Royal Army Service Corps
Frederick Brice was born at Wellington, Somerset in 1895. He was the son of William and Ellen Brice, of the Grove Inn, Appley, Stawley, Wellington, Somerset. He enlisted in the Army, for the duration of the War, at Wiveliscombe, Devon, on 17 September 1915. He gave his address as Meadlands, Appley, Wiveliscombe and his profession as ‘groom’.
His initial posting was to Remounts ‘E’ Squadron, Army Service Corps number 139902 and he transferred to Remounts Depot at Swathling on 14 April 1916 and on to Shirehampton on 25 October 1916.
For reasons unknown he transferred to Labour Corps (440th Agricultural Company) with the regimental number 484803 on 28 November 1917.
He was accidentally drowned at Berkeley on 20 July 1918, aged 22. The Western Daily Press of 24 July 1918 reported the inquest. Brice had been working with an Army Agricultural Company and left his place of work at 6.30pm to cycle home. Marks were found on the bank of a mill stream at Berkeley and the stream was dragged and a bicycle found. Water was drained from the stream and a body found. There were no marks of violence and death was from drowning. The verdict of the inquest was ‘accidentally drowned’.
Frederick’s grave in Berkeley Churchyard has a CWGC headstone and he is commemorated on the Roll of Honour in St Mary the Virgin, Berkeley.
On 6 March 1918 he had married Ethel Noble at Berkeley, who appears to have been expecting his child: a daughter, Freda, was born to them at Thornbury on 10 July 1918, just ten days before his death. His widow was awarded an Army pension of 20 shillings (£1) per week.
There does not appear to be a Medal Index Card for him, which probably indicates that he did not serve abroad.
Researched by Graham Adams 5 September 2010 (revised 13 August 2021)