Clements Frederick 1894-1929?

Frederick Clements

1894-1929?

Father Nm:   John Clements born JANUARY 1849 • Langley, Buckinghamshiredied  OCTOBER 1909 Eton, Buckinghamshire

Mother Nm: Sophia Blinco [541] born 12 January 1851 Langley Marish died 1911

Marriage Dt: Marriage Apr 1922   Eton, Buckinghamshire

K comments: Brother William served with the Royal Garrison Artillery.Brother Thomas served with the 1/4th Dorset Regt.

Spouse comments: Amelia Florence Taylor born 11 APR 1896   Eton

Children: Frederick W Clements 1925, Dennis H Clements 1929, Ronald F Clements 1930

 

BIRTH 1894

George Green, Bucks.

1901 Census

George Green

John Clements	52
Sophia Clements	49
Matilds S Clements	22
Mary E Clements	16
Alfred Clements	12
Thomas H Clements	10
Hester J Clements	8
Frederick Clements	5
Edith A Clements	1

1911 Census

Next to Green Man, George Green, Langley.

Name	Age
Sophia Clements	62
Thomas Clements	20
Ester Clements	18
Frederick Clements	15
Edith Clements	11

1913

Frederick Clements Private 7788, D/7788 5th Dragoon Guards.

Note: Frederick volunteered to join the Cavalry Dragoon Guards and as such became one of the notorious “old contemptible’s” as designated by the Kaiser in his remark about the first British Army to enter Europe (“A contemptible little Army”). It was also to earn him the rare 1914-15 Star medal at wars end.

• 14th January. Frederick by trade a dairyman enlisted before the war with the 5th Dragoon Guards according to the Medal card at the end of the war.

  

1914

• 15th August, Frederick lands in France with the 5th Dragoons and slap bang into the Battle of Mons (23 August, with subsequent Action of Elouges and Rearguard Action of Solesmes)
  • “The baffled enemy then tried a movement still further to the south by Marchipont, but was stopped by the 5th Dragoon Guards, who had come up, from the 1st Cavalry Brigade, on the left of the 3rd Cavalry Brigade. Everywhere the Germans were checked.” 5th Dragoona casualties 1 in this battle
  • The defeat by the German forces meant the 5th Dragoons were forced to fight a rearguard retreat defence in the vicinity of Solesmes.

• The Battle of Le Cateau (26 August, with subsequent Rearguard Affair of Etreux, Affair of Nery and Rearguard Actions of Villers-Cotterets)
  • “The 1st Cavalry Brigade bivouacked in the fields south of Le Cateau, with the exception of the 5th Dragoon Guards, which retired after dark to Inchy and thence shortly before midnight to Troisvilles, west of Le Cateau, their horses utterly exhausted. “
• The 1st Battle of the Marne 5-12 Sept. .
  • “Towards 6 a.m. Br.-General Briggs, after strengthening his own right, ordered two squadrons of the 5th Dragoon Guards, his last remaining reserve, to attack the enemy’s right flank. They accordingly galloped northwards and then wheeling to the east, dis-mounted and pushed in to close range.”
  • Casualties in this battle were 3 for the 5th Dragoons.
• The Battle of the Aisne (12 – 15 September and subsequent Actions on the Aisne Heights) retreating towards Paris
  • Casualties in this battle were 3 for the 5th Dragoons.
• The Battles of Ypres 1914 (“First Ypres”) between 30-31 October the 5th Dragoons suffered 38 casualties, they then had 8 more casualties in Ypres sector in November. two men died in December one in England so likely of wounds and one in Germany wounded taken POW

Note: In general after the defeat in 1914 the Cavalry was little used in mounted mode but rather used as additional infantry force. Later in the war its possible that Frederick was trained in using the Tank or Armoured vehicles because after the war he signed up for 5 years with the Royal Tank Corps.

1915

• May. The Battles of Ypres 1915 (“Second Ypres”) The 5th Dragoon Guards (Princess Charlotte of Wales’s) were involved in the Battle of Frezenberg Ridge near Ypres, Belgium. They were part of the 1st Cavalry Division, which relieved the hard-pressed battalions of the 28th Division and took part in defending the Ypres salient against German attacks. Casualties 41 killed

1916

• August. The Battle of Flers-Courcelette (a phase of the Battles of the Somme 1916) at Dernancourt, France. Casualties 5 killed.

1917

• The First Battle of the Scarpe (9 – 12 April, a phase of the Arras Offensive) On April 10, 1917, the 5th Dragoon Guards (Princess Charlotte of Wales’s) were involved in the Battle of Arras. They were supporting the XVII Corps’ attack around Arras, France. Unfortunately, the advance met strong resistance from German forces, and the regiment suffered casualtiest 7 killed
• The Tank Attack (20 – 21 November, a phase of the Cambrai Operations) The 5th Dragoon Guards, as part of the Cavalry Corps, played a role in supporting the infantry and exploiting any breakthroughs achieved by the tanks. Casualties 6
• The capture of Bourlon Wood (24 – 26 November, a phase of the Cambrai Operations) Casualties 5.
• The German counterattacks (30 November – 3 December, a phase of the Cambrai Operations)

1918

• March-April. The German Spring offensive.  the 5th Dragoon Guards (Princess Charlotte of Wales’s) were involved in the German Spring Offensive. They played a significant role in rear guard actions in the Somme area, fighting mostly as a dismounted unit. Casulties in this period 29.
• The Battle of Amiens (8 – 10 August) it was at the “Charge at Harbonnieres” on the 8th August when the 5th Dragoon Guards chargied a train at Harbonnieres.  Significant casualties were experienced by the 5th Dragoons 11 out 19 wdied this day of the period of the war.
• The Battle of Albert (21 August, a phase of the Second Battles of the Somme 1918)
• The Battle of Cambrai 1918 (8 October, a phase of the Battles of the Hindenburg Line)
• The Pursuit to the Selle (9 – 12 October)
• The Final Advance in Picardy (17 October – 6 November) and in Artois (7 – 11 November)

The Division was selected to advance into Germany as an advance screen for Second Army and form part of the Occupation Force. The move began on 17 November, and brigades reached the Rhine at Cologne and Bonn on 12 December.

1918 Absent Voters List

Frederick Clements Private 7788 5th Dragoon Guards absent from 2 Jardine Cottages, Stoke Common.

1919 Spring ABSENT VOTERS LIST

Frederick Clements Private 7788 5th Dragoon Guards absent from 2 Jardine Cottages, Stoke Common.

1919-29 Royal Tank corps

Frederick enlists in the Royal Tank Corp 388504, the records show he served until 1929

On Discharge in 1929 after4 years in Reserves at Canterbury, his address given as Wood Riding Farm, Hatch End, Near Pinner

Sources

1. Ancestry and BFA database
2. History of the British Army in France and Flanders-Edmunds

Medals

After the War

1922 Married

Frederick Clements, Registration Date Apr 1922  Registration Quarter Apr-May-Jun Registration district Eton Buckinghamshire, Spouse Florence A Taylor, Volume Number3aPage number2126

1939 Census

3 West Chantry Place, Harrow,

Frederick Clements 43
Amelia F Clements 43
Frederick W Clements 14
Dennis H Clements 11
Ronald F Clements 9

 

Death 1964

Frederick Clements, Death Age 69, Birth Date1895, Registration Date, Apr 1964, Registration Quarter Apr-May-Jun, Registration district Hendon Middlesex

Gallery