Private, FREDERICK CUDBERTSON 11/545. Born in October 1892, Frederick was the only child of Frederick Gale Cudbertson, D.S.C, (1873-1938) and the late Annie Ricketts (1870-1894), of 7, Fern Grove, Folkestone Street, Hull (CWGC address). An Oil Miller by trade, he was employed by Bon Accord Oil Mills, Wincolmlee. He enlisted at City Hall on Tuesday 8th September 1914 for the fledgling 11th Battalion East Yorkshire Regiment, ‘The Tradesmen’, 2nd Hull Pals. Almost immediately it became obvious that the strictures of military discipline were not in keeping with his nature. A series of derelictions of duty culminated in him being sentenced to six months with hard labour for “Deserting His Majesty’s Service” on 1st July 1915, before he’d even finished training. He must have been a forceful personality or the authorities would not have chosen to hit him quite so hard. We have seen a few of these disciplinary issues over the last 795 days and most were docked pay or denied leave. Frederick got the book thrown at him, though his sentence was reduced for he left for Egypt with the rest of the battalion in December 1915. His issues with authority continued apace though, and his non-compliance with orders must have been legendary looking at his rap sheet. As ever, I can’t help but like him. A lot. Frederick Cudbertson was wounded in the trenches opposite Vimy Ridge and withdrawn to 8th Casualty Clearing Station at Duisans where he died of wounds on 5th July 1917; he is buried at Duisans British Cemetery. His grave inscription, reads, “Ever in Thought.” Sadly he was due home leave, before he was killed. His death was reported in the Hull Daily Mail, on 12th July 1017. *
His father, Frederick Gale Cudbertson, was a Hull Master Mariner, and served as a Lieutenant, in the Royal Naval Reserve during the war. He was awarded the Distinguished Service Cross (DSC), for minesweeping services. (London Gazette, 11/04/1919)
