Fred Causer

Fred Causer 1896 – 1919

Fred was born in the Tamworth district on 16th August 1896. His parents were Spencer and Charlotte (née Jacombs) and he was one of 18 children.

In 1901, Spencer was employed as a winding engine driver at a colliery in the area, with the family living at Balfour Villa, Kingsbury, near Tamworth, and subsequently moved the family to East Kent to work on the new Snowdown Colliery in 1907.

Some of Fred’s siblings also worked in the mine and in 1910, his brother Charles was killed in an accident at the boiler house.

By 1911, the family consisting of 13 children, Spencer and Charlotte were renting the 9-roomed house at 1 Connaught Villas, which cost 8 shillings per week.

Fred enlisted on 26th September 1914, aged 18, at the Royal Marines Depot in Deal. He joined the Royal Marines Light Infantry, Chatham Division, as a private with the service no. 19193, serving on HMS Conquest. He was described as 5ft 4¼ins tall, with a dark complexion, dark brown hair, and brown eyes. He was invalided out on 24th July 1918 and was discharged to his parents’ new home at Laburnum Cottage, Huyton, near Liverpool. 

He died of tuberculosis at home on 3rd November 1919 at the age of 23. He was buried in St Michael’s churchyard at Huyton and is commemorated at the Brookwood Memorial.