Three: Gunner F. Bird, Royal Field Artillery, killed in action at Suvla Bay, Gallipoli, 1 October 1915

1914-15 Star (11309 Gnr: F. Bird. R.F.A.); British War and Victory Medals (11309 Gnr. F. Bird. R.A.), together with three medal transmittal slips, registered envelopes and boxes of issue, all addressed to ‘Mr. T Bird, Church House, Rock, nr Bewdley, Worcs’, extremely fine (3) £80-120

‘Fred’ Bird (Alfred Joseph Bird) was born in 1895, in Rock, Bewdley, Worcestershire, the only son of Thomas and Emma Bird of Church House or Church Cottage, Rock, Bewdley. Fred, a farm waggoner, first served during the Great War in Egypt from 1 July 1915 and was killed in action whilst serving with the 11th Divisional Ammunition Column, Royal Field Artillery, in Gallipoli on 1 October 1915. He is buried in Hill 10 Cemetery, Gallipoli Peninsula. He is also commemorated on the Rock War Memorial, St Peter and St Paul’s Church War Memorial, Rock Council School War Memorial and the ‘Bird’ family memorial in St Peter and St Paul’s Church, Rock.

Throughout his army service Fred appears to have been recorded as ‘Frederick’ and his farm employer also recorded him as ‘Frederick’ in the 1911 Census. 1901 Census notes ‘Alfred Joseph Bird’ and CWGC notes ‘Alfred Fred Bird’.