Frederick Alfred Johnson was the eldest of at least eight children of Alfred Stoving Johnson (1874-1953) and Mercy Johnson née Harmer (1875-1950). His birth was registered in the 4th quarter of 1894 in the Holborn registration district.
In the 1901 census he was shown as living in three rooms at 20 Dalby Street, Kentish Town, with his parents and three siblings: Dorothy Johnson (b.1895), Elsie Naomi Johnson (1897-1977) and Herbert Johnson (b.1899). His father's occupation was recorded as a postman.
When his father completed the 1911 census return form he was shown as G.P.O. telegraph messenger living in four rooms at 20 Dalby Street, Kentish Town, with his parents and six siblings: Elsie, Herbert, Winifred Mercy Johnson (1904-1938), Stoving Johnson (1905-1942), Arthur P. Johnson (b.1908) and Leonard Johnson (b.1910). His father continued to be listed as a postman.
U.K. Postal Services Appointment Books show that he was engaged in June 1914 as a postman in London West Postal Services. On 4 December 1915 he married Christiana Elizabeth Wakeham (1894-1977) at All Saints Church, Edmonton.
He initially enlisted as a Pioneer in the Royal Engineers, service number 137047, but was transferred to the Rifle Brigade, service number 48633. He was serving as as a Private in the 1st/5th (Sutherland and Caithness) Battalion, Seaforth Highlanders, service number S/43711, when he died, aged 23 years, on 3 September 1918 in France. His body was buried in Plot 8, Row A, Grave 16 in the Ecoivres Military Cemetery, 1916 Rte de Maroeuil, 62144 Mont-Saint-Éloi, France.
On 20 February 1919 his widow was sent his army effects totalling £9-13s-7d, but he was inadmissible for a war gratuity as he was classed as a postal servant. He was posthumously awarded the British War Medal 1914-1918 and the Victory Medal. He is also commemorated on the Commonwealth War Graves Commission's website, the Imperial War Museum's Lives of the First World War website and on page 199 in The Post Office Fellowship of Remembrance's Book of Remembrance 1914-1920.
Credit for this entry to: Andrew Behan.
