Frederick Samuel Edwards was born in 1885 in Hampstead, Surrey, the fourth son of William and Jane Edwards.. He was one of ten children, who grew up in the family home at 89 Graham Road in Wimbledon. Frederick became apprenticed to a Plumber and was working as a plumber by the age of 17. He remained single and joined the 2nd Battalion of the South Lancashire Regiment. The South Lancashire (Prince of Wales Volunteers) was part of the 7th Infantry Brigade in the 3rd Infantry Division. They were one of the first units in the British Army to land in France at Le Havre in August 1914, part of the British Expeditionary Force. The BEF faced the German First Army under von Kluck as it swept south west towards Mons. The men of the BEF were experienced soldiers, 'shilling-a-day' men as they were known, and significantly better opposition than the nick-name given them by their German opponents would indicate. Von Kluck referred to them as a "contemptible little army". When the 160,000 strong German army met the 70,000 men of the BEF they had not expected such stiff resistance. They advanced almost in parade order and were met by men firing upto 30 rounds per minute from their .303 Lee Enfield rifles. The overwhelming German numbers began to tell nonetheless and by the afternoon of the 23rd August had pushed the British line back in several places. The South Lancs in the 3rd Divison were just south of the centre of Mons and came under very heavy attack from the German 9th Corps. Private Frederick Edwards was so seriously wounded at this action that he died of his wounds two days later. Reinforced by two battalions of the 4th Guards Brigade they, with the rest of the BEF, managed to halt the German advance late in the day. Unfortunately, the French 5th Army fell back under German assaults leaving the British right flank dangerously exposed. The BEF had to withdraw, to the dismay of the British troops who had seen the Germans forced to pull back. This began the long, painful withdrawal almost to Paris by the BEF, leaving 1600 casualties, killed , wounded, and missing behind. German casualties were estimated to be in excess of 5000 men. 10015 Private Frederick Samuel Edwards of the 2nd Battalion South Lancashire Regiment died of his wounds on the 25th August 1914 aged 26. His name is commemorated on the Memorial at La Ferte-sous-Jouarre, a stand-alone memorial to over 3700 British soldiers for whom there is no known grave. Back in Wimbledon, his 69 year old Father, 68 year old Mother, and his 31 year old sister Margaret who still lived at home, would have been unconsolable at his death less than a fortnight after he marched away to war.

Paul Midgley