Pack, Frederick George

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Fred was the second son of William Waldock Pack and Annie Maria (nee Berry) Pack, born in Ashwell on 2 April 1887.  He was a pupil at the Merchant Taylors School in Ashwell.

Fred enlisted with the Canadian Expeditionary Forces on 24 October 1914, Regimental Number 53499, at Woodstock, Ontario Canada.  The Canadian forces fought on the Western Front, France and Flanders during the War in the Battle of Ypres, and Passchendaele.  Fred embarked for Boulogne on 15 September 1915.  He rapidly gained promotion and by June 1917 was Company Quarter Master Sergeant.  He was awarded the Meritorious Service Medal in June 1918.  In September 1917 he was dispatched to the Witley Camp, Surrey for an officers training course.  He survived the War and was discharged on 21 February 1919.

Fred was awarded the British War Medal, the Victory Medal and the Meritorious Service Medal.

He is commemorated on the St Mary’s Church Ashwell Roll of Honour.

Fred emigrated to Canada in about 1910 and settled in Ontario.  He married Annie Beattie on 1 June 1921.  His marriage records show him as a farmer.  Annie emigrated to Canada arriving in May 1921.  She was a nurse and her Arrival-into-Canada form shows that she was joining her fiancé, Frederick George Pack, in Burgoyne, Bruce County, Ontario.  It is not known if they had children.

The 1957 electoral rolls show them living in London, Middlesex County, Ontario, Canada.  Fred died there in 1966 and Annie died a year later.

Fred’s brothers, Lawrence and Stanley, both served in the War and survived.

From the Royston Crow 1914 December:  On the 11th December a handsomely framed engraved Roll of Honour of Old Boys of the Merchant Taylors School serving their King and Country in the war was unveiled. ‘This excited among the Scholars much interest and a patriotic spirit and many were the glances at the list of names some of whom were the Fathers and Brothers of the Boys. They numbered 64 boys in all who had volunteered for active service. Two on the list – Horace Bryant and Percy Reeve – had died the death of heroes in trying to save England from the ravages of the “Cultural Hun” being killed in action in the retreat from Mons.’ Only a week later there were more additions to the list. The new volunteers were Frederick Pack, Clem Pack, Horace Reeve, Jack Harman, John Winter and Albert Amtman. However there was also news of another old boy, George Waldock, that had been killed in action but there was no further information. There are two members of the Waldock family on the War memorial, Harry W.G. Waldock and Herbert George Waldock either could have been familiarly called ‘George’