- See Francis Reginald Thomas Costerton’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 Francis Reginald Thomas Costerton? If so the War Memorial Research Group would love to hear from you
Name recorded on Board of Trade Memorial: F. R. T. Costerton
Born: 28 May 1890, Wandsworth, Surrey, England
Date of Death: 10 September 1916
Age at death: 26
Service, Regiment, Corps, etc: London Regiment
Unit, Ship, etc: 13th Battalion (Princess Louise’s Kensington Battalion) and formerly 15th Battalion, London Regiment
Enlisted: Somerset House
Rank: Private (Service No: 7575 or 493538 and formerly 5269)
Decorations: WW1 Service Medals (Victory Medal and British War Medal)
War (and theatre): WW1 (France and Flanders)
Manner of Death: Killed in Action
Family Details: Son of John S and Maude P Costerton, 91 Camberwell Grove, Camberwell, London
Residence: Camberwell Grove
Home Department: Board of Trade – Labour Department (Central Office)
Civilian Rank: Second Division Clerk
Cemetery or Memorial: Guillemont Road Cemetery, Somme, France; Board of Trade War Memorial; Memorial to Staff of the Ministry of Labour
Biography:
Francis Reginald Thomas Costerton was born on 28 May 1890 in Wandsworth, Surrey. His father was John Samuel Costerton (1846-1927) and his mother was Maud Prudence Mills (1862-1943). His father worked as a Commission Agent and Optician (Dealer).
He had two sisters – Beatrice Jane Costerton (1887-1924) and Gladys Sarah Elizabeth Costerton (1898-1898) and three brothers – Rupert John Mills Costerton (1889-1961), Bertram Robert Costerton (1895-1977) and Valentine Cooper Costerton (1896-1984).
Francis appears in three census records. In the 1891 census, Francis is aged a year old and living with his parents and siblings at 240 South Lambeth Road, Lambeth. By the 1901 census, the Costerton family are living at 64 Church Street, Camberwell and then in the 1911 census the Costerton family are living at 91 Camberwell Grove. By this time Francis is working as a Second Division Civil Service Clerk for the Board of Trade.
In a Board of Trade staff list dated April 1913 he is listed as one of 48 second division clerks in the Labour Exchanges and Unemployment Insurance Branch. His appointment ran from January 1912; his salary was £85; and his pension accrued from September 1909 (broken service).
During WW1, Francis Costerton initially enlisted as a Private (Service No: 5269) in the 15th Battalion, London Regiment (Civil Service Rifles) enlisting between December and January 1915. He then transferred to the 13th Battalion (Princess Louise’s Kensington Battalion), London Regiment. His army service number indicate that he transferred in or around September 1916.
Its likely that Francis died on 10 September 1916. This was around the time of the Battle of Ginchy which took place on 9 September 1916 during the Battle of the Somme campaign.
Francis is buried in Guillemont Road Cemetery, Guillemont which is about 12 kilometres east of Albert. It was an important part of the German defences during the Battle of the Somme. The cemetery, which was designed by Herbert Baker, now contains 2,263 WW1 Commonwealth burials and special memorials.
Francis is remembered by two Civil Service War Memorials – the Board of Trade War Memorial and the Memorial to the Staff of the Ministry of Labour in London. It is not known whether his name is recorded on any local war memorials.
Board of Trade War Memorial 