Frederick John Drummond was born at Eastbourne, Sussex on 15th June 1891 and his birth registered at Eastbourne in the September quarter of that year.

 

He was the eldest son of Major John William Ainslie Drummond (1857-1936) and Florence Charlotte Drummond (nee Blencowe, 1859-1944).  Frederick does not appear in Chailey Parish Magazine’s monthly roll of serving men but his name is included on the village war memorial and on a memorial tablet in the now redundant St Mary’s Church, Chailey (below).

Frederick's connection with the village appears to have been through his association with the Blencowe family and, given their influence in local affairs, it seems quite possible that John Ingham Blencowe, John Campion Blencowe and Frances Isabel Blencowe (amongst others) would have exerted sufficient pressure to ensure that their nephew was properly commemorated.

 

Frederick had three brothers and sisters: Hester Katherine Drummond, Agnes Harriet Drummond and Francis William Drummond (b. 4th September 1894).  Frederick appears on the 1901 census as a nine year old pupil at Evelyn’s School, Hillingdon and was later educated at Eton College (1905-1910).

 

Before the First World War he settled as a farmer in British East Africa (now Kenya) and in August 1914, joined up with The East African Mounted Rifles (Bowker’s Horse) as 126 Trooper Frederick J Drummond.  He was killed in action on 3rd November 1914 at Longido Hills and is commemorated on the Nairobi British and Indian Memorial at Nairobi, Kenya.

 

His name appears in De Ruvigny’s Roll of Honour where it is noted that his father’s address was 27 Stanhope Gardens London S.W, and Hollycombe, Englefield Green.  The Commonwealth War Graves’ Commission’s Debt of Honour Register gives the additional information that he was the son of Major John Drummond of Beedcote, Horsham, Sussex.  There is no mention of Frederick John Drummond in Soldiers Died in the Great War.

 

On Tuesday 10th November 1914, under the headline, LOSSES IN BRITISH EAST AFRICA, The Times reported that "Mr Frederick John Drummond, who was 23 years of age, was the eldest son of Major and Mrs John Drummond of 27, Stanhope Gardens."

 

Further information on Bowker’s Horse (http://www.frontiersmen.org.au/kenya.htm) and the Battle of Longido Hills (http://www.geocities.com/cdferree/history/longido.html) can be found by clicking on the links.

 

 

Sources & Acknowledgements

 

• England & Wales, Civil Registration Index: 1837-1983
• 1901 Census of England & Wales
• Eton School Register, Vol. VII, 1899-1902
• List of Etonians Who Fought in the Great War
• De Ruvigny’s Roll of Honour
• www.thepeerage.com
• The Commonwealth War Graves Commission’s Debt of Honour Register
• Museumtom of The Great War Forum
• The Times: Digital Archive
• Graham Johnson of Chailey for the photograph of Frederick Drummond's memorial plaque