FREDERICK EDWARD FIELDER
There are many circumstances by which a person who died in the Great War is accepted as being part of the history of Portsmouth. One of them is simply that they are buried in the city, after all, they are destined to remain forever, even if their stay whilst alive was brief. This is made more controversial however if the burial site was not part of Portsmouth when they died. One of those to whom this applies is Frederick Edward Fielder.
Research into Fielder's life has unearthed no conclusive evidence that he ever lived in Portsmouth though he probably enlisted in the 14th Battalion of the Hampshire Regiment at Portsmouth. He had been born in Stoke Newington in 1896 to parents William and Amelia Jane Fielder and spent almost all of his life near London. Both parents had been born in Southampton but seem to have moved to Hackney, London when William became a Police Constable and it was there and at Chingford, Essex that they raised their family of four boys and two girls. Frederick was the second born.
At the outbreak of the Great War Frederick was 18 years old and though did not join up straight away he must have done so soon after 3rd September 1914 when the 14th Battalion, Hampshire Regiment was formed. Nothing is currently known of his service career but he cannot have seen action as the battalion did not depart for France until March 1916, over a year after Frederick died of pneumonia and was buried at Christ Church Military Cemetery. It is quite likely that he died at the nearby Queen Alexandra Military Hospital. It is not known why his name appears on the WW1 Memorial at St. Andrew's Church, Farlington.
FURTHER INFORMATION
The Commonwealth War Graves Commission (CWGC) lists Private Frederick Edward Fielder (12909), Hampshire Regiment, died on 26/01/1915, aged 19. Buried at Portsdown (Christ Church) Military Cemetery (Grave Ref: D.17.). Son of William and Amelia Jane Fielder, of Trotton Marsh, Rogate, Petersfield.
Frederick Fielder is remembered on the WW1 Memorial at St. Andrew's Church, Farlington but not on the Cenotaph. He is not listed in the 'National Roll of the Great War'.
Tim Backhouse
April 2014