Mark Frederick Frost - known as Fred or Frederick - was born on 31 August 1886 in Tenby. He was the son of John and Alice Frost of Culver Pack. At the time his father, John, was a Sapper in the Royal Engineers.

By 1901, the family had moved to 14 Cambridge Grove in Ilfracombe, Devon. Fred was listed as 14 years old and was living with his parents and 2 siblings. His father, John had left the army and was working as a Shoemaker.

On Boxing Day, 1908 at the age of 22, Fred married Lillian Mary Tucker (Lily) at St Phillips & St James, Ilfracombe. On the Marriage Certificate, he gave his occupation as Blacksmith and address as 23 Laburnum Terrace, Dunvant (near Swansea). The couple went on to have 3 children, Harold (1910), Hilda (1912) and Pat (1923).

In the 1911 census, Fred and Lily had were living in 1 Bridge Row, Dunvant. Fred was now 24 years old and was working as a Blacksmith, he was living with Lily and their first child Harold.

When war broke out in 1914, Fred was called up. From that point onwards, he would have seen little of his family until he was demobilized other than a few short periods of leave in 1914 and 1915. This may go some way to explain the long gap between before the birth of their 3rd child in 1923.

At some point prior to 1918, in Fred’s absence, Lily moved to 17 Laburnam Rd, Llanrhidian Higher and by the time of the 1921 Census she moved again, this time Fred’s parent’s house at 24 Oxford Grove, Ilfracombe. Frederick does not appear in that Census, presumably because he was still in Egypt.

Frederick finally returns to the official records in 1922 where he appears in the electoral register at 24 Oxford Grove.

His grandson added: After the War, he went to work for the Bus Companies. He ended up being the Superintendent of Traffic in Devon and Cornwall in Truro – they rented a lovely house - and he used to drive all around the area. Me and my brother often used to go in the car with him.

His career was described in more detail in the newspaper when he retired in 1956: His career in omnibus services began in 1922, with Hardy Colwills at Ilfracombe, North Devon and he opened up routes from Bude to Wadebridge, Newquay, Bodmin and Truro as district manager. In 1929 he was appointed district superintendent of the Western National at Truro, and the area traffic superintendent of the Cornwall area of the company at Truro in 1934 taking part in the growth of the company…. Mr Frost served on Truro City Council during the war years, and has been a member of the Truro City Road Safety Committee from its inception.

When he finally retired in 1956, he returned with Lily to Ilfracombe and his grandson fondly remembers their house in Chambercombe Road where they celebrated their Golden Wedding Anniversary on Boxing Day 1959.

Frederick Frost passed away in Gloucester Royal Hospital on 17 July 1972 at the age of 85. He was buried in Lily’s family plot in Combe Martin, Devon.

His grand-son concluded: He was a wonderful grand-dad, a lovely man, he never lost his temper. He was large fellow with broad shoulders, he loved his fishing and enjoyed going to the Conservative Club.

Frederick Frost enlisted in the 1st Welsh (Howitzer) Brigade in October/November 1912 and was given the service number 670. Unfortunately, his service record his service record has not yet been digitised, however a number of fragments have survived that allow much of his military service to be pieced together.

At the time he enlisted, Fred and his family lived in Dunvant, Swansea, the home of the 1st Glamorgan Battery, so it is likely that he was a member of this unit right through to the start of the War. A newspaper article also states that he served as a military Blacksmith, making good use of his civilian skills.

As a member of the Territorial Force, he would have attended weekly drill sessions at the Richardson Street drill hall as well as annual summer camps. When War was declared, it is likely that he had just left for the Brigade summer camp on Salisbury Plain. They quickly returned to Swansea and were embodied for War Service on 5 August 1914. Shortly after, they moved to Shrewsbury where the Welsh Territorial Division was concentrating.

The Brigade left Shrewsbury at the end of August/start of September 1914 and travelled to Northampton where they trained until December 1914. Just before Christmas, they moved to Cambridge where they remained until May 1915 when they moved to Bedford.

His Medal Index Card confirms that he, along with around 400 other men of the Brigade, travelled from Southampton to Le Havre on the night of 21/22 November 1915. Shortly before they left, a photograph of the Brigade NCO’s was published in a local newspaper, Cpl MF Frost is included in this photo (see the Image Library).

From Le Havre the Brigade moved to the Somme area where they underwent further training, including a period in the front-line South-East of Albert (an area that marked the southern edge of the Somme battlefield just 6 months later).

Just before Christmas 1915, the Brigade withdrew from the front-line and in January 1916, received orders to rejoin the rest of the 53rd Welsh Division in Egypt.

There are no records confirming this, but it is likely that Cpl Frost made the dangerous 5 day crossing from Marseilles to Alexandria with the rest of the Brigade in February 1916 and moved to Beni Salama, Wardan near Cairo where they rejoined their Division and acclimatized to desert conditions. Being close to Cairo, many of the men had the opportunity to visit the city and the sites, many sent photographs back to their families to share these experiences.

At some point after arriving in Egypt, Cpl Frost was transferred from the Welsh Howitzers to 301 Brigade which was part of the 60th London Division.

The next confirmed record is from late 1917, it states: EGYPTIAN FORCE CASUALITIES B.11079 Telegram from O.C. 51 Gen Hosp. Port Said, dated 18th Nov 17. Received 19th Nov.17. ARTILLERY – ROYAL HORSE & FIELD ARTILLERY. 725103 Sjt. Frost M.F. 301/Bde. R.F.A. Still Dang Ill.

Given the date and the unit, it is likely that Sgt. Frost was injured at the successful 3rd Battle of Gaza. His grandson kindly provided the following additional information: When me and my twin brother asked about the war, he told us how he had been shot by a Turkish Sniper in the stomach. In those days, they didn’t take the bullet out, it stayed there for the rest of his life. He added that: Some time in the 50’s, he had to go into hospital and have an X-Ray. Shortly after, a worried nurse came rushing in asking him if he knew what the strange object on the X-ray was in his stomach. He told them it was a Turkish bullet from the First War.

In accordance with convention, shortly after – on 29 December 1917, it was confirmed in the War Office Daily List (No 5452) that Sgt Frost was now entitled to wear a ‘Wound Stripe’.

Following his recovery, Sgt Frost was selected for a temporary commission and the London Gazette confirmed; The undermentioned to be temp. 2nd Lts. for duty with Egyptian Lab.:- 15 Aug 1918. No 725108 Serjt. Mark Frederick Frost.

The promotion was reported in the South Wales Weekly Press on 28 September 1918 under the title BLACKSMITH TO LIEUTENANT, the article went on to say Sergeant Fred Frost, of Dunvant who has been granted a commission in the Egyptian Army, was originally attached to the R.F.A., having seen service in the Egyptian and Palestine campaigns, and has been rather seriously wounded on one occasion, but is now back in the front line.

Little detail is known of Second Lieutenant Frosts service with the Egyptian Labour Corps, however it is clear that he remained in Egypt long after the end of the War. The London Gazette of 18 March 1920 confirmed: Temp. 2nd. Lt. M. F. Frost (Egyptian Lab.) to be temp. Lt. 15 Feb. 1920.

An article in the newspaper in 1956 adds a little more detail: He remained in Palestine until 1922 with the Police and M.L.B. and retuned to England to the Regular Army Reserve of Officers.

The surviving military photo of Frederick Frost shows him in the uniform of a Lieutenant, still proudly wearing his Royal Artillery buttons and his medal ribbons.

For his service in the Great War, Lieutenant Mark Frederick Frost was awarded the 1914/15 Star, British War Medal and Victory Medal. A fourth medal is also visible in the photo which is likely to have been the Territorial Force Efficiency Medal – recognizing his long and good service.

Fred Frost also played an important part in the Second War. When he retired in 1956, the local paper reported: Mr. Frost very greatly assisted the Licensing Authority by looking after the evacuation of civilians from cities, involving the handling of close on 100,000 people. He was concerned with the dispersal of refugees and troops from the Channel Islands and France, in close liaison with Military, Naval and Allied Forces. He served as a Captain in the Home Guard.