Rank:
Service No(s):
Regiment:
Unit:
Returned:
Yes
Place of birth:
Islington
Occupation:
Errand boy
Date of death:
Cause of death:
Grave or panel reference:
Name of father:
George Vincent Pocock
Name of siblings:
George Vincent, Lily, Elizabeth, Rosa, Henry
Name(s) of children:
Died:
No
Date of birth:
16/08/1896
Place of enlistment:
Event:
Age at death:
Cemetery or memorial:
Other memorial:
Name of mother:
Louisa Pocock (nee Saunders)
Name of spouse:
Address:
1901- 68 Campbell Road
1911- 108 Hoxton Street, Shoreditch
Biography:
Joseph Gordon Frederick Pocock, known as Fred or Freddie, was the son of George Vincent Pocock and his wife Louisa, nee Saunders, who had eight children altogether, though two had died by 1911. Freddie was born in Islington on 16 August 1896 and baptised on 15 November at St Anne’s, Poole’s Park, a local church now demolished. He had an older brother, called George like his father, who is also listed on the plaque to soldiers who returned from the war, three younger sisters, and a younger brother, Henry.
Freddie’s father was a painter when he was born; in 1901 he was a grocer; and in 1911 he worked at a General Stores. In 1901 the family were living at 68 Campbell Road, a notorious slum with many houses of multiple occupancy, known locally as ‘Campbell Bunk’ and described as ‘the worst street in north London’. No 68 contained three households with a total of 21 people. In the 1911 census ‘Fred Pocock’, aged 14, is a Boarder with a widow called Esther Manning at 108 Hoxton Street in Shoreditch, and his occupation is errand boy.
It is difficult to find out about Freddie’s military service as many records were destroyed in the Second World War, and he may appear under his actual first name, Joseph/J. Pocock, or under F. Pocock, as in the 1911 census and on the St Mellitus plaque.
Using the personal details above, we have considered the possibilities on the website Forces War Records for Freddie’s service, but cannot be certain.
He may be F. Pocock, Service No 21351, who was a soldier in the Royal Fusiliers, which was the regiment in which his brother George served (see his entry in this database). This soldier transferred to the Royal Flying Corps after November 1917 with Service No 104145. He may be Joseph Pocock, Service No 417132, of the Bedfordshire Regiment. No one is listed as JGF Pocock. He may be JG Pocock, Service No 9110, who was a Sergeant Major in the Army Service Corps. It seems unlikely that Freddie would be an officer given his social background, but it cannot be ruled out, so he may be JG Pocock, Lieutenant in 9th Battalion, Devonshire Regiment. He may be one of the dozens of men listed simply as J. Pocock.
From the Electoral Roll we know that in 1932 Freddie was living in the family home in Campbell Road with his father and his brother Henry. Freddie died in August 1961, just four months after his brother George, at which time he was living in Tottenham.
We hope that further information will emerge so we can accurately record and honour Freddie Pocock’s war service.
Also see ‘Meet the Soldier: Campbell Bunk Soldiers’ blog post.