Frederick Maurice Erwood ...
Frederick Maurice Erwood was my grandfather's younger brother, and the second child of George and Julia Erwood and was born on 27th March 1893 in Netley.
At this stage, I have been unable to find any information relating to Frederick, or Freddie as he was known, up until the time of his enlistment on 26th August 1914 as a Private, Sapper, in the 66th Field Company of the Royal Engineers. His service number was 40847 and his personal details are given as 5ft 7in, of fresh complexion with blue eyes and light brown hair. His age at time of enlistment was 21, with his occupation stated as Painter and his next of kin his parents, George and Julia.
Freddie died tragically a short five months later, on 19th January 1915, in the Royal Victoria Military Hospital in Netley. According to his service records, it appears he returned to the family home on furlough on 16th January from County Wicklow in Ireland, where he had been stationed. Two days later he fell unconscious and was admitted to hospital. His father advised medical staff that his son had been complaining of a severe headache and had a bad cough prior to falling unconscious. On admission, he is recorded as being delirious, no temperature rise, pupils dilated, petechial rash all over his body, and his eyes and face congested. Head retraction developed in a few hours and he suffered slight convulsions. Doctors performed a lumbar puncture and conducted tests, including blood tests, which returned the result of 'meningococcus'.
Sadly, Freddie passed away at the young age of 21 later that evening. The cause of death on his service records is listed as 'Cerebrospinal Fever' and on his death certificate as 'Cerebrospinal Meningitis'.
Death Certificate of Frederick Maurice Erwood
Funeral Notice for Frederick Maurice Erwood
Hampshire Advertiser, 30 January 1915
Source:
www.netley-military-cemetery.co.uk
This is an excellent website by Julie Green, containing an enormous amount of information and memorabilia about the Royal Victoria Hospital and Netley Military Cemetery
After his death, Frederick Maurice Erwood was buried in Netley Military Cemetery, attached to the Royal Victoria Military Hospital, and his personal effects were passed to his parents. His service records indicated that a memorial was erected three years later, in January 1918. When I visited Netley with my family in January 2013, we made the journey to the site of the Royal Victoria Military Hospital. The only remaining building is the Royal Chapel, which now serves as a Visitor's Centre. We made our way through what is a beautiful, tranquil cemetery to Freddie's grave.
I must admit, I found it quite moving to be there on that cold, misty day and reflect on the sad loss of my grandfather's brother at such a young age and before he had really begun to live his life. We are intrigued by the final line on his headstone,'Never forgotten by his sweetheart Lucy'. Was it Lucy who commissioned the memorial in 1918? Quite possibly, as I'm not sure whether the family would have been able to. It also raises a number of questions. Who was Lucy? Was there a child from this relationship? It is unfortunate that his service records don't actually state who commissioned the memorial.
One cannot even begin to imagine what a tragic time that would have been for the family. To have lost their young son and brother in what was just a few short days under what would have been horrific circumstances would have been heartbreaking. I have no doubt at all that his death had a major impact on the entire family, with his father, George Snr, dying a couple of years later and his mother never really recovering from the loss of her son and husband.
His older brother George Jnr, my grandfather, had married the previous year and according to Freddie's service records was living in London at the time of Freddie's death. I remember my father telling me about my grandfather's brother when I was a young girl. I think the impact it left on my grandfather is evident in that when my father was born, he was given the name Frederick as his middle name.
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