Family :

Service Life:

Campaigns:

• The Second Anglo-Boer War 1899-1902, South Africa.
• The First World War 1914-1918, World-wide.

9 April - 16 June 1917. The Arras Offensive consisted of a series of linked attacks starting with the Anglo Canadian assault on the dominant Vimy Ridge feature through the battles in the Scarpe River valley and up to the assaults on the Hindenburg line in the summer of 1917.

Detail :

His story appears in the Derbyshire Times and Chesterfield Herald on the 5th May, 1917:

"ECKLINGTON OFFICER KILLED. The death is announced of Major Frederick Vickers, of the Sherwood Foresters, who was well known throughout Notts. and Derbyshire. He was the son of Mr George Barker Vickers, of Ecklington, and was a traveller in the grocery trade in pre-war days. He was gazetted lieutenant in the Sherwood Foresters in December, 1914, received his captaincy in February, 1915, and his majority in December of the same year. He saw much active service in France, and was invalided for some time suffering from shell shock. He returned to the Front in March last, and on April 21st was killed by a shell as he was partaking of refreshment along with a group of other officers. Major Vickers, who was 38 years of age, lived at Gedling, Notts., and was a Freemason. Mrs Vickers, together with her three children, is now at the home of her parents (Mr and Mrs Greensmith) at Newstead. In a letter written by Lieut.-Col. Gordon to the deceased officer's wife under date April 22nd, he says:- "It is with exceeding regret that I have to write to you and inform you that your husband. Major F. Vickers, was killed last night. The Battalion was preparing to move up to the front line trenches, and just prior to moving off a stray shell caught him and the rest of the officers of his company as they were having some hot foot just prior to moving off. It will be, I know, a very heavy blow, but you may rest assured that he suffered no pain, death being instantaneous. I shall miss him very much, as he used to give me invaluable assistance in every way... Please accept from me on behalf of all ranks of the Battalion our deepest sympathy in your loss."

John Cotterill 5: Maj Frederick VICKERS 15th Bn (Nottingham Bantams) KIA 21/4/17 : Lieut 15th (Bantam) Battalion The Sherwood Foresters December 1914: Captain February 1915: Major, 30.12.1915: received acute shellshock July 1916, on the Somme, necessitating his removal to Oxford Hospital. Followed by light duty at Whitburn: Returned to France 26.3.1917: Killed in Action 21.4.1917, whilst partaking of refreshments: in the trenches, The 15th Bn had come into the line in the area of Le Trois Sauvages Farm in the St Quentin sector on 16 Apr 17. It and the rest of 35 Div were carrying out aggressive patrolling and capitalizing on the German withdrawal to the Hindenburg Line of the previous month by establishing new outposts British War Medal, Victory Medal: information 15th Battalion War Diary.

Masonic :

Source :

The project globally acknowledges the following as sources of information for research across the whole database:

• The Commonwealth War Graves Commission
• The (UK) National Archives
• Ancestry.co.uk - Genealogy, Family Trees & Family History online
• ugle.org.uk - The records of the United Grand Lodge of England including the Library and Museum of Freemasonry

Additional Source:

• Founder Researchers : Paul Masters & Mike McCarthy
• Researcher : Bruce Littley