Pte 52117 Frederick Owen

• Age: 42
• From: Hulme, Manchester
• Regiment: The King's (Liverpool Regiment) 19th Btn
• K.I.A Saturday 23rd June 1917
• Commemorated at: Birr Cross Roads Cem Zillebeke
  Panel Ref: II.C.18

Frederick Owen was born in 1875 in Hulme, Manchester. He married Harriet Ann Rhodes on the 31^st July, 1897 at St Stephens Church, Hulme. Prior to the outbreak of war he had been employed for 25 years at Messrs: C. Mackintosh and Co.

His early life is reflected in the 1891 Census which shows the family living at Davies Street, Hulme, Chorlton, Manchester. His father, Charles, aged 52, born in Ireland in 1839, is a general labourer, whilst his  His mother, Annie, is aged 36, born 1855 in Runcorn and has no occupation listed. They have four children at the time of the Census, Fred recorded as aged 14, is a general labourer, Mary aged 6, born 1885 and Lucy aged 5, born 1886 are both scholars, whilst Annie is aged 1, born 1890.

After 1891 Frederick changed his name to Owen for some reason, on the marriage certificate he states his father is Charles Owen. His father died in 1903 as Charles O'Neill.

Gores 1909 DIRECTORY STREET DIRECTORY: Bradshaw Street, Moss Side, South side has Frederick Owen aged 38 as a Shopkeeper.

The 1911 Census shows the family living at 48 Bradshaw St, Hulme, Manchester. Frederick  is the head of the household and is aged 35, and occupation shown as  rubber thread maker, he was shown as born in Runcorn. His wife Harriet Ann is aged 34, born 1877 and is employed as a mixed grocer and she was born in Manchester. They have been married for 13 years at the time of the Census and have had seven children of which two have died. The five surviving children were all born in Manchester. Annie aged 9, born 1902, Frederick aged 7, born 1904, Edith aged 4, born 1907, Lilian aged 2, born 1909 and Hilda Victoria born 1911.

He enlisted in Manchester and originally served as Private 2539, Manchester Regiment. Following a transfer he  was serving in the 19^th Battalion, The King’s Liverpool Regiment as Private No 52117 when he was killed in action on the 23^rd June, 1917 aged 42. 

By June 1917 the 19^th Bn was in the Ypres salient, in the front line south of Hooge.  On the 10th, the 19^th is relieved in the line and marches back to Brandhoek.  The Battalion War Diary for 23^rd June records:  

 “At night practically all the battalion were out on a working party digging an assembly trench and suffered casualties:  7 OR killed, 13 OR wounded, 1 OR missing.” 

Frederick was one of the 7 other ranks the others being George Ashbrook, Norman Garside, Andrew Harron, Harold Hart, Harold Mathison and Joseph Spencer referred to in the battalion diary as killed. 

Frederick now rests at Birr Cross Roads Cemetery, Zillebeke, Belgium where his headstone bears the epitaph:

 “THY PURPOSE LORD WE CANNOT SEE BUT ALL IS WELL THAT’S DONE BY THEE”  

The village and the greater part of the commune of Zillebeke were within the Allied lines until taken by the Germans at the end of April 1918. The village was recovered by the II Corps on 8 September 1918.

Birr Cross Roads was named by the 1st Leinsters from their depot. The cemetery was begun in August 1917 and used as a Dressing Station cemetery until, and after, the German advance in 1918. At the Armistice, it contained nine irregular rows of graves, now part of Plot I, but was greatly enlarged when graves were brought in from the surrounding battlefields and from certain smaller cemeteries, including:-

BELLEWAARDE RIDGE MILITARY CEMETERY, ZONNEBEKE, was a little way North-East of Bellewaarde Lake, almost on the top of the low hill which rises northwards from the Menin Road between Hooge and Clapham Junction. It contained the graves of 17 soldiers from Australia, and eleven from the United Kingdom, who fell in September and October 1917. The Battle of Bellewaarde Ridge was fought on the 24th-25th May 1915; the Attacks on Bellewaarde were delivered, unsuccessfully, in June and September 1915; and the Ridge, taken in July 1917, and given up in April 1918, was finally retaken by the 9th (Scottish) Division on the 28th September 1918.

BIRR CROSS ROADS CEMETERY No.2, seventy-five metres South of No.1 (the present cemetery), contained the graves of 18 soldiers from the United Kingdom who fell in July and August 1917.

UNION STREET GRAVEYARDS No.1 and No.2, ZILLEBEKE, were due North of Zillebeke village, between Gordon House and Hell Fire Corner. They contained the graves of 19 soldiers from the United Kingdom who fell in August and September 1915.

There are now 833 Commonwealth servicemen of the First World War buried or commemorated in this cemetery. 332 of the burials are unidentified, but there are special memorials to nine casualties known or believed to be buried among them. Other special memorials commemorate 18 casualties buried in Birr Cross Roads Cemetery No.2 and the Union Street Graveyards, whose graves were destroyed by shell fire, and one Belgian interpreter whose grave cannot now be found.

The cemetery was designed by Sir Edwin Lutyens. 

A family notice was placed in the local press :-

OWEN - Private F. Owen, 52117, King's Liverpool Regiment, killed in action 23rd June.

Sleep on dear son and brother, in far off distant land,

In a grave we may never see,

But as long as life and memory last,

We will always think of thee.

From sorrowing Mother, Sisters Lucy and Annie, brother-in-law Fred, and little Lucy - 15 Duffield Street, Hulme.

We currently have no further information on Frederick Owen, If you have or know someone who may be able to add to the history of this soldier, please contact us.