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All Tanked Up
Private Frederick Herbert Tank Corps
The Man Frederick Herbert was born on Tuesday 26th October 1897 in Foleshill, Coventry, son of Frederick Senior, a Hewer at the local Coal Mine and Eliza nee Miles. He was the only son and youngest of four children, Harriet born in 1892, Martha 1894, Eliza 1895.
The 1901 census shows the family living in Canal Lane, Foleshill, which no longer exists and in 1911 at Leicester Road, Exhall, Bedworth near Coventry. Frederick now aged 13 was shown working as an Office Boy in the motor industry.
At the outbreak of world War I on 4th August 1914, Frederick aged 17 was too young to join the Army, but in early 1916 aged 18 he enlisted into the newly formed Tank Corps as a Private with service number 316075. The Tank Corps was formed following the invention of the tank and first used at the battle of Flers-Coucelette in September 1916.
Frederick survived the war and was awarded the 1914-18 British War and Victory Medals. During the final quarter of 1920 aged 23 he married Gladys Sisson in Foleshill and they seem not to have had any children.
Frederick later became the Landlord of the Beehive Inn at 24 High Street, Bedworth and in the census of 1939 is shown as living there with Gladys and her younger brother, Walter Frederick Sisson, an Aluminium Dresser and later a Special Constable. Frederick was also a member of the Air Raid Precaution No W7/323. It is interesting to ponder if he were on duty on the night of 14th-15th November 1940 during the Coventry Blitz.
Frederick served during the War in the ARP but sadly died on 26th January 1945 aged just 47 of a coronary thrombosis or heart attack, thus not witnessing the allied victory. He left £1010 17s 1d (£44,000.00 approximately in 2020) to Gladys. He was buried in plot LO 34 at Coventry Road Cemetery, Bedworth.
Gladys lived a further 34 years and died on 19th March 1979 aged 81. She was buried alongside Frederick at Coventry Road Cemetery and joined in 1999 and 2006 by her brother and sister-in-law Walter and Phyllis Sisson.
The 1901 census shows the family living in Canal Lane, Foleshill, which no longer exists and in 1911 at Leicester Road, Exhall, Bedworth near Coventry. Frederick now aged 13 was shown working as an Office Boy in the motor industry.
At the outbreak of world War I on 4th August 1914, Frederick aged 17 was too young to join the Army, but in early 1916 aged 18 he enlisted into the newly formed Tank Corps as a Private with service number 316075. The Tank Corps was formed following the invention of the tank and first used at the battle of Flers-Coucelette in September 1916.
Frederick survived the war and was awarded the 1914-18 British War and Victory Medals. During the final quarter of 1920 aged 23 he married Gladys Sisson in Foleshill and they seem not to have had any children.
Frederick later became the Landlord of the Beehive Inn at 24 High Street, Bedworth and in the census of 1939 is shown as living there with Gladys and her younger brother, Walter Frederick Sisson, an Aluminium Dresser and later a Special Constable. Frederick was also a member of the Air Raid Precaution No W7/323. It is interesting to ponder if he were on duty on the night of 14th-15th November 1940 during the Coventry Blitz.
Frederick served during the War in the ARP but sadly died on 26th January 1945 aged just 47 of a coronary thrombosis or heart attack, thus not witnessing the allied victory. He left £1010 17s 1d (£44,000.00 approximately in 2020) to Gladys. He was buried in plot LO 34 at Coventry Road Cemetery, Bedworth.
Gladys lived a further 34 years and died on 19th March 1979 aged 81. She was buried alongside Frederick at Coventry Road Cemetery and joined in 1999 and 2006 by her brother and sister-in-law Walter and Phyllis Sisson.
High Street, Bedworth, early 1900s and 26th February 2021
The Story The Victory Medal awarded to Fredrick Herbert and the Special Constabulary Long Service Medal awarded to Walter Frederick Sisson were first seen on a Lockdown III walk on 26th January 2021 in Coventry.
A new house clearance warehouse and distribution centre, The Emporium, had opened on Foleshill Road and was an interesting distraction, containing many items including a selection of uniforms, militaria and these two medals.
As individual medals they aroused little interest, but despite the dim lighting in the warehouse it could be seen the Victory Medal had been awarded to Private F Herbert of the Tank Corps. Enquiries were made as to the cost, but it was explained the vendor, who was apparently related to one of the recipients, was not present and they would have to advise a price after speaking to him.
A short time later a message was received, but the cost was much higher than the value of the medals and the price prepared to be paid, so they were put to the back of the mind. However, as the VM was named to a reasonably scarce Corps, coupled with a niggling desire to ‘rescue’ and own the medals, enquiries were subsequently made with a dealer in the WWI field, who gave an approximate value of the medal, which was higher than the offer price but lower than that asked by the vendor.
Further pondering considered making a mid-way offer for the VM and leaving the SCLSM, but this train of thought was followed by considering the fact that often, in order to acquire a good deal, you must include more than one item to reduce the cost. Thus, an offer in between the original and the asking price was made for both medals and accepted, the result being reasonable for both medals.
Once they had been collected from The Emporium, the VM was first to be researched on Ancestry UK. The Medal Index Card and rolls were all that was available, confirming ‘Frederick’ Herbert’s first name. There were so many people named Frederick Herbert it was not possible to pinpoint him and it was assumed this was the end of the line for Frederick.
Next, came Walter F Sisson, a slightly more unusual surname and Ancesty.UK yielded his details after minimal searching. Upon checking the 1939 census, it showed Walter living at the Beehive Inn, High Street, Bedworth, with the landlords, Frederick and Gladys Herbert! Thus, a local link and one between Walter and Frederick was revealed, explaining why the medals were together; followed by a sigh of relief they had not been separated as was the original intention.
Further cross-referencing using Walter’s Mother’s maiden name of Wood, revealed that Walter Frederick Sisson was in fact Gladys’ youngest brother born in 1912, a year after the 1911 census, his parents had both died before 1939, thus he was living with his sister and brother-in-law.
The uncovering of the 1939 census which showed the birth date of Frederick, Gladys and Walter now allowed a more detailed search to be undertaken, enabling the two biographies to be completed.
A final twist came when searching for Walter’s will, he had not left one, but his wife Phyllis had. This was acquired, revealing that in later they had lived in Wheelwright Lane, Coventry. The last part of her will however, stated she wished to be buried in Bedworth with her sister-in-law. Her sister-in-law of course was Gladys Herbert, wife of Frederick. A telephone call was made to the Nuneaton and Bedworth Cemeteries Department and within five minutes they confirmed Phyllis was buried in plot LO 34 in the Coventry Road Cemetery and that she was buried alongside Walter, Frederick and Gladys.
Following receipt of a location map, the same day - a pleasant late February, the cemetery was visited and after 25 minutes of tracking and cross tracking, the grave was located bearing the names of Frederick, Gladys, Walter and Phyllis.
Another example of ‘rescuing’ medals and a person’s memory and deeds from obscurity and perhaps of keeping things together if they ‘arrived’ together, for without one, in this case Walter’s SCLSM, nothing would be known about the other, Frederick, with their personalities forever lost in the mists of time. Of equal importance is checking every possible avenue of research, even wills of wives! This can yield such important additional detail.
A new house clearance warehouse and distribution centre, The Emporium, had opened on Foleshill Road and was an interesting distraction, containing many items including a selection of uniforms, militaria and these two medals.
As individual medals they aroused little interest, but despite the dim lighting in the warehouse it could be seen the Victory Medal had been awarded to Private F Herbert of the Tank Corps. Enquiries were made as to the cost, but it was explained the vendor, who was apparently related to one of the recipients, was not present and they would have to advise a price after speaking to him.
A short time later a message was received, but the cost was much higher than the value of the medals and the price prepared to be paid, so they were put to the back of the mind. However, as the VM was named to a reasonably scarce Corps, coupled with a niggling desire to ‘rescue’ and own the medals, enquiries were subsequently made with a dealer in the WWI field, who gave an approximate value of the medal, which was higher than the offer price but lower than that asked by the vendor.
Further pondering considered making a mid-way offer for the VM and leaving the SCLSM, but this train of thought was followed by considering the fact that often, in order to acquire a good deal, you must include more than one item to reduce the cost. Thus, an offer in between the original and the asking price was made for both medals and accepted, the result being reasonable for both medals.
Once they had been collected from The Emporium, the VM was first to be researched on Ancestry UK. The Medal Index Card and rolls were all that was available, confirming ‘Frederick’ Herbert’s first name. There were so many people named Frederick Herbert it was not possible to pinpoint him and it was assumed this was the end of the line for Frederick.
Next, came Walter F Sisson, a slightly more unusual surname and Ancesty.UK yielded his details after minimal searching. Upon checking the 1939 census, it showed Walter living at the Beehive Inn, High Street, Bedworth, with the landlords, Frederick and Gladys Herbert! Thus, a local link and one between Walter and Frederick was revealed, explaining why the medals were together; followed by a sigh of relief they had not been separated as was the original intention.
Further cross-referencing using Walter’s Mother’s maiden name of Wood, revealed that Walter Frederick Sisson was in fact Gladys’ youngest brother born in 1912, a year after the 1911 census, his parents had both died before 1939, thus he was living with his sister and brother-in-law.
The uncovering of the 1939 census which showed the birth date of Frederick, Gladys and Walter now allowed a more detailed search to be undertaken, enabling the two biographies to be completed.
A final twist came when searching for Walter’s will, he had not left one, but his wife Phyllis had. This was acquired, revealing that in later they had lived in Wheelwright Lane, Coventry. The last part of her will however, stated she wished to be buried in Bedworth with her sister-in-law. Her sister-in-law of course was Gladys Herbert, wife of Frederick. A telephone call was made to the Nuneaton and Bedworth Cemeteries Department and within five minutes they confirmed Phyllis was buried in plot LO 34 in the Coventry Road Cemetery and that she was buried alongside Walter, Frederick and Gladys.
Following receipt of a location map, the same day - a pleasant late February, the cemetery was visited and after 25 minutes of tracking and cross tracking, the grave was located bearing the names of Frederick, Gladys, Walter and Phyllis.
Another example of ‘rescuing’ medals and a person’s memory and deeds from obscurity and perhaps of keeping things together if they ‘arrived’ together, for without one, in this case Walter’s SCLSM, nothing would be known about the other, Frederick, with their personalities forever lost in the mists of time. Of equal importance is checking every possible avenue of research, even wills of wives! This can yield such important additional detail.
Coventry Road Cemetery, Bedworth. 26th February 2021. Grave of Frederick and Gladys Herbert and Walter and Phyllis Sisson
Medal Details:
- Victory Medal: 316075 PTE.F.HERBERT. TANK CORPS.
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This page last updated 27 Feb 21