Frederick William Pozzi was born on 5 June 1889 in Edmonton, Middlesex, (now Greater London) the youngest of the four children of Albert Pozzi (1858-1894) and Emma Pozzi née Webster (1859-1929). On 23 June 1889 he was baptised with the name of Frederick Walter Pozzi in St Mary the Virgin Church, Edmonton, where in the baptismal registers his family is shown as living 5 Rose Terrace, Edmonton and his father's occupation was recorded as a warehouseman.
He was shown in the 1891 census as Frederick W. Pozzi, living in three rooms at 18 Kingsgate Street, Holborn, London, with his parents, two of his three siblings: Robert Pozzi (b.1882) and; Alice Emma Pozzi (1882-1976), together with his maternal aunt, Alice Pozzi, aged 19 years, who was listed as a general servant. His father was shown as a grocer.
On 22 September 1892 he was admitted into the St John the Evangelist Roman Catholic School, Duncan Street, London, N1 where the school register confirms his name as Frederick William Pozzi and that his home address as 18 Kingsgate Street, Camden.
When the 1901 census was undertaken he was living in two rooms at 7 Herbrand Street, Bloomsbury, London, with his widowed mother who was listed as a charwoman, his brother Albert Anthony Pozzi (1881-1916) who was a porter in the upholstery trade, his sister Alice Emma Pozzi who was a dressmaker's assistant and his cousin Polly Jackman, aged 19 years, who was a furniture duster.
When his mother completed her 1911 census return form she listed him as Frederick William Pozzi, describing him as a builder's labourer and that they were living in four rooms at 58 Cartwright Gardens, St Pancras, London. She described herself as a domestic charwoman.
He married Maud Ellen Downes (1890-1981) on 21 October 1911 in the St Pancras register office, London. They had three children: Frederick Walter Pozzi (1911-1988); Beatrice Maud Pozzi (1912-1991) and Yvonne Lily Pozzi (1915-2015).
On 26 June 1915 he enlisted in the 16th (Service) Battalion, The Rifle Brigade, service number P/1438, giving his occupation as a porter and his address as 72 Whidbourne Buildings, St Pancras. He entered France on 8 March 1916. He was serving with his brother, Rifleman Albert Anthony Pozzi, when they were both killed in action on 3 September 1916. He was aged 27 years and his body was buried near where he fell but was subsequently exhumed and reburied initially in Plot 2, Row E, Grave 48 in the Ancre River British Cemetery No.2 and finally in Plot 4, Row B, Grave 48 in the Ancre British Cemetery, D50, 80300 Beaumont-Hamel, France.
On 30 April 1917 his widow was awarded a pension of £1-3s-6d per week for herself and three children. On 27 September 1917 his army effects totalling £4-16s-9d were sent to his widow who also received his £4-10s-0d war gratuity on 17 October 1919. He was posthumously awarded the British War Medal 1914-1918 and the Victory Medal and these were sent to his widow on 21 July 1921 at 5 Ferris House, Whidbourne Street, Kings Cross, London.
He is shown as Frederick Pozzi on the Holy Cross Church of St Pancras WW1 memorial, Cromer Street, London WC1. He is also commemorated on the Commonwealth War Graves Commission's website and on the Imperial War Museum's Lives of the First World War website.
Credit for this entry to: Andrew Behan.
