b. 28/07/1888 Bournemouth, Dorset. d. 01/10/1918 Epinoy, France.
Frederick Charles Riggs (1888-1918) was born on 28th July 1888 in Christchurch Union Workhouse, Springbourne, near Bournemouth, Hampshire. He was born as Frederick Charles Reeks but was also known by the nickname “Boob”. By 1891, his surname had been changed to Riggs. Nothing is known about his natural father. His mother is believed to be Mildred Reeks, from Cheselbourne, Dorset, who was admitted to the Christchurch Union Workhouse on 28th April 1888 and discharged on 2nd January 1889. She was a servant at 11 Solent Cliffs Boarding House, Westcliff, Bournemouth in 1891. At that time, Frederick was living as an orphan at 55 Garfield Avenue, Bournemouth with James Fowler, a road labourer from Devon, and his wife Elizabeth, a nurse. Also living there was another orphan, Frederick Crouch, also born at the Christchurch Union Workhouse, who later became Frederick Fowler. In 1901, a Frederick Riggs was living at 77 Durnford Road, Bournemouth, with Anne Riggs, who was recorded as his mother! She was single and working as a cook.
Frederick C Riggs
VC MM
It is not known when or how it came to be that Frederick started living with “adoptive” parents in George and Elizabeth Burgum, who lived at 41 Garfield Avenue, Bournemouth. Both of his adoptive parents were hawkers by trade. They had six children of their own.
Frederick was educated at Malmsbury Park Council School in Bournemouth but left in 1902. Initially he worked as an errand boy and was later a carter furniture remover with Messrs Pickford & Sons, carriers and furniture removers. He enlisted with the 15th Hussars at Bournemouth on 1st September 1914, and recorded his aunt, Mrs Palmer, as his next of kin. He did not know her address however. He was posted to 14th Reserve Cavalry Regiment at Longmoor, Hampshire on 4th September. He had a medical there on 13th October and was found fit for service. He transferred to 3rd Battalion, The York and Lancaster Regiment on 7th June 1915, and was allocated to 6th Battalion on 5th September, the day he sailed for Egypt. He would serve at Suvla Bay in Gallipoli with the Battalion.
The months of September and October passed relatively quietly for Frederick and the 6th Bn occupying Jephson’s Post, a position on the slopes of a range of hills forming part of the Kiretch Tepe range at Suvla Bay. Planned evacuation of the peninsula began at Suvla in December and the battalion finally reached Alexandria on the 2nd February 1916. Frederick was promoted lance corporal on 2nd June 1916.
Some five months after arriving in Egypt the Battalion was ordered to depart for France departing on 28th June and disembarking in Marseilles on 3rd July 1916. The Battle of the Somme was just three days old. The 6th Battalion, part of 32nd Brigade, 11th Division was almost continually involved in the major battles of the Western front. The Division, until disbandment in 1919, suffered some 32100 casualties! Frederick along with the Battalion took part in the latter stages of the Somme sometime around September. It was here that he suffered a serious wound to the head. He was evacuated back to Blighty and the wound left him with a permament parting in his hair. He was on the strength of the Depot from 7th October and sent on leave between 25th November and 5th December. On 19th December he was transferred to the Northern Command Depot at Alnwick, Northumberland and joined 3rd Battalion on 28th April 1917. He returned to France and rejoined 6th Battalion on 22nd June. He was promoted to sergeant on 10th October.
He was then awarded the Military Medal (LG, 21st October 1918) but it is not known for what action this was from. It was probably from the mopping up operations on 27th September 1918 after crossing the Canal du Nord near Sains-les-Marquion. The Military Medal was sent by post to Elizabeth Burgum and received on 15th June 1919.
On 1st October 1918 near Epinoy, France, Sergeant Riggs, having led his platoon through strong uncut wire under severe fire, continued straight on and although losing heavily from flanking fire, succeeded in reaching his objective, where he captured a machine-gun. Later he handled two captured guns with great effect and caused 50 of the enemy to surrender. Subsequently, when the enemy again advanced in force, Sergeant Riggs cheerfully encouraged his men exhorting them to resist to the last, and while doing so was killed. Frederick’s body was not recovered after the battle, and he is remembered on the Vis-en-Artois Memorial at Haucourt, France. He is commemorated in a number of other places: with Riggs Gardens in Wallisdown, Bournemouth, with a plaque at Malmesbury Park Primary School, with a blue plaque at 45 Capstone Road, Bournemouth (the closest house to his former home), on the St Andrew’s Church War Memorial in Bournemouth, named on a statue to Bournemouth VCs outside Bournemouth International Centre and with a VC commemorative stone at Bournemouth War Memorial (unveiled on 1st October 2018).
Frederick never married. However, the War Office received a letter on 12th March 1918 from a friend, Miss A Watkin of 135 Pearl Street, Sheffield, Yorkshire. She was asking after him, as she had not heard from him for over six weeks. The posthumous VC was presented to his adoptive mother, Elizabeth Burgum by the Assistant Provost Marshal, Bournemouth on 11th March 1919.
In addition to the VC and MM he was awarded the 1914-15 Star, British War Medal 1914-20 and Victory Medal 1914-19. The group was sold at Christie’s on 4th March 1953 to Messrs Baldwin & Son, Robert Street, London, acting on behalf of the York and Lancaster Regiment, for £180. This was the first Great War VC to be sold at auction. The medal is held by the York and Lancaster Regimental Museum in Clifton Park, Rotherham, South Yorkshire.
LOCATION OF MEDAL: YORK/LANCASTER REGIMENT MUSEUM, ROTHERHAM, SOUTH YORKSHIRE.
BURIAL PLACE: ON VIS-EN-ARTOIS MEMORIAL, HAUCOURT, FRANCE. PANEL 9.
