- See Frederick Augustus Hidden’s entry on the Board of Trade’s Ancestry public tree.
- This information updates the group’s previous research published on the former DTI website (now archived by the National Archives).
- Do you have any more information about Frederick Augustus Hidden? If so the War Memorial Research Group would love to hear from you
Name recorded on Board of Trade Memorial: F. A. Hidden
Born: 12 August 1892
Date of Death: 14 May 1917
Age at death: 25
Service, Regiment, Corps, etc: London Regiment
Unit, Ship, etc: 2nd Battalion (Royal Fusiliers) attached 2/4th Battalion
Enlisted: 9 Tufton Street, London
Rank: Lance Sergeant (Service No: 231748 and previously 4453)
Decorations: WW1 Service Medals (Victory Medal and British War Medal)
War (and theatre): WW1 (France and Flanders)
Manner of Death: Killed In Action (KIA)
Family Details: Son of Augustus E and Katherine Hidden, 56 Pinner Road, Harrow on the Hill
Residence: Pinner
Home Department: Board of Trade – Labour Department (Central Office)
Civilian Rank:
Cemetery or Memorial: Arras Memorial (Bay 9); Board of Trade War Memorial; Memorial to Staff of the Ministry of Labour, Caxton House, Tothill Street, London
Biography:
Frederick Augustus Hidden was born on 12 August 1892 in Covent Garden, London. His father was Augustus Edward Hidden (1849-1934) and his mother was Katherine Dew (1852-1929). He had one brother, Charles Edward Hidden (1886-1946).
Frederick was a pupil aged 7 at St Augustine’s School.
In the 1901 census, Frederick (aged 9) and his family were living at 124 Priory Park Road, Willesden, London. His father was a builder’s clerk. Ten year’s later, in the 1911 census, the Hidden family are living at 20 Devonshire Road, Harrow-on-the-Hill. Frederick is recorded aged 18 and working as a boy clerk for the Civil Service.
We also know that Frederick was initially employed by the Civil Service on 4 July 1908 as a temporary boy clerk aged 15 when he is named in the London Gazette. He was subsequently appointed on 4 June 1912, aged 19 to the Board of Education as an Assistant Clerk (Abstractor) after an open competition on 3 May 1912. We do not know exactly when he transferred to work for the Board of Trade but he ultimately joined the Labour Department (which then formed part of the department).
During WW1, Frederick enlisted at the Drill Hall of the 2nd (City of London) Battalion located at 9 Tufton Street, near to Westminster Abbey in the heart of central London. The building is now used at the Westminster School Music Centre. He served initially as a Corporal and then Lance Sergeant with the 2nd Battalion, Royal Fusiliers which formed part of the London Regiment.
Unfortunately his war service does not survive so we can’t determine precisely his military movements but we do know that the battalion was mobilised for war service in August 1914. They initially were assigned to railway guarding duties before serving in Malta and then ultimately the Western Front in France..
We also know from other war records, such as his record of military effects that he was serving with 2/4th (City of London) Battalion, Royal Fusiliers at the time of his death.
Frederick was killed in action at the Second Battle of Bullecourt when the British came under heavy shellfire on the night of 13/14 May 1917. The City of London battalion was finally withdrawn from the front line after two days and having faced a bombardment lasting 19 hours.
Frederick died aged 25 on 14 May 1917. He was one of 250 casualties. He has no known grave in France but is remembered on the Commonwealth War Graves Commission Arras Memorial (Bay 9). The Arras Memorial commemorates around 35,000 servicemen from the UK, South Africa and New Zealand who served in the region of Arras from spring 1916 until 7 August 1918.
Frederick’s sacrifice is also remembered on two Civil Service War Memorials – the Board of Trade and the Memorial to the Staff of the Ministry of Labour.
Board of Trade War Memorial 