Born in 1899 at Harwich, son of Thomas (General Labourer) and Sarah Lowe. 1901: With his family at 3 Hope Terrace, Grove Road, South Woodford. 1911: With his family at 5 Cowley Cottages, High Road, South Woodford, his father was now a Domestic Coachman. His parents were later shown as living at " Woodcot" 103 High Road, South Woodford. The 1911 Census shows two of Frederick’s siblings, Harold (14) and Marion (13), as being born at Warley Barracks near Brentwood, suggesting their father Thomas may have had military service.
Frederick was educated at Churchfields School, and St Antony’s Roman Catholic School in Mornington Road.
He was a Cadet with the Holy Trinity Church Lads Brigade Kings Royal Rifle Corps Cadet Unit at Hermon Hill.
His first experience of the regular Army was with 106 Training Reserve Battalion which was based at Romford and Colchester. At the age of 18 he was sent out in a replacement draft during March 1918, which on 21st March also saw the start of the rapid and overwhelming German Spring Offensive. This caused British troops to retreat in some confusion from the ground won during the Battle of the Somme in 1917, and raised the prospect of a German victory in the war.
On 24th March 12 Division, which included 9 Royal Fusiliers was moved to the area of Senlis, Warloy and Bouzencourt, some 20 miles north east of Amiens in the Somme Department. By 16.00 the 9 Royal Fusiliers and the rest of 36 Brigade were in position along a railway embankment west of the Ancre watching for advancing Germans. They arrived in force soon after midday on 26-03. There followed a period of fierce fighting as the Division struggled to slow and then halt the offensive, which due to a number of reasons, eventually ran out of momentum on 29th April 1918. The war then reverted to its more familiar static nature for a period of time.
By 12th May 1918 9 Royal Fusiliers were facing the enemy in the general area of Auchonvillers and Mailly-Mailett, north of Albert and to the east of Beaumont-Hamel. It was during this day that Privates Hubert Harold Landall and Frederick James Lowe were officially reported Killed in Action, probably victims of a sniper or random shelling. These two 18 year olds now rest next to each other surrounded by the Picardy countryside at the Mailly Wood Cemetery. Landall is in grave II.K.6 and Lowe in grave II.K.7.
Frederick appears to be a member of St Thomas of Canterbury Parish (RC); his name appears in the Confirmation Register for 9th July 1911 with his siblings. That would explain why his name does not appear on the church members war memorial at Holy Trinity Hermon Hill, but he is listed on their memorial panel for the Church Lads Cadets in the Sanctuary. Curiously though, the Church Lads Brigade was an Anglican rather than interdenominational organisation.
Research by Adrian Lee, Local Historian
Sources:
Ancestry.com
Woodford Times
The Long Long Trail website