Private Frederick Dodman was born on the 2 February 1879 in Paddington, London, the son of John Dodman (1844-1917) and Sarah Dodman née Stevens (1846-1879). He was baptised on the 20 July 1879 at St Michael and All Angels Church, Paddington, where the baptismal register shows that the family lived at 40 Market Street, Paddington and that his father was a painter. (Market Street was subsequently renamed as St Michael's Street).
On 29 May 1899 he joined the Metropolitan Railway as a porter but the railway company's records state that he was called upon to resign for drunkenness and general inattention to duty and left their service on 14 December 1900. He then enlisted as a Private in the 1st Battalion Duke of Cambridge’s Own (Middlesex Regiment); service number L/6822, on 2 January 1901 at Paddington, giving his occupation as a labourer and upon completion of his service he was placed on the Army Reserve List.
In the April 1911 census he was shown as living at the home of his cousin, Robert Colman (1864-1914) at 48 Matilda Street, Barnsbury, Islington and was described as a 'house painter'. His cousin was listed as a 'scene painter'. Also living at the house was Robert Colman's wife, Alice Genevieve Colman née Stevens (1883-1934), and their daughter Maud Dorothy Colman (1894-1976) whose occupation was shown as a 'nurse (domestic)'. On 16 May 1911 he married his cousin’s daughter, Maud Dorothy Colman, in the Islington registration district. Their son, Frederick John Robert Dodman (1911-1998), was born on 1 July 1911 and their daughter, Dorothy Maud Alice Dodman (1913-1981) was born 3 August 1913.
In January 1912 he was appointed as an Assistant Postman in London’s Northern District Office and was promoted to Postman in October 1912 in London’s Western District Office.
On the outbreak of World War One he was recalled to his regiment and entered France on the 14 September 1914. He died of wounds received in action, aged 35 years, on the 9 November 1914, after admission to the 19th Field Ambulance. He was buried nearby but on 14 November 1919 his body was exhumed and reburied in Plot 3, Row L, Grave 6, at the Trois Arbres Cemetery, 22 Rue du Pont d'Achelles, Steenwerck, Nord, France.
Both De Ruvigny's Roll of Honour 1914-1918 and UK Army Register of Soldiers' Effects 1901-1929 give his date of death as 8 November 1914, but we have chosen to give him one more day of life using the 9 November 1914 date shown on the Commonwealth War Graves Commission website.
His army effects totalling £1-7s-3d were sent to his widow on 17 February 1915 and on 6 November 1919 she was sent his £5-0s-0d war gratuity. He was posthumously awarded the 1914 Star with the '5th Aug-22nd Nov 1914' Clasp, the British War Medal and the Victory Medal and these were sent to his widow at 32 Oswald Street, Rushmore Road, Clapton, London, E5. He is also commemorated on Page 102 of the 1914-1920 remembrance book of the Post Office Fellowship of Remembrance.
Credit for this entry to: Andrew Behan.
