According
to his attestation papers, Frederick Ernest Sweetman was born in August 1879 in
Wivelsfield, near Chailey, Sussex. He enlisted for one year
with the Royal Sussex Regiment Special Reserve on 1st September 1914 giving his
age as 35 years and eight days. His birth however, was registered (in the name
of Frederick Ernest Sweatman) at Lewes, Sussex
in the March quarter of 1879. He appears
on the 1881 and 1891 censuses living at Wivelsfield but by 1901 he appears to
have disappeared and it’s quite possible that he was serving overseas with the
Royal Sussex Regiment at the time the 1901 census was taken.
His
attestation papers note that he was working as a cowman and that he had
previous military experience having served with the 1st Royal Sussex. He was on
the National Reserve at the time of his attestation.
Frederick was five feet six
inches tall, with brown eyes and dark hair.
He attested at Haywards Heath and joined the Regiment the same day. He was given the number GSSR/887 (General
Service Special Reserve).
Frederick remained in England until 24th May 1915 when he sailed fro France. He returned to England on 30th August that year
but sailed again on 25th November. His
second stint abroad was even shorter than his first however, and he was back in
Blighty on Christmas Eve 1915. He was
discharged from the Army on 3rd April 1916 as no longer physically fit for war
service.
Frederick’s service record which
still exists in the WO 364 pension series at the National Archives in London, notes that he
served abroad with the 2nd Royal Sussex Regiment, a regular battalion; but it
gives no indication why he was discharged.
No wounds are noted but on his discharge in 1916 he was awarded a
conditional pension of ten shillings a week for six months.
Frederick had married Sarah Anne
Jane Packham on 29th April 1902 at Wivelsfield
Church and the couple had
had two children: Elsie Adelaide (born 11th September 1903) and Lililian
Frances (born 3rd May 1905). By the time he joined the army however, Frederick was a widower
and his next of kin is noted as Mrs G Kenward of Balneath Cottage, South
Common, Chailey. Mrs Kenward was Adelina
Sweetman, Frederick’s
sister who had been a witness at his wedding.
Her husband George is also featured on this website.
During
his time in the army, the Chailey Parish Magazine had kept track of him too. In
February 1916, it had noted obliquely: Sweetman, Pte F E, Ry Sup, Eng. Two months
later, it had reported that he was with the 2nd Royal Sussex Regiment in
England and in May the same year he was reported as being with the 3rd Royal
Sussex; then, by November 1916, still in England but invalided.
In
January 1917 he is noted as being invalided and discharged and his name appears
in the magazine for the last time in March 1917 as, Sweetman, Pte F E, 3rd Royal Sussex. Invalided and discharged.
Frederick received the silver
war badge and certificate on 5h March 1917 and the King’s certificate, number
7566, on 29th July 1920. His address in
1920 is given as The King’s Head, North Common, Chailey.
