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320716 15th Battalion, Suffolk Regiment
Frederick Thompson was born in 1898 in Stoke Newington, London, the youngest and only son of Edward George and Alice Maria Thompson (née Tuffin). His father was employed as an overseer with the Post Office when the family lived in Stoke Newington. By 1911 his widowed mother had returned to Sudbury, her birthplace with Frederick’s sister Alice to 3 Salisbury Terrace in Gainsborough Road, they later moved to 5 New Road.
Frederick enlisted in Sudbury, and served with the Suffolk Regiment (formerly 3587) it is not known when he joined his battalion. In January 1917 when more infantry was needed to fight the Turks in Palestine at Beersheba the 15th Battalion became an infantry battalion and was renamed 15th (Suffolk Yeomanry) Battalion, forming part of 230th Brigade, 74th (Yeomanry) Division.
The battalion saw action during the Second Battle of Gaza (17 – 19 April 1917) and at the Third Battle of Gaza (27 October – 7 November 1917) when the Allies successfully captured the town of Beersheba on 31 October and the Sheria Position on 6 November. Frederick served alongside Sudbury man George Mauldon who lost his life on the same day as Frederick.
Frederick was killed in action on 6 November 1917 aged 19 and lies buried in Beersheba War Cemetery, Israel. He was awarded the British War Medal and Victory Medal.
Frederick is also remembered on the Trinity Congregational Church Memorial which was moved to the United Reformed Church, School Street when Trinity closed. The United Reformed Church closed in 2017 and it is proposed that the memorials from both churches will be relocated to the Sudbury Cemetery Chapel.
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