FREDERICK NORMAN BEWLEY
14 May 1884 - 20 September 1917
At School 1894 - 1899
2nd Lieut 19th attd 16th Sherwood Foresters
Frederick was born in Cheadle, Cheshire and in 1891 aged 6 was living at 16 Brundretts Road, Chorlton-cum-Hardy, Manchester with father William, a Mercantile Clerk, mother Agnes, two older sisters and an elder brother. By 1901, Frederick's mother had died and the family had moved to Wilbraham Road, Chorlton, William now a Textile Manufacturing Merchant and employing two domestic servants. Frederick was working as an apprentice in his father's business. In 1909 Frederick married Alice Whitely, in Chorlton, and by 1911 had moved to Mill Hill, London where he was working as a Manufacturer's Representative for a Clothing Manufacturer and of sufficient means to employ a domestic servant. Frederick was also a Freemason and a member of Capper Chapter No. 1076.
Frederick enlisted in the Royal Fusiliers on 15th November 1915 and was transferred to Army Reserve. He was mobilized on 8th June 1916, posted to the 30th Bn., and in September transferred to the 107th Training Reserve Battalion. In November 1916 he applied for a commission and, on 3rd January 1917, proceeded to No. 5 Officer Cadet Unit in Cambridge, where he was granted a commission on 25 April 1917. On receiving his appointment as second lieutenant, he was posted to the 19th Battalion
On receiving his appointment as second lieutenant, he was posted to the 19th Battalion Nottinghamshire & Derbyshire Regiment (the Sherwood Foresters), a training reserve battalion based in Newcastle. On the 18th June Frederick reported for duty with the 16th Battalion, in Belgium, and was posted to B Company. The 16th Battalion had been formed at Derby on 16th April 1915 by the Duke of Devonshire and the Derbyshire TF Association and was known as the Chatsworth Rifles. The Battalion had landed at Le Havre on 6 March 1916 and in December 1916 moved to Ypres, part of the 39th Division, 117th Brigade. When Frederick joined the Battalion they were in support in the Canal Bank, to the north of Ypres, providing working parties for the Divisional Pioneers and Royal Engineers. On the 24th the Battalion took over the front line to the north east of Ypres, however B Company were held in reserve with two platoons at Irish Farm, and two on the Canal Bank. The forward Companies were shelled heavily over the next few days until relieved on the 30th suffering heavy casualties, 11 OR killed, 2 Officers and 76 OR wounded.
On relief, the Battalion marched to Poperinghe, then moved by train to Watten and marched to billets at Moulle and Serques, four miles north west of St Omer. July was spent in training and preparation for the attack on the German lines to take place on the 31st (the commencement of "Third Ypres"), interspersed with football matches, concerts and the Brigade Horse Show. A photograph of the Officers, from which Frederick's picture is taken, was taken on 17th July.

The Battalion returned to the Ypres area on 21/22 July, in 187 buses, marching from the debussing point near Poperinghe to bivouacs near Brandhoeke, just west of Vlamertinghe, where they rested until the 28th when they moved forward in preparation for the attack. The Battalion was to attack on a two Company front, B Company being left front and A Company being right front, the objectives being the German front systems between Canadian and Hampshire farms to the north east of Ypres (Square 15.d to 22.a below). Following capture of the front systems, other battalions of the Brigade would pass through to capture Kitcheners Wood
square (10.d) and the crossings of the Steenbeek in front of St Julien (11.d). At 3.30 a.m. on the 31st the British bombardment opened and the Battalion followed the barrage closely. On entering the German trenches they were found to be lightly held and were taken without trouble, many prisoners being taken in the dugouts. C and D Companies passed through and took the German second line in similar fashion. Work was then undertaken to consolidate the position.

At 9 p.m. B Company was sent up to reinforce the 17th Sherwood Foresters in Kitchener's Wood, about 1,000 yards ahead, C Company having been sent forward earlier in the day. The position was being constantly shelled and on 2 August a counter attack was expected. the Companies deployed to the right of the wood in shell holes or in the open, while continuing to be shelled heavily. After five hours it was apparent that there was no immediate threat of a counter attack and the Companies moved back into the wood to find that, suspecting their presence in it, the German artillery had pulverised their former position and it was most fortunate they had deployed out of the wood. Later that day the battalion was ordered to go forward to the new front line, in and in front of St Julien, to relieve the troops of the 116th and 118th brigades, who had suffered heavy losses and were being withdrawn. The battalion continued to be heavily bombarded , rain fell persistently, the dug-outs and trenches were flooded and the men were totally exhausted when on 5 August they were relieved by the 1/5th Gloucester Regiment and returned to the Canal Bank. Casualties for the six days were 31 OR killed, 5 Officers and 182 OR wounded and 3 OR missing. The scale of fighting was such that five Military Crosses and twenty one Military Medals were awarded to the Battalion.
The Battalion proceeded to rest camp on 7 August but on the 14th were back in the front line in the Klein Zillebeke area, B Company being posted in reserve. On the 15th an enemy raid was repulsed and thirteen prisoners were taken. On the 17th the Battalion was relieved by the 17th Battalion Sherwood Foresters and proceeded to Brigade support and on the 20th was relieved by the 4/5th Black Watch and proceeded to Ridge Wood Camp, immediately south of Dickebusch Lake. On the 23rd the Battalion again went into the front line, this time in the Hollebeke sector, until the 27th. The time was spent, amid a certain amount of shelling, in trying to renovate the trench system which had suffered demolition and disintegration from the shelling and the weather.
The Battalion moved to Steenvoorde, some 12 kilometres south west of Poperinghe, for recuperation and training for the next attack that was planned towards the end of September. Again training and planning was interspersed with recreational training, football being a prominent feature. B Company won the Brigade Inter-Company

football competition by defeating the 117th Trench Mortar Battery 8 goals to nil in the Final. The Battalion came second in the Brigade Sports held on 9 September, following the award of four Distinguished Conduct Medals, two of which went to men of B Company, for gallantry and devotion to duty since 31 July. Prior to the attack, the Battalion undertook a further tour of duty in the front line in the Shrewsbury Forest sector, south of Hooge. From the 12th to the 16th the Battalion was subjected to persistent shelling and on the 13th the Commanding Officer, Lieut.-Colonel Houghton, was killed by a shell just outside Battalion Headquarters. On the 16th the Battalion was relieved and withdrew to Beggars Rest Camp, near Voormezeele where the final details for the forthcoming operations were arranged. Casualties were two senior officers killed and two OR, 2 officers and 8 OR wounded and 4 OR missing. On the 18th the Battalion moved into the support line of the Shrewsbury Forest Sector near Hill 60 and the following night assembled for the battle. The enemy were holding a general line from Jehu Trench (the north

western edge of "The Cutting") to Greenburg Farm, by a series of posts and strong points. The objective of the Battalion was to take the right sector of the second line, the Blue Line, following then passing through the 17th Battalion whose objective was the Red Line. Companies were instructed to advance in lines of narrow columns, leading Companies to be preceded by extended lines.The Battalion assembled in the Ravine, and as no trenches were in existence, the position was indicated by tapes and notice boards.
B Company's position in the advance was left front. Assembly was carried out in good order although shelling caused a few casualties. At 5.40 a.m. the British bombardment began and the 17th battalion began their advance. The enemy artillery responded after only 30 seconds, causing about twenty casualties, and in order to avoid further losses the Battalion pushed forward. The advance took place in a thick mist so that it was only possible to keep direction by compass. Throughout the advance the Battalion was subjected to hostile rifle and machine gun fire but owing to the fog suffered few casualties. With the Red Line taken the Battalion pushed through
towards the Blue line at about 7.00 a.m. The Battalion followed the creeping barrage closely, suffering a few casualties thereby, but the advantages of this method appeared to outweigh the disadvantages as the Battalion was on the top of the concrete dug-outs before the enemy had chance to get out of them. The fog at this time was dispersing and it was seen that the dug-outs at Welbeck Grange had not been cleared and a machine gun and several enemy snipers were in evidence. It was here that Corporal Egerton won his VC by dashing forward unsupported and capturing a machine gun and killing its crew. In the meantime the advance continued through Bulgar Wood following the barrage to the Blue Line, where consolidation was carried out under heavy machine gun and rifle fire and constant sniping. The enemy attempted counter attacks to retrieve the position but these were beaten off. Casualties were heavy, three Officers were killed including Frederick, and two wounded, Other Ranks were 36 killed, 126 wounded and 24 missing.
According to the Masonic Report, Frederick was killed during the afternoon, by small arms fire during an attack on Chatsworth Castle.
Frederick's body was not recovered or identified and he is commemorated on the Tyne Cot Memorial, Zonnebeke, Belgium - Panel 99. He had spent just three months at the Front.
Probate was granted in London, on 18 January 1918, to Alice Bewley, widow, and Philip George Commin, shade manufacturer. Effects £3,680 6s 1d.