64th Company, Royal Army Ordnance Corps
Frederick Sidney Harding was born in Barton St Mary, Gloucester in 1873. His father had the same names and was a carpenter, who died in 1924, whilst his mother Sarah Jane died in 1919.
The couple appears to have had three sons and a daughter. Frederick (junior) married Emily Webb on 9 July 1898 at Gloucester and according to the 1911 Census the couple had four children of whom two, Francis Sydney Gordon (born 3 December 1906) and Irene Mary (born 14 August 1908) were living at that time.
The principal impediment to researching soldiers who served during the Great War is the fact that around 65% of the records of individuals were totally lost as the result of enemy action in 1940. However, in the case of Frederick Sidney Harding no less than three Army pension records have survived and all these give a lot of detail as to his enlistment and service.
He first joined the Army on 20 June 1890, signing on for seven years ‘with the colours’, followed by five in the Reserve. His declared age was 18 years and three months and his occupation that of a tailor. He noted that at the time he was serving with the Gloucestershire Regiment (probably the Militia). He was posted as a Private (number 1037) to the 2nd Battalion, North Staffordshire Regiment. After completing his initial seven years he was placed in the Reserve on 20 June 1897.
The outbreak of the South African (Boer) War resulted in his recall to the regiment on 18 December 1899 and for the period 15 January 1900 to 3 March 1901 he served in South Africa.
He was back in the UK by 31 March 1901, when the census was taken and this shows his location as being The Verne Citadel, Portland, Dorset.
He was discharged upon termination of his engagement on 19 June 1902. A note in his discharge papers stated ‘indifferent conduct, addicted to absence and drunkenness’. Interestingly, whilst he was included in the roll call at The Verne Citadel, for the 1901 Census, he was also included on the return for 74 Blenheim Road, Gloucester as ‘soldier, Private in the infantry on sick leave’.
Also present on that form are his wife, Emily, and a son, Frederick William, aged one, who was one of the two children who had died (he in 1902) shown on the 1911 Census.
Almost certainly Frederick returned to his former occupation of tailoring upon return to civilian life and at the time of the 1911 Census was living at 103 Oxford Street, Kingsholm, Gloucester.
For reasons unknown but maybe due to the lack of tailoring work or the need for some regular income Frederick re-joined the Army on 26 August 1912, enlisting for four years’ service in the UK, as a Gunner (number 1203) in the Territorial, 1st South Midland Brigade, Royal Field Artillery.
He was then 39 years of age but stated his age to be 33 years and six months on his attestation papers. He noted his previous service with the North Staffordshire Regiment. He served from 26 August 1912 until 26 March 1915, with No 3 Battery. During 1914 he was on sick leave at home and spent a month in the Royal Infirmary at Gloucester with stomach illness. This was eventually diagnosed as either a gastric or duodenal ulcer and he was discharged as being medically unfit for further military service. At the time of discharge, he was an Acting Bombardier (Corporal).
Notwithstanding his discharge in the previous March and the reason for it, Frederick re-enlisted, for the duration of the war, on 24 August 1915! This time he stated his age correctly, 43 years.
On 31 August 1915 he gained a Certificate of Trade Proficiency as a 1st Class Tentmaker. The unit he joined was the Army Ordnance Corps, as a Private, with the number 09486. Possibly the trade proficiency certificate issue gives a clue to the unusual circumstances of his re-enlistment. Possibly it had been discovered that the Army was short of specialists capable of mending or repairing tents and that Frederick’s tailoring skills could be utilised in what would not have been a front line role and too demanding physically.
His Medal Index Card states that he went to ‘France’ on 4 October 1915, however, his record of service states that he was posted for home duty from 24 August to 3 October 1915 and from 4 October until 11 November 1915 he served with the Mediterranean Expeditionary Force and this was probably at the newly opened front in Salonika.
He returned to home service on 12 November 1915 and was posted to 64 Company on 27 December of that year. He was finally discharged on 31 March 1916 due to ‘disease of the stomach’, which was probably an ongoing condition which had led to his previous discharge in March 1915. Unlike on a previous occasion his conduct in the Army was considered ‘good’.
Frederick Harding was granted an Army pension of four shillings and eight pence (24p) per week, for an initial twelve month period. In February 1920 he was considered to have a 30% disability and the pension had risen to 12 shillings (60p) per week, plus nine shillings and five pence for his two children.
In May 1921 his condition must have improved as the disability rating was reduced to 20% (resulting in an eight shillings (40p) per week pension, plus four shillings and wight pence (23p) for the children.
Following his death his wife received a weekly pension of 26 shillings and eight pence (£1.38) plus 17 shillings and six pence (88p) for the children.
After finally leaving the Army Frederick no doubt returned to tailoring and he became a leading light in the Gloucester City War Pensions Committee and the Secretary of the United Services Club and was involved with other ex-servicemen’s organisations within the city. In 1919 he stood (unsuccessfully) for election to the City Council in Kingsholm Ward, as a representative of the Federation of Discharged and Demobilised Sailors and Soldiers.
Frederick Sidney Harding died in Gloucester Royal Infirmary on 3 August 1921, age 49. According to a recently released Pension Record Card the cause of death was an aortic aneurism. His semi-military funeral was held on the 8 August and was widely reported in the local press. After a service at his home at 103 Oxford Street his coffin was covered in the Union Flag and placed on a gun carriage, which was then drawn through the streets to Gloucester Old Cemetery. The cortege was led by the band of Gloucester Wagon Company and comprised a detachment of the 5th Glosters, family, friends, civic dignitaries, members of the City War Pensions Committee and ex-servicemen. At the graveside the Mayor paid tribute to Frederick’s service, especially in support of ex-servicemen and the Last Post was sounded. His grave was marked by a private headstone and in 1948 he was joined there by his wife.
Researched by Graham Adams 16 June 2019 (revised 27 July 2021)