Frederick John Snelling worked in the Home Fire Department of the London head office of The Northern Assurance Company Ltd. He began working for the company as a clerk in February 1912 in the Home Fire Department and enlisted on 31 August 1914 in the 15th Battalion County of London Regiment (Prince of Wales' Own) Civil Service Rifles. He was in training at Watford until March 1915 when he went to France with the 1st Battalion of his regiment. He took part in the Battles of Festubert and Loos and in November 1915 was invalided home. In January 1916 he rejoined his regiment at Barnes and went with the 3rd Battalion to Winchester until October, acting as a Musketry Instructor. In November 1916 he entered 3rd Officer Cadet Battalion at Bristol and in March 1917 he was gazetted to the Royal Fusiliers and went to Dover. He was sent to France attached to the Royal Fusiliers (City of London Regiment) 7th Battalion as a 2nd Lieutenant  on 12 April and was on the Arras Front until 20 September when he came home on leave. He went to France for the third time on 30 September to the Ypres Front. He led C Company in the attack on Passchendaele Ridge 30 October and was wounded in the wrist. He crawled out to assist a wounded NCO at which time he was shot in the head by a sniper and died instantaneously. He was 22. 

Anna Stone