Able Seaman C/SSX35641 Frederick Charles Croucher, HMS Sussex...

...was born the 28th of June 1923 at Lenham, the son of Richard Charles Croucher (1887 to 1964) and Mabel May nee Piles (1892 to 1971).

[Richard had served the First World War with the Army Service Corps, service number SS/7397. He went to France on the 2nd of April 1915. Discharged as no longer physically fit for active service in 1917 and received a Silver War Badge.] 

Frederick was educated at Eastling School, following which he went to work as an errand boy for Messrs. Goodwin Foster Brown at Faversham. He then went into the nurseries at Elverland.

The 1939 Register finds him with his family at 3, Mill Row, Lynsted. Richard born 1887 was a general labourer Brookland Water Main; Mabel born 1892 was unpaid domestic duties; Children recorded are Frederick “domestic gardener, gardening and fruit”; Reginald born 1925 errand boy grocery, provisions wine and Bernard, born 1926, at school.

His final employment was as a “lorry mate” with Messrs. Francis Davis and he had joined the Eastling Home Guard. Frederick was was described as a “nice lad and very much liked by all who knew him”

Frederick joined the Royal Navy in February 1940 age the age of 17.5 and went overseas in June on the destroyer HMS Wrestler and then at a later date was posted to the cruiser HMS Sussex.

In March 1943, Frederick became ill with pulmonary tuberculosis and was admitted to the Royal Naval Hospital at Gillingham before being transferred to the Southern Hospital at Dartford, where he passed away on the 22nd of July 1943 at the age of 20.

The Faversham News for for the 6th of August reported upon the military funeral of Frederick in Eastling Churchyard. The paper notes that:

'the coffin was draped in the Union flag and the service was conducted by the Rector, the Rev. W.A. Lamb, and the Last Post was played by Trumpeter Spokes, of the Tank Brigade, RASC. Among the many mourners were his family and fiancee Miss Constance Martin, former school headmaster . Members of the Eastling and Doddington Home Guard acted as coffin bearers.'

 The paper concluded by noting that his brother Reginald was in the Navy and Bernard in the Sea Cadets.

Frederick is buried beneath a CWGC headstone and his grave has a private kerb around it. The cremation stones of sister Joyce Mary Croucher, 19th September 1921 to the 6th of January 2010 and brother Bernard Croucher, died 1991 are present on the grave.

In December 1949 a memorial plaque was placed on the wall of Eastling Church dedicated to the parish war dead of the Second World War, commemorating the names of Frederick Charles Croucher Royal Navy and Lance Bombardier Frederick Charles White, Royal Artillery.