Source: Michael Doyle Their Name Liveth For Evermore: The Great War Roll of Honour for Leicestershire and Rutland.
He was the son of Edward Frederick Bird, a sailor, born 1868 in Chester, Cheshire and was baptised on the 14th June 1868 in St. John’s Church, Chester and his wife Eliza Lewis Bird (nee Lewis, married on the 6th August 1888 in Holy Trinity Church, Chester), born 1865 in Melverley, Shropshire. Frederick was born on the 29th March 1891 in Chester, Cheshire and was baptised on the 26th April 1891 in Holy Trinity Church, Chester, he had one sibling, Rosina, born in the 1st quarter of 1889 in Chester and baptised on the 24th March 1889 in Holy Trinity Church, Chester, in 1891 the family home was at 11, Kitchen Street, Chester. In March 1901 Frederick was residing in the family home at 11, Kitchen Street, Chester, together with his father, a tailor, his mother and siblings, Rosina, Annie, born on the 5th July 1893 and baptised on the 6th August 1893 in Holy Trinity Church, Chester, Wilfred, born in the 4th quarter of 1895 and baptised on the 9th January 1896 in Holy Trinity Church, Chester, Joseph, born in the 2nd quarter of 1898 and Arthur, born in the 3rd quarter of 1900, all his siblings were born in Chester. In April 1911 Frederick was employed as a County Borough Electricity Works lamp lighter and was residing in the family home at 19, Kitchen Street, Chester, together with his father, a tailor, his mother and siblings, Annie, Wilfred, a lead light casement maker, Joseph, a schoolboy, Arthur, a schoolboy, Barbara Ellen, a schoolgirl, born on the 5th November 1902 and baptised on the 4th February 1903 in Holy Trinity Church, Chester and Ethel Ann, born on the 7th April 1908 and baptised on the 1st July 1908 in Holy Trinity Church, Chester, the latter two siblings were both born in Chester. Frederick married Helena Campbell on the 1st January 1916 in Emmanuel Church, Loughborough, Leicestershire. Helena was born on the 28th April 1887 and was baptised on the 10th July 1887 in St. Oswald’s Church, Chester. They resided at 65, Herbert Street, Loughborough.
Frederick’s Army enlistment documents do not survive, all that is known of his military service is that he enlisted into the Artillery, being allotted the service number 168202, and was posted to the Royal Field Artillery, it is unknown when he was transferred to “B” Battery of the 275th Brigade, and whether it was with this unit that he first entered the theatre of war in France, it is also unclear as to the date of his entry into France, it is certain that it was after the 31st December 1915 as he was not recorded as having been awarded the 1914-15 Star. He was awarded the British War Medal and Victory Medal.
The only documents that have thus far been discovered relating to Frederick’s period of war service are reproduced below, unfortunately the greater part of Frederick’s military service remains unknown.
An Admission and Discharge Ledger of No. 1 Ambulance Train shows Frederick as a Corporal, serving with “C” Battery, 58th Brigade when he was admitted on the 21st December 1917 suffering from a hernia (r). He was entrained on the same day at Chocques, and detrained in Boulogne.
A surviving document titled “Progress Reports.” states the following:- O.C. No.3 Canadian General Hospital, Boulogne, telegraphs 7th January 1918.
168202 Cpl. Bird F. R.F.A. 58th Brigade. SERIOUSLY ILL IMPROVED.