Pte Frederick Walter Priestland, 103499, 10th Battalion Sherwood Foresters (Notts & Derby Regiment), died in the General Hospital at Rouen in France on December 1st, 1918, as the result of a gunshot wound to the head sustained on November 8th. He was aged 21.

His father Frederick and mother Florence at 1 Grafton Terrace, High Town, had received a letter from the matron of the hospital on November 15th to say their son was dangerously wounded and all possible was being done for him, although she could not say how he would go on. But permission to visit him in hospital could not be granted. On December 4th a telegram was received to say that Frederick had died in hospital.

Frederick had been in the Army since the age of 18½. He had joined the 5th Bedfords (32297) and later transferred to the Sherwood Foresters. He had been seriously wounded on a previous occasion but was sent back to France after a long period in hospital.

Frederick was born in Luton in 1898 and had worked for hat manufacturers Wing, Arnold & Wing before joining up. He is commemorated on the Luton Roll of Honour/War Memorial and in the Book of Life compiled at Luton Parish Church.