WORLD WAR I
Bingham War Memorial
Service Record
| 16851 | Sergeant Frederick William Hemmings DSM | Royal Marines | born 1892 |
| Service record | Occupation given as Railway Porter. Next of Kin, father
Frederick, Rose Cottage, Fisher Lane, and Bingham. His height was 5’
7½” with blue eyes and light brown hair. Born 21st February
1892. His record shows he was able to swim, having been tested at Deal on 24th April 1911. Until the end of December he was (presumably training) in Deal and Chatham. He then served on HMS Sutlej, an armoured cruiser, from 29th June to 6th August 1913. The ship was used for convoy escort duty. After another spell at Chatham he joined HMS Astrea, a cruiser, seeing action in the South East Atlantic and Western Indian Ocean until May 1916. During this period he was promoted to Corporal (2nd January 1915) and Sergeant (21st October 1915). He returned to Chatham on 3rd May 1916 and joined HMS Courageous from 30th November 1916 to 7th April 1917 after she was commissioned and later went on patrol in the North sea. He returned to Chatham on 8th April and was discharged on 7th November 1918, invalided. His address on discharge was Escourt House,[Needham Street] Bingham. The record shows he was awarded the DSM on 1st January 1917 which was reported in the London Gazette of the same date. One section of the record notes that from September 23rd to November 30th 1915 he rendered good service during the naval and military operations in the Cameroons. On 24th November1917 he was granted “Hurt” certificate –injury to spine. |
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Family history etc
| William Hemmings - did not seem to use the first name | |||
| 1892 | Born Colwick 21st February 1892 Frederick William, Basford |
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| Census 1901 | Lived in Fisher Lane with; Father: Frederick b. Baldock 1865 Mother: Alice b. Baldock 1865 Siblings: Nellie, b.1889 Baldock Maggie, b. 1893 Colwick Ethel, b Colwick1895 John, b. Bingham 1896 |
railway porter |
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| Census 1911 | Living in Royal Marine Barracks, Walmer, Deal, Kent | Private, Royal Marines | |
| Census 1911 | Family living in Rose Cottage, Fisher Lane: Frederick Wife: Alice Children: Ethel Jack (alias John) Lily, b. 1907 Bingham Dora, b. 1910 Nottingham |
Baker’s Errand Boy |
Service record lists Rose Cottage as family home Jack served in WW1 click on name to learn more |
| 1911 | Dec qtr his father Frederick died in Bingham. Mother Alice married Robert William Holmes in 1914. | ||
| Research note re mother Alice | She was born Alice S Clement, her father, Richard, was an
agricultural labourer [1871 census when she was aged 11 months (i.e b. 1870]. Her age was understated in 1901 and 1911 censuses- year of birth should be 1870/1] Nellie was the family name for Florence R Hemmings. Maggie was Margaret. [From Family Tree on Ancestry.co.uk] 22nd April 1889 she married Frederick Charles Hemmings in Baldock. Frederick died in 1911, after the census. She married Robert Holmes on August 4th 1914 and gave her age as 43 (i.e. born 1871). The family trees do not list this event. She was described as a widow, neé Clement, and her father was said to be a coal merchant. Witnesses included her daughters Ethel Hemmings, Florrie Hemmings and Margaret Hemmings. |
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| 1918 | May have married Mabel Cooper, Leicester | ||
| Electoral registers | 1921, 1922, 1923 Escourt House Needham Street. [with John
Edward] By 1924 William had left Bingham and John was in Spring Gardens. |
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| 1939 Register | 7 Electric Sub Station, Brookvale Avenue, Coventry: Frederick W Hemmings, b. 21 Feb 1892, married Mabel A Hemmings, b. 30 Jan 1900, married |
Superintendent Condenser factory for communication Unpaid domestic duties |
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| 1962 | Died June 1962 age 70, Coventry 9c p650 | ||
| “History of Bingham” | Adelaide Wortley,p.91, sets out the following honour to Sgt
Hemmings written in his parochial letter of June, 1917 by Canon Hutt:- “On 19th May, at the Royal Naval Hospital, Haslar, a ceremony took place, in which a well-known Bingham man was one of the central figures and of which all Bingham people should be proud. Queen Mary paid a special visit to the Hospital to open a new wing and to pay the signal honour to the Navy by personally decorating some heroic sailors, among whom was Sgt. W Hemmings. Unfortunately, owing to an accident, the Sergeant was unable to leave his bed, so the Queen went to his bedside, and in addition to giving him his medal, Her Majesty also gave him a beautiful bouquet of flowers. As we all know, Sgt Hemmings won the Distinguished Service Medal for fine work in the Cameroons. Is it any wonder when the Queen of England does things such as this that the people of England are so intensely loyal?” |
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