Remembered today 9457 Private Frederick Sawyer , Sunderland Cemetery

[SusanN]

this soldier is buried in the cemetery near where I live, so this afternoon I paid my respects at his well kept graveside, I don’t know if he belongs to anyone on this forum, but I can take a photo of his gravestone if needed.

[DavidOwen]

[corisande]

 Susan

Can I check that you have his name and name exactly as on his grave

I can get nothing coming up on searches

[Tawhiri]

Given the statement that the cemetery is in Sunderland, it's this Frederick Sawyer I think. He has a CWGC headstone, with the service number 9547 and that he served with the Durham Light Infantry recorded on it. Date of death is 18 July 1921.

https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/60172249/frederick-sawyer

And this is the associated CWGC entry.

https://www.cwgc.org/find-records/find-war-dead/casualty-details/353702/FREDERICK SAWYER/

This shows that he also served with the Labour Corps as service number 611357. He has four separate pension index cards on Ancestry under this number, and the only other entry I can find is his entry on the Labour Corps medal rolls, which does note his previous service with the Durham Light Infantry with service number 9547. 

Image sourced from Ancestry:

Edited 19 July , 2021 by Tawhiri

[SusanN]

Thank you  Tawhiri for such a detailed response, it took me a while looking for his grave as sadly there are quite a few in the cemetery, I felt a deep sense of respect for this soldier who lost his life aged 32, whom I only knew about today from the “remembered today “ headline. I see there is already a photo of his headstone available for anyone to view.

[Tawhiri]

I was going to add that there is a family tree for him on Ancestry, that suggests he joined the 2nd Battalion of the Durham Light Infantry on 8 March 1906, although there is no supporting documentation for this. There is, however, a Frederick Sawyer serving with the 2nd Battalion of the Durham Light Infantry at Longmoor Camp, in Liss, Hampshire in the 1911 England census, aged 23, and born in Bishop Wearmouth, Durham who would seem to be a strong candidate for him if this is true.

Edited 18 July , 2021 by Tawhiri

[SusanN]

Frederick Sawyer according to the gravestone photograph had a wife called Ruby and when I looked on Ancestry and checked the family tree this photo is linked to him…very sadly he had a brother John Alexander Sawyer who was also a soldier , number 2549, who died aged 30 in France 1917.

[ss002d6252]

22 minutes ago, Tawhiri said:

I was going to add that there is a family tree for him on Ancestry, that suggests he joined the 2nd Battalion of the Durham Light Infantry on 8 March 1906, although there is no supporting documentation for this. There is, however, a Frederick Sawyer serving with the 2nd Battalion of the Durham Light Infantry at Longmoor Camp, in Liss, Hampshire in the 1911 England census, aged 23, and born in Bishop Wearmouth, Durham who would seem to be a strong candidate for him if this is true.

#9541 attested 6 March 1906 so 08 March 1906 is certainly in the right time period.

 
Craig

[RaySearching]

2 hours ago, Tawhiri said:

I was going to add that there is a family tree for him on Ancestry, that suggests he joined the 2nd Battalion of the Durham Light Infantry on 8 March 1906, although there is no supporting documentation for this.

The supporting documentation is there  (ancestry Link)

Sawyer attested on the 8/3/1906  (9years and 3 years with the colours)

He was discharges from service on the 31st March 1920 and died of bronco pneumonia,     (after being discharged from service)

Edited 18 July , 2021 by RaySearching
correction

[Tawhiri]

1 hour ago, SusanN said:

very sadly he had a brother John Alexander Sawyer who was also a soldier , number 2549, who died aged 30 in France 1917

Brother John's full service record seems to have survived, also serving with the Durham Light Infantry as 2549/275489. He signed up with the 1/7th battalion of the Territorials in September 1914, and died in the field on 18 March 1917 of arteritis (disease of the arteries) due to fatigue, privation, and exposure.  

[SusanN]

I can hardly believe it but there was yet another brother who gave his life for his country…Lewis Sawyer , reg number 11084, Durham Light Infantry, dying aged 27 years in 1921 Germany…this family has lost 3 sons, though I am sure this would be repeated throughout the country….

[Tawhiri]

In fact the family tree on Ancestry shows that there was only one other son, so three out of four sons died. There were five daughters, and the two youngest died as infants too.

[Matlock1418]

2 hours ago, Tawhiri said:

Labour Corps as service number 611357. He has four separate pension index cards on Ancestry under this number,

Frederick SAWYER

Two relate to a disability claim after discharge on 31-3-20  for Rheumatism and Gastritis - Can't tell what outcome

The other two are for his widow's claim - Refused as Disease contracted after discharge

His, and his widow's, address was 4 Brinkburn St, Sunderland.

CWGC appear to have been more generous than the MoP.

:-) M

Edited 18 July , 2021 by Matlock1418
addition