Captain Thomas Laurence FROST
|
||
Date of Death:
|
28 March 1915 (Killed in Action)
|
|
Grave No:
|
Enclosure No.2. IV. A. 41.
|
|
Unit:
|
Adjt. 1st Battalion
Initially: Lieutenant, Transport Officer, 'D' Company
|
|
Age:
|
25
|
|
Awards:
|
Mentioned in Despatches
(London Gazette 17 February 1915, p. 1662)
|
|
Personal History:
|
||
Thomas was born in the September quarter 1889, the son of Sir John Meadows and Henrietta (née Kelsall) Frost (married June quarter 1884), of Upton Lawn, Chester and, according to Crookenden, a descendant of the original Miller of the Dee. Thomas had two older brothers, John Meadows (born at Dee Lodge, Chester, 22nd April 1885) and Hugh Kelsall, born at Dee Lodge, 27th April 1886). Henrietta died in the December quarter 1906)
Sir John was Mayor of Chester from 1913 to 1919 and was knighted in 1918. (The Times, 3 June 1918) He was also responsible for the building of the Chester War Memorial which bears the inscription:
THIS MEMORIAL BEARS THE NAMES OF
CHESTER CITIZENS WHO FELL IN THE
GREAT WAR 1914 - 1919
ERECTED AS A LASTING RECORD
OF THEIR BRAVERY, PATRIOTISM, AND
DEVOTION TO THEIR KING AND COUNTRY
BY JOHN MEADOWS FROST Kt
IN MEMORY OF A BELOVED SON.
|
||
Military History:
|
||
The London Gazette (10th February 1911) states: "Cheshire Regiment: Second Lieutenant Thomas Lawrence Frost, from Unattached List Territorial Farce (University Candidate), to be Second Lieutenant. Dated llth February, 1911."
His Medal Index Card shows he entered France with the 1st Battalion on 16 August 1914 as the Transport Officer attached to 'D' Company. This company fought on the right of the line during the Battle at Audregnies under Captains Rae-Jones and Rich.
On 22 October 1914 after the death of Captain Mahony in hospital, Lieut. Frost took over command of the Battalion. He was relieved by Captain Woods three days later, but assumed command again on 30th October and led the depleted Battalion, now in 15th Brigade, to Neuve Chapelle and the First battle of Ypres. On 4th November Captain J A Busfield, Cheshire Regt., took over command of Battalion. Lieut. Frost took over duties of Adjutant.
Captain Frost was killed in action by a sniper on 28 March 1915, and the memorial in Chester Cathedral commemorates him especially. Captain Frost was the last surviving officer of the 1st Battalion, Cheshire Regiment, who had been serving since Mons.
|
||
