Frederick TRENDALL (1890-1940)
Today (8th May 2020) is the 75th anniversary of
VE Day. The day that the Second World
War ended in Europe. Parades and events
have not taken place as planned because of the current Covid-19 induced
lockdown. It seems appropriate therefore
to briefly mention here my two closest relatives who fought in the war. I hope to write more about them in future
posts but now is a good time to remember the contribution of my paternal Grandfather
and Father. They were only two of many
in the wider family to have served in the conflict but they stand as
representative of them all.
My Grandfather, Frederick TRENDALL (1890-1940) had served in
the Great War, during which he had been wounded at least twice, and later in
the army in India until the 1930s when he became a full time member of the
Territorial Army. At that time he was
commissioned as a Lieutenant (Quartermaster) in Queen Victoria Rifles (King’s Royal
Rifle Corp). At the start of the Second
World War he became part of the British Expeditionary Force BEF). He was killed in action on 25th May 1940 near
Calais. He was fifty years old and is buried
at Calais South Cemetery. His grave carries the inscription: "To the world he was only one. To one he was all the world".
His commanding officer wrote from a prisoner of war camp to
my Grandmother, Nellie TRENDALL (PARROCK – 1893-1970):
“The limit to the number of
letters [from the camp] has prevented me from sending you the sympathy and
condolences of all the officers of the Bn on your husband’s death, which was
contributed to by his disregard of personal danger. I can only tell you how much I appreciated
his constant loyalty, good cheer and hard work, an appreciation shared by all
ranks, and offer my sincere sympathy in your loss. Regret I cannot write more fully, Believe me………..”
The Grave of Frederick TRENDALL, Calais
His son (my Father), Frederick Alfred TRENDALL (1914-1983)
was living at 32 Cremer Street, London E2 (The Marquis of Lansdowne) at the
start of the war (as shown in the ‘1939 Register’) although he also used his
Father’s address in Highbury. He joined
up on 2nd October 1939 and served in the Royal Army Service Corps
(RASC) throughout the war. A few weeks after becoming a soldier he married in December
1939. Like his Father he was part of the
BEF returning to England in June 1940 where he stayed until 1943. Thereafter he served in the Middle East, in
the British North African Force (BNAF), Italy and back in the Middle East.
On VE Day he was in Palestine. On joining in 1939 he was a motor
driver. At the end of the war he was a warrant
officer class 1 (WOI). He was Mentioned
in Dispatches – probably for an incident in Italy but research is ongoing to
try and pin this down as no citations are included in the London Gazette.
At the end of the war his commanding officer wrote:
“M.S.M Trendall has excelled
as an MSM from every angle. A good
leader who carries out work under all conditions with cheerfulness, enthusiasm and
drive”.
On discharge his conduct was listed as ‘Exemplary’.
He did not apply for his medals, viz: 1939-45 Star, Africa
Star, Italy Star, Defence Medal and War Medal 1939-45 (MID) for many years. The last entry on his Army Military History
Sheet shows that the medals were issued on 6th July 1983. He had died two months earlier on 1st
May 1983.
Frederick TRENDALL (1914-1983)
The generations that fought in, and lived through, the
conflicts of the twentieth century were a special breed. They went through so much and yet it is my
generation and my children’s generation who have benefitted and have enjoyed
the rewards. Our freedom and our
security rests firmly on the sacrifice and hardships of those that went before. We owe them a massive debt of gratitude.
Lest we forget.
Philip Trendall
8th May 2020
Note: I am still
working on understanding the activities of other members of the family during
the war – including those of my maternal Grandfather – George SCOTT (1906-1971). The work undertaken on the Home Front by women
in particular is harder to research, but I will try.
.JPG)
Very good Phil good phots too, do you have any thers of Grandad? I've never seen any only the one you have shown here.
ReplyDeleteBe good to read what you find out about George Scott