Source: Michael Doyle Their Name Liveth For Evermore: The Great War Roll of Honour for Leicestershire and Rutland.
He was the son of Thomas Samuel Northen, a farmer and grazier, born in the April quarter of 1855 in Thorpe by Water, Rutland (son of William Northen, 1827-1899 and Mary Marsh, 1827-1896) and his wife Mary Elizabeth Northen (nee Colwell, married on the 19th June 1883 in St. Andrew’s Church, Lyddington, Rutland), born on the 22nd December 1854 in Liddington, Rutland (daughter of John Colwell, 1826 and Sophia Smith, 1816). Frederick Herbert was born on the 30th August 1891 in Thorpe by Water, his siblings were, John William, born on the 26th July 1885 and baptised on the 26th July 1885 in St. Andrew’s Church, Lyddington, George Edward, born on the 20th October 1889, Margaret May, born on the 7th October 1893 and Daisy Eva, born on the 16th June 1895 and baptised on the 16th June 1895 in St. Andrew’s Church, Lyddington, all his siblings were born in Thorpe by Water, in March 1901 the family home was at the Gate House, Thorpe by Water.
In April 1911 Frederick was absent from the family home in Thorpe by Water, residing there was his father, a grazier and highways surveyor, his mother and siblings, John, a farm worker, Margaret, a dairy worker and Daisy, a schoolgirl, also residing in the family home was Frederick’s widowed maternal grandfather, John Colwell, a retired grazier, meanwhile Frederick was employed as a clerk and was residing as a boarder at Minster Precincts, Peterborough, Northamptonshire.
His elder brother George Edward fell in action on the 2nd March 1916.
FAMILY NOTE: Frederick also had another sibling, Thomas Henry, born in the July quarter of 1887 in Lyddington.
Frederick’s army service enlistment documents do not survive, therefore the currently available information pertaining to his military service has been obtained from the following sources: - 1921 HMSO Publication, Soldiers Died in the Great War, 1914 - 1919, WW1 Service Medal and Award Rolls, Army Registers of Soldiers’ Effects, WW1 Medal Rolls Index Cards and the Commonwealth War Graves Commission Registers.
Enlisted/Attested in Spalding, Lincolnshire into the Regular Army. Date not known.
Joined. At place and date not known.
Posted. To Lincolnshire Regt. Date not known.
Allotted the Regimental Service number 11111.
Posted. To 2nd Bn. Lincolnshire Regt. Pte. Date not known.
Transferred. To 7th (Service) Bn. Lincolnshire Regt. Pte. Date not known.
First entered the theatre of war in France. 14/7/15.
Transferred. To 6th Bn. Royal Berkshire Regt. Date not known.
Promoted. To Lance Corporal. Date not known.
Promoted. To Corporal. Date not known.
Wounded in action. In the Field. Date not known.
Died of wounds. 12/8/17.
Buried in Brandhoek New Military Cemetery, Vlamertinghe, West-Vlaanderen, Belgium.
Awarded the 1914-15 Star, British War Medal and Victory Medal.
In the event of his death, Frederick nominated his father Thomas as his sole legatee.
Frederick was educated at Market Harborough Grammar School and entered Messrs. Barclays Bank at Peterborough when he was sixteen years of age, afterwards transferring to Newark, Nottinghamshire. At both towns he was a prominent member of the leading cricket clubs, and was also a devotee of hockey. On the outbreak of war, he enlisted in the 7th Battalion of the Lincolnshire Regiment and embarked on foreign service in France and Belgium during July 1915. He fought with the 7th Battalion of the Lincolnshire Regiment until December 1915, and then with the 6th Battalion of the Royal Berkshire Regiment from August 1916 until the 11th August 1917 when he was mortally wounded at Glencorse Wood during the Battle of Ypres, dying the following day in No. 44 Casualty Clearing Station. Captain N. B. Hudson, 6th Battalion Royal Berkshire Regiment writing of Corporal Northen, says: - Both as a soldier and a man I had the greatest regard and affection for him, as also, I know, did every officer and man in his company. He did his duty splendidly and cheerfully, and no man could have been more trustworthy. I knew he had been hit badly, but thought he would pull through, and it was a truly great blow to me to hear of his death. . . . I shall always miss him, both as a personal friend and a loyal and brave non-commissioned officer. Second Lieutenant H. R. Hooper, Platoon Commander, who was wounded on the 31st July, writes: - It will be some consolation to know that his life was not thrown away, for our Battalion attacked and captured very valuable ground in one of the worst parts of the line under very difficult circumstances. I never wish to have a better or braver man in my platoon, and if he had been spared, he would have become Sergeant, or taken a commission.
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