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You won't find much detail in this little biography of the machinations of war, either the Boer War or WWI. Why you may ask? Primarily because Fred Sargeant was with the Army Service Corps - that ubiquitous body of men, numbering many thousands, who were indispensable to the wars' cause. Sadly their actions go largely unheralded, as in Fred's case, so this little story is more about him than where he fought and when.

Frederick Samuel Sargeant

Staff Sergeant, Army Service Corps – Anglo Boer War
Acting Squadron Quartermaster Sergeant - WWI

- Queens South Africa Medal (Cape Colony/Orange Free State/Transvaal) to 9785 CORL. F.S. SARGEANT, A.S.C.
- Kings South Africa Medal (South Africa 1901/02) to SERJT: F.S. SARGEANT, A.S.C.
- British War Medal to S2SR - 04453 S. SJT. F.S. SARGEANT. A.S.C.
- Victory Medal to S2SR - 04453 S. SJT. F.S. SARGEANT. A.S.C.

Fred Sargeant must have wished that he had remained a Corporal or had risen above his final rank of Sergeant. Just like Major Major in the book Catch 22 – he would have been ribbed endlessly with his name the same as his rank.

Born in 1874 the son of George Frederick Sargeant, a Schoolmaster, and his wife Ellen, he was baptised at Walton on the Naze near the town of Colchester, Essex on 11 April 1875. According to the 1881 England census the family lived on the premises of Turnpike Stone Street Board School where Mr Sargeant taught. Mr Sargeant, at 46, was 18 years older than his wife, also a School Teacher, and had young children as a result – Fred (6) and his brother George Frederick (4). 14 year old Rosanna Leech was the servant girl ministering to the small family’s needs.

After completing his education, young Sargeant took up the trade of Butcher. On 1 January 1891, aged 17 years and 1 month, he completed attestation forms for the Militia at Colchester. Assigned no. 2724 he was posted to the 3rd Battalion, Essex Regiment, seeing service with B Company. At this point he was living with his parents in the Caledonian Inn, St. John’s Green in Colchester (his father was now the Landlord of this hostelry.) Physically, he was described as being 5 feet 4 ½ inches in height with fair hair, a fair complexion and grey eyes. He was a slender 114 lbs and a Wesleyan by way of religious persuasion. By way of distinctive marks he had a scar on his left knee.

Sargeant’s Militia service was of short duration – having developed a liking for the uniform and what went with it, he attested for the army proper at Aldershot on 16 February that same year. Despite this attestation coming six weeks after that of his Militia service – he was, miraculously, a full 18 years of age. He had gained an inch in height and was now described as having blue eyes, a fresh complexion and sandy-coloured hair. Although not required, he provided a character reference from Mr R. Cracknell, a Butcher from Bradfield.


Sargeant as a new recruit.

A model soldier, certainly in the earlier years of his service, Sargeant clocked up one promotion after the other in the 8 years 232 days he spent on home soil before deployment elsewhere. He also used the opportunity, as so many men did, to further their education while in uniform. On 25 May 1891 he obtained a 3rd Class Certificate of Education, followed by a 2nd Class certificate on 26 May 1892.

By the time his marriage to Alice Louisa Baldwin in St. Mary’s at the Wells rolled round on 9 January 1896 he was a Lance Corporal at the age of 23.

Deployment, when it came on 6 October 1899, was to South Africa where, after the beating of war drums for several years, things were coming to a head and the British Government, deeming it prudent to get more men on the ground, had mobilised their forces to sail for the conflict zone. As it happened, war was declared on 11 October 1899 with the combined forces of the Transvaal Republic and the Orange Free State crossing their respective borders into the Cape Colony and Natal – both Crown Colonies.

Most of the praise and plaudits in a war go the front-line troops and the cavalry – in other words those on the receiving end of the bullet as it were, as they advance in the face of the enemy. This is rightly so but, the enormous contribution made by others – the Engineers, Artillery and, not least of all, the Army Service Corps cannot be discounted. An army on the move needs supplies with which to feed itself. It needs a continuous supply of not only food but ammunition and ordinance if it is to operate with anything near efficacy in a confrontational situation. It is in situations like these that the Supply section of the Army Service Corps comes into its own.

Sargeant, initially a Corporal and by the time the Boer War was over on 31 May 1902, a Sergeant, earned the clasps Cape Colony, Orange Free State and Transvaal to his Queens Medal – although the specifics of where he served are not known his medals were awarded off the roll of the B Supply Company, A.S.C.


Sargeant with ABW comrades (circled)

Unlike many of the aforementioned frontline regiments, many members of the A.S.C. were still in South Africa providing logistical support long after the last shot was fired in anger. Sargeant was one of these, only returning to England on 3 January 1903. Based at Home for another 2 years 284 days, he was redeployed to South Africa for a further 3 years and 185 days with effect from 10 April 1905.

It was whilst in Pretoria, the capital city of the old Transvaal Republic, that one of his few surviving children was born. Gertrude Eliza was born at Roberts Heights, the large military base and headquarters to the Army in South Africa, on 12 September 1907. She now joined a sibling, the aptly named Jack Frederick Gatacre Sargeant who had been born to the couple at Colchester on 14 January 1900 - three months after Sargeant had shipped out for the Boer War. Sadly young Frederick Samuel, born in 1904, had passed away in Pretoria on 18 March 1906.

1907 was an auspicious year for other reasons as well – Sargeant was awarded a 1st Class Education Certificate on 25th March. This certificate (the original is one of many original documents pertaining to Sargeant that are in my possession) confirms that he had “attained a good standard in Arithmetic, a very fair standard in Composition and a very fair knowledge of Modern English History.” He was also promoted to Squadron Quartermaster Sergeant on 1 April but all of this was nothing to what happened next – on 17 September 1907 he was convicted by a Court Martial of conduct to the prejudice of good order and military discipline and was demoted to Sergeant’s rank. What exactly he had done is unknown.


1st Class Certificate.

On 7 April 1909 Sargeant and his family returned to England where, after three weeks, on 30 April 1909 he took his discharge at Gosport, at his own request, after 18 years service. His original Description on Final Discharge informs us that he was 36 ½ years old and was 5 feet 9 ½ inches in height. His new address was the Recreation Hotel, Colchester. His conduct and character were regarded as Good and there were no instances of drunkenness during the whole of his service – quite an achievement given the army’s propensity for strong drink.

It was a good thing that Sargeant wasn’t a drinker as his new, post-army venture was as Landlord of the Shoulder of Mutton Inn at Hadleigh in Suffolk. It was here that we find him in the 1911 England census where he is at home with his wife (assisting in the business) and two surviving children, Jack and Gertrude.


Shoulder of Mutton, Hadleigh - as it looks in recent years.

As he went about his daily life Sargeant could never have guessed that the world he knew would be at war in three years time; on a scale much larger than the Boer War. This was the Great War or WWI which commenced on 4 August 1914. Already a veteran with 18 years service behind his name, and a business to run, Sargeant must have thought long and hard before coming forward to enlist. Joining the Army Service Corps (now known as the Royal Army Service Corps) at Aldershot on 1 October 1915, he was hardly an early entrant to the war. Initially attached to the 63rd Field Butchery, he was promoted to Staff Sergeant on 24 November 1915. This was followed, on 18 February 1916, with an appointment to Acting Squadron Quartermaster Sergeant.


Sargeant in peaked cap

After home service until 15 August 1917, he was posted not to the Western Theatre but to the Indian Force D in Mesopotamia from 22/10/17 where he was to see out the war before returning home on 28 January 1919. Sargeant was assigned number prefix SRS2 - indicating that he was in the Supply Branch and that he was a Special Reservist. According to his Certificate of Demobilisation, dated 11 June 1919, he was an Excellent W.O. (Warrant Officer.) He was awarded the British War and Victory Medals.

Out of uniform for the last time Sargeant returned to his business – according to the 1921 England census, he was still a Licenced Victualler at the same address as previously. Distressingly, the only child still living was Pretoria-born Gertrude – Jack Gatacre had passed away just after the 1911 census at the age of 11.

Fred Sargeant passed away in Ipswich, Suffolk in 1931 at the age of 57.

Some great photographs of Fred.
Always good to put a face to a medal recipient Rory.
Another fine set of medals and provenance thanks for sharing.

Regards

Dave.

Thank you for sharing this very detailed and sometimes sad life and the photos and documents that exist. Is any descendant still alive ? If so, pity not remaining with the family. when did these first come on the open market ?
Clive

Rory,
The various corps are certainly undervalued in the QSA collecting world. But here you have an excellent story of service for a man of the ASC. Thanks for sharing.

Rory,

What a wonderful archive of documents and photographs - to be able to bring to life, so vividly, a member of the Combat Service Support, must have been a joy. It was certainly a joy to read. Thanks for sharing.

Owen