1914 Star 2476 Pte Balsom 1/2/ Monmouthshire Regt KIA 24/11/1914 killed by a sniper, the 2nd or 3rd Casualty of Regt.

1914 Star named 2476 PTE F BALSOM 1/2 MON R.

Killed in Action on 23rd November 1914.

Frederick was a labourer when he enlisted into the 1st/2nd Monmouthshire Regiment. He enlisted on 8th Sept 1914 at Pontupool. The regiment arrived in France on 7th Nov 1914 and was the first territorial regiment to enter trenches on 21st Novemeber 1914. On the 22nd Nov it first casualty (Pte Crowley) due to a sniper occurred. On the 23rd Nov two casualties occurred due to sniping Pte Balsom and Pte Cole. In a newspaper it quotes he was killed on the night of 23rd Nov 1914 while digging trenches.