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Sep 25, 1897
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Born in London, England to Alfred and Anne
Elizabeth Spinks
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Aug 30, 1911
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Embarked the SS Tunisian as part of a group of
Home Children under the care of the Annie MacPherson Homes
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Sep 7, 1911
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Disembarked in Montreal, Quebec and proceeded to
the Annie MacPherson Home in Stratford, Ontario
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Apr 17, 1916
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Attested into the 168th Battalion CEF
in Woodstock, Ontario
Ø Number 675906
Ø Next of kin given as Mrs.
Elizabeth Spinks, mother, London, England
Ø Previous occupation given as
Farmer
Ø No previous military
experience given
Ø Religion given as Methodist
The battalion initially trained in Camp Francis,
near London, Ontario before moving to Camp Borden near Barrie to continue
training
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Aug 9, 1916
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Admitted to the Kapuskasing Hospital, Military
District #2 with a diagnosis that reads Hypertrophy of Tonsils.
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Aug 19, 1916
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Discharged to duty from hospital
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Oct 30, 1916
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Embarked the SS Lapland in Halifax, Nova Scotia
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Nov 11, 1916
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Disembarked in Liverpool, England and the
battalion proceeded to the West Sandling Camp, near Hythe, to continue
training
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Dec 5, 1916
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Transferred to the 39th Reserve
Battalion in West Sandling
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Jan 4, 1917
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Transferred to the newly formed 6th
Reserve Battalion in West Sandling.
Shortly after the formation of the battalion it moved to Seaford to
train reinforcements for the front
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Mar 19, 1917
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Transferred to the 21st Battalion
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Mar 20, 1917
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Arrived at the CBD (Canadian Base Depot) in the
Rouelles Camp, Havre, France as part of a draft of 67 reinforcements from
England and TOS (Taken On Strength) the 21st Battalion
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Apr 14, 1917
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After leaving the base depot, Private Spinks
joined the 21st Battalion resting in billets in Bois des Alleux,
France
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In
July 1917, the 21st Battalion was headquartered in a convent in
the town of
Bouvigny, France while the men rehearsed for the attack on Hill 70.
Next to that convent was a church and a number of men climbed into the
bell tower and carved their names on the walls there. Below is Private Spinks’
name as he carved it. Thank you to Patrice Machin for sharing that
image
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Aug 15, 1917
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Private Spinks was slightly wounded during the
attack on Hill 70. He was treated by
the battalion’s Medical Officer and returned to duty with the battalion
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Nov 3, 1917
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During the night
of 2nd/3rd the 21st Battalion moved into the
Passchendaele front near Crest Farm.
Almost immediately the enemy attacked and entered the battalion’s
trenches. Once the attack was
repelled, the battalion came under constant artillery fire. Private Frederick Spinks was killed during
this action and was buried in the Tyne Cot British Cemetery, Passchendaele,
Belgium.
Following the war, the British War Medal and
Victory Medals were sent to a friend, Miss Nille Danbrook, 291 Buller St.,
Woodstock, Ontario
The Plaque (Dead Man’s Penny) and Scroll were
sent to his brother, Albert H. Spinks, c/o Mrs. Aldrich, 148 Park Lane, Tottenham,
London, England
There was no Memorial Cross issued
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Frederick Spinks is honoured on the Woodstock, Ontario War Memorial
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