront of Flers-Courcellette in the engagement of 15-22 September 1916. Apparently Frank was injured in the attack and evacuated for treatment to one of the Military hospitals established on the southern outskirts of Rouen. Unfortunately, he died from his wounds and was interred at St. Sever.
Mrs ML Vickery did not remain in the district but is recorded at Claimont [Claremont?] Cottages, Fairmile, Cobham, Surrey.
Frank Vickery’s British War & Victory Medals were offered for sale in 1995 together with a memorial plaque housed in a contemporary oak case. An explanation for the bronze plaques is as follows: "In 1916 a special committee decided that a bronze plaque and a scroll would be sent to the families of the soldiers killed in the war. A competition to design the plaque and scroll were launched and Mr B Carter-Preston, the sculptor, won £250 for the design of the bronze plaque; there was no prize for the design of the scroll because it would seem that several people had an input into the item.
Suitable paper and ink for the scroll were proving difficult to obtain and production of the scroll was not started until January 1919. The plaques were not produced until late December 1918 because of a shortage of bronze.
The scrolls were dispatched together with a printed covering letter bearing a facsimile copy of the King's signature and the plaques were sent under separate cover."
[A similar plaque bearing Charles Hubert Fabray’s name had been auctioned in 1994.]
FP Vickery is also named on the War Memorial in St Andrew's Church, Oxshott.
Links
41st Division Memorial at Flers – https://www.ww1cemeteries.com/fra-41st-division-memorial-flers.html
NB The Ashtead War Memorial names Frank as EP Vickery. Note a discrepancy between the date of death shown by Soldiers Died in the Great War (15/9/1916) and CWGC (25/9/1916).
text: Brian Bouchard. If you can add to this page please contact
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page added 23 Feb 2009: last updated 18 Mar 2009: 28 Nov 17