Pte 57999 Frederick William Birks

• Age: 36
• From: Nottingham
• Regiment: The King's (Liverpool Regiment) 17th Btn
• K.I.A Monday 2nd July 1917
• Commemorated at: Perth Cemetery (china Wall)
  Panel Ref: II.A.44

Frederick William Birks was born in the September quarter of 1881 in Nottingham, the son of Thomas Birks and his wife Elizabeth (nee Williamson) who married in Nottingham in 1881. Frederick was the eldest of their five children. A daughter, Sarah, born in 1882, died in infancy, followed by Thomas, John, and Mabel.

At the time of the 1891 Census the family is found at 64 Broomsgrove Street, Radford. His father is employed as an iron founder and his mother works as a lace mender. They have four children; Frederick is 9.

By 1901 they have moved to 85 Mitchell Street in Old Radford, with three sons and a daughter. His father, 47, is an iron moulder, as are sons Thomas, 16, and John, 15.  Frederick, 19, is employed as a lace draughtsman. Nottingham was the world centre of the lace industry at that time. A draughtsman was the person trained to create new designs of the lace on specialist machines. 

The 1911 Census shows the family living at 39 Wilford Crescent East Nottingham.  His father, Thomas, is aged 55, born in Lenton, Nottingham in 1856, his occupation is shown as an iron moulder, his mother, Elizabeth, is aged 54, born in 1857 in Radford, Nottingham. They advise that they have been married for 30 years and had five children of which one had sadly died. Frederick William aged 29, is a dentist's assistant, John Bingley aged 25 born 1886 is an iron moulder and Mabel Sarah aged 23, born 1888 is a machinist. The children were all born in Radford, Nottingham. A further son Thomas Levick aged 26, born 1885 occupation Iron moulder is living at 31 Glapton Road Meadows Nottingham with his wife Mary Elizabeth aged 24, born 1887 and their daughter Marjorie Mary, aged 1, born 1910.

In August 1915 Frederick was a witness at the marriage of his sister Mabel in St. Faith’s Church to Charles William Fines 

He enlisted in London and originally served as Private 298, with the London Divisional Cyclist Company. Following a transfer he was serving in the 17th Battalion, of The King’s Liverpool Regiment as Private 57999 when he was killed in action on the 02nd July 1917, aged 36.

Roll of Honour notices were placed in the Nottingham Evening Post on 19th July 1917:

BIRKS - Killed in action, July 2nd 1917, Private F. W. Birks, King's Liverpool Regiment, the beloved eldest son of Mr and Mrs Birks, 39 Wilford Crescent East. R.I.P.

BIRKS - Killed in action, July 2nd 1917, Private F. W. Birks, King's Liverpool Regiment. At rest. - his loving sister Mabel, and brothers Tom, Jack, and Will.

His outstanding Army pay and a War Gratuity of £5-10s went to his father Thomas.  (The amount of the War Gratuity suggests that Frederick enlisted, or was conscripted, in early 1916.) 

Pte Birks was buried in a small battlefield cemetery until after the great war when he was moved to Perth Cemetery (China Wall). However, by this point the wooden cross marking his grave had been damaged and his name was lost. He was originally commemorated on the Menin Gate Memorial in Ypres.

The site of the Menin Gate was chosen because of the hundreds of thousands of men who passed through it on their way to the battlefields. It commemorates casualties from the forces of Australia, Canada, India, South Africa and United Kingdom who died in the Salient. In the case of United Kingdom casualties, only those prior 16 August 1917 (with some exceptions). United Kingdom and New Zealand servicemen who died after that date are named on the memorial at Tyne Cot, a site which marks the furthest point reached by Commonwealth forces in Belgium until nearly the end of the war. New Zealand casualties that died prior to 16 August 1917 are commemorated on memorials at Buttes New British Cemetery and Messines Ridge British Cemetery.

The YPRES (MENIN GATE) MEMORIAL now bears the names of more than 54,000 officers and men whose graves are not known. The memorial, designed by Sir Reginald Blomfield with sculpture by Sir William Reid-Dick, was unveiled by Lord Plumer on 24 July 1927.

However, new research found that the grave of an unknown soldier was in fact that of Private Birks and his name has now been added to his headstone.

The resting place of Private Frederick William Birks, was rededicated, along with that of Lieutenant Charles Stonehouse of the 11th Battalion, The East Lancashire Regiment, better known as the Accrington Pals more than a century after their deaths. The rededication service took place on Tuesday 03 July 2018, at the Commonwealth War Graves Commission (CWGC) Perth Cemetery (China Wall) near Ypres.

The service, organised by the MOD’s Joint Casualty and Compassionate Centre (JCCC), part of Defence Business Services, was conducted by the Reverend Andrew Earl CF, Senior Chaplain HQ NW.

Rosie Barron, JCCC, said:

“It is an honour to have organised this rededication service for this man and to have, after more than 100 years, given him his name back. It is important that the sacrifices of men such as Private Birks are not forgotten and their stories are told to future generations.”

Mel Donnelly, CWGC said:

"Commemorated on memorials to the missing for almost a century, it is now known that Lieutenant Stonehouse had been buried in Serre Road No 3 Cemetery and Private Birks in Perth Cemetery (China Wall). Thanks to the dedicated efforts of many, they have now been identified and today the Commonwealth War Graves Commission are honoured to be able to mark their graves with headstones bearing their names".

Attendees included representatives from the British Embassy and the Regiment. 

Frederick is also commemorated on the folowing Memorials:

Christ Church School, Radford

St Faith’s Church War Memorial, Nottingham.

His father died in 1927 at age 73, still living at 39 Wilford Crescent, and his mother appears to have died the following year, at the age of 72.

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