Person

There is some doubt about the year of Frederick Pamely’s birth. His enlistment papers for the Canadian Expeditionary Force he claimed he was born in 1897, but his birth was not registered until 1898. Did he lie about his age so that he could enlist?

He was born on 6 June in Brandon, the only child of plumber and painter Seth Pamely from Bishop Middleham and his wife, Hannah, a teacher, who had married in April 1896. When old enough, he attended King James I Grammar School in Bishop Auckland. 1 April 1911 saw Seth, Hannah and Frederick board the SS Empress of Britain in Liverpool, making for New Brunswick and then an overland journey to Red Deer, Alberta. On arrival Frederick completed his education at Red Deer High School. In 1913 he started work as a bank clerk at the local branch of the Bank of Montreal, and also spent two and a half years as a member of the local militia group, the 35th Central Alberta Horse.

May 1916 saw Fred enlisting in the Canadian Expeditionary Force (CEF) and becoming Private 883107 attached to the 187th Battalion at Sarcee Camp, under the command of Lieutenant Colonel C.W. Robinson. The battalion sailed for England in December 1916 where, on arrival at the camp at Witley, he was promoted to the rank of acting corporal. The 187th was absorbed into the 21st Reserve Battalion in February 1917 and moved to the camp at Seaford. Four months later Fred reverted to private and was part of a draft sent to join the 50th Battalion in Vancouver Camp, Chateau de la Haie, France.

In August 1917, the battalion received orders to capture Aloof Trench at Lens and it was during the fighting there that Fred received gunshot wounds to his right shoulder and knee. He was initially treated at No. 6 Casualty Clearing Station before being transferred to No. 7 Canadian General Hospital at Etaples. After a spell as orderly sergeant with No. 4 Canadian Convalescent Depot, he re-joined his unit in the front line at Vimy, and it was in the trenches at Avion on 12 January 1918 that Private Frederick Pamely was killed in action. He is buried in Sucrerie Cemetery, south west of Lens.

Frederick Pamely is remembered on the war memorial at St. Brandon’s Church, Brancepeth and has an entry in the Bank of Montreal’s “Memorial of the Great War, 1914-18: a record of service in honour of the members of staff who served with the colours”.

Civil Parish: Bishop Auckland

Birth date: 6-June-1898

Death date: 12-January-1918

Armed force/civilian: Army

Residence: Rose Cottage, Brandon Lane, Brandon (1901 census)
Red Deer, Alberta (1916 census of Manitoba, Saskatchewan and Alberta)

Religion: Church of England

Employment: Bank Clerk (enlistment papers)

Family: Seth Pamely, Hannah Wanless, Pamely nee Render

Military service:

35th Central Alberta Horse (pre-war militia)
883017
Private
187th Battalion Canadian Expeditionary Force
21st Reserve Battalion Canadian Expeditionary Force
50th Battalion Canadian Expeditionary Force

Medal(s): British War Medal
Victory Medal

Gender: Male

Contributed by Jean Longstaff, Durham