Frederick William Monk
(1893-1916)
one of the unluckiest men to die in WW1
Frederick (or ‘Pebby’) as he was known to his family, was born Frederick William Monk to Edward Alfred Monk and Minnie Ada (nee Way) on October 15th 1893 in The East End Mothers Home, 396 Commercial Road, East London. He was one of 8 brothers with 6 sisters and the first surviving infant of Edward and Minnie, sadly after after three infant deaths.
Frederick was 20 years old in early 1914 and was working as a ‘riveter’s mate’. The prelude to World War 1 had begun and Britain would declare war on Germany later that year. On March 17th in Stratford, Frederick would join the 3rd Dorset Regiment ‘Special Reservists’ for 6 years of service.
Curiously on his ‘attestation form’ Frederick’s age was recorded as 18 years and 153 days. Was this an error? Often young men claimed their age to be more than it was but in this case Frederick does the reverse. His medical on the same day confirmed his ‘apparent age’ as 18. Perhaps Frederick’s other measurements would have made him appear younger. He was 5 foot 3 inches tall and weighed just 7 stone and 9 pounds. His medical recorded his blue eyes and red hair, a small mole on his left eyelid and several scars on his body.
Private Frederick William Monk (Regimental number 7208), alongside many other young men, will undertake his military training and is ‘mobilised’ on August 8th 1914, 4 days after Britain declares war on Germany.
He does lose 14 days pay under King’s Regulations 493 for what was probably being absent without leave on the 14th of December 1914. However, on May 13th 1915 Frederick is ready and posted on active service, crossing the English Channel and disembarking at Roen ready to fight in France with the 1st Battalion Dorchestershire Regiment and serve there for 225 days.
On the 24th of December 1915 Frederick is posted home to England suffering with ‘Trench Feet‘ and will be in Netley Hospital, Southampton for 15 days to recover. On the 31st of Jan 1916 a few weeks after leaving hospital Frederick will faint close to home in Victoria Dock Road and again be taken to hospital. By 24th March 1916 it becomes obvious to the army medical doctors that Frederick is exhibiting ‘giddiness on exertion’ and has an underlying heart condition. His army records state that his ‘heart is enlarged to the right’ and that he has a problem with his heart’s mitral valve. It is diagnosed as Valvular Heart Disease – Mitral. The medical board will discharge Frederick from the army on March 24th 1916 as ‘no longer fit for war service’. He will have served a total of two years and 8 days. The army will assess his condition as warranting a half pension to compensate for what will be a permanent condition.
It is not hard to imagine the relief of Frederick’s parents that he is home and safe, away from the horrors of the front, the trenches and mounting casualties.
Six months will pass and WW1 rages on, but Frederick is home and safe – perhaps?
On September 23rd, 1916, 11 Zeppelins lifted into the air and left Germany to raid England. This was not the first raid by airships upon England, but for Frederick William Monk it would prove to be the last of the conflict that he would see.
Among those airships were the three latest designs, the L31, L32 and L33. The L33 was commanded by Kapitanleutnant Boecker and he separated from the other two airships when over the Goodwins. His ship crossed the Thames Estuary and made his land at Foulness about 10.45pm on September 23rd heading for London. Boecker ordered the L33 bombs to be dropped over West Ham, when anti-aircraft batteries and searchlights picked out the huge airship in the night sky.
Whilst over the Eastend and in particular close to the Royal Docks, guns blazed at the L33 with shells soaring through the night sky. A shell appeared to misfire or was misdirected and came down in Victoria Dock Road and in particular outside the door of 119 Victoria Dock Road, the home of Edward and Minnie Monk with their family, including their son Frederick.
In the very early hours of September 24th 1916 Frederick was at the front door of his parent’s home as the shell exploded and was killed by a fatal wound to his heart, the very ‘failing heart’ that had saved him from the front in France. Other members of the family were injured including the daughter Minnie Monk, who’s suffered a severe injury to her leg that would stay with her for her life.
The L33 moved further west over Bromley by Bow, killing 11 persons and injuring 25, damaging factories, businesses and houses. Ironically the bombs would fall on the south most part of St Leonard Street not far from the ‘Hardy’ family’s home – the other half of this family history. This one Zeppelin was so close to causing the destruction of both arms of the Monk Hardy family, and all on one night.
Hit by anti-aircraft shells, the airship climbed to 10,000ft. and headed north-east. Approaching Chelmsford, the airship was attacked by a British fighter aircraft, who fired when possible, but the L33 did not catch fire.
Finding that his airship was losing height, Boecker jettisoned everything he could. He passed out to sea over Mersea Island at 1.15am, but soon found his situation hopeless, turning back over land, eventually landing his ship between Little Wigborough and Peldon.
Boecker and his crew of 21 abandoned the L33 , trying to set her on fire with flares, but so little gas remained that very little damage was done. Boecker and his crew then surrendered to a village constable.
Frederick William Monk survived the front in France, Trench feet and a failing heart – but his fate was to be sealed at his home in Victoria Dock Road by ‘friendly fire’ on September 24th 1916, at just 22 years of age. Such an unlucky young man, who like many, fate decided to place in the way of bombs and bullets during that terrible conflict.