Frederick Roy Durnford (1898-1917)

Another relative that lost his life in WWI was Frederick Roy Durnford. Our branch didn’t have a lot of boys and my nephew is the last of the male line. So, Fred’s death caused a great ripple that reverberated through the family to this day. 

Fred was born in Rencontre West, Newfoundland. A tiny little outport village on the south coast of Newfoundland. The Durnfords had lived the area since the early 1800s.1 

He was the youngest of John Richard Skinner Durnford and Mary Spencer's four children and the second son. His siblings were Phyllis, Amelia, and John Matt. Fred was the baby of the family having been born four years after his brother and nine years after his eldest sister Phyllis. He was only 10 years old when Phyllis married Chesley Goodridge and moved out. Amelia married Edward Matthews in 1914 and later moved to Rhode Island with her family but she visited periodically with her son. 

I don't know much about his childhood. But from what I've heard of others that grew up in Rencontre West, it was a great childhood in a small village2 where everyone knew everyone and practically everyone was related if you go back far enough. From photos in my collection, they had picnic and dances in the hall. The children had little parades on holidays and the adults liked to get together at kitchen parties. Unlike the other residents who were mainly fishermen, Fred’s immediate family were merchants. They owned the store Durnford and Sons, and the boat Ralph & Blanche. They didn’t suffer the hardships from fishing but living in a small village with extended family, when there was a fishing tragedy, I’m sure they all felt it. 

At the time Newfoundland was Great Britain’s oldest colony and they were fiercely British. So, when WWI broke out, they heeded the call for troops. From a population of about a quarter of a million, 5,482 men went overseas. Nearly 1,500 were killed and 2,300 wounded.3 

On April 27, 1916 Fred enlisted. He lied about his age, adding a year. He was 18 years and 5 months old. 

They trained for awhile in Newfoundland and in October he arrived in Southampton, joining his unit in October 22. This is a timeline of his movements that I gleamed from his service record. There is also a book called To Hell on Earth and Back by Dwight Anderson where Fred is mentioned often. 

"To Hell on Earth and Back started out as a one page write-up about a Newfoundland WW1 soldier for a genealogy project. After reviewing his service file, I was amazed at the suffering and punishment he went through. I started looking at other soldier’s files in alphabetical order. The tenth file I viewed was that of Herbert Otto Adams. It floored me. Herbert enlisted at the age of sixteen years six months. He was shell shocked and found wandering away from a battle and subsequently charged with desertion and sentenced to death. Herbert’s story compelled me to review over 2200 available service files of the 4900 volunteers who served overseas with the Royal Newfoundland Regiment during World War One. I was amazed to discover that the Newfoundland Regiment enlisted approximately 1000 under aged boys. I was then further amazed with the military discipline handed out to Newfoundlanders by British Officers. To Hell on Earth and Back is a factual chronology of the trials, tribulations and bravery of approximately 200 soldiers; many of them hard cases, underage or with compelling issues."

The diary entries show that Fred was a bit of a scrapper. 

Nov 1916: he was in trouble for being deficient in something, I couldn’t read the writing. I do know while the unit was in Scotland training he got himself a sweetheart so he may have been AWOL visiting her. 

Fred with his Scottish sweetheart 

March 9, 1917: He was diagnosed with Influenza March 12, 1917: Admitted to hospital in Rowen with trench fever (RNR was in the firing line at Saily-Saillisel. They were bombarded heavily. The next day the bombing intensified. They were relieved for rest and boarded a train to Meaulte for training.) 

"Fred was sent to the casualty clearing station with influenza. He's been miserable for days but could take it no longer. The boys are saying that it's not the flu, that he was gassed in the trenches. He's a trooper. He's supposed to be twenty years old, He's only 5'5" and 130 pounds at best. Likely he just turned seventeen. He can do more than most at age twenty-five." 

March 21, 1917: Invalided to England. His parents receive a telegram that Fred has been admitted to Wandsworth Hospital, London suffering from pyrexia of unknown origin. Hospital records state bronchitis and laryngitis. He also did something very heroic during this time. What is amazing about this feat is his size, he was only 5 foot 5 inches tall and weighed only 132 pounds. It probably wasn't easy for him to drag Lt. Outerbridge back even with help. 

"Fred Durnford (18) of Rencontre should have been recognized back in March but watsn’t. Lt. Herb Outerbridge left his trench to get a better look at enemy positions. After waiting a considerable time, the platoon concluded he was wounded or killed as the enemy’s fire was very hot. Durnford went over the top alone to search for Outerbridge. After some time, he found Outerbridge with a severe head wound. Because the fire was so hot, his platoon members back in the trench are beginning to think Durnford has also been wounded or killed, but he soon appears calling for stretcher bearers. Durnford went back over the top again under heavy fire to assist the stretcher bearers in finding Outerbridge. Durnford was hospitalized after that battle with advanced influenza. Since then, he’s been out of the hospital and promoted to Lance Corporal. Everyone thinks he was gassed. He’s kicking up a stink to get back with the Newfoundlanders, but they won’t let him come."

June 1917: Apparently he was a lovable scrapper!

"Word from Rouen is that Fred Durnford is still kicking up a stink to return to the unit. He was absent from a parade in early June and got severely reprimanded ... The remainder of July is spent training for the Newfoundlanders. Darcey Janes of Ramea got three days confined to camp for being absent from guard duty. Fred Durnford of Recontre has been getting into trouble while assigned at the base depot in Rouen. He was demoted from corporal down to private for being AWOL in town. A week later he is absent from parade and gets three days confined to base. As soon as his three days are up, he goes AWOL again for two days. They locked him up for nine hours. Durnford must have been liked by the Commander because he could have gotten much stiffer punishment."

August 8, 1917: Admitted 11 Sty. Hospital, Rouen for mild scabies. 

Oct 28, 1917: He joined the battalion again. 

"Fred Durnford of Rencontre has joined the Battalion. He shouldn’t be here. He’s out of shape but insists he’s fine." 

Nov 20, 1917 Fred is killed. 

"The village was still not captured. The Newfoundlanders had to dig in for the night. Tommy looked around, looking for his buddies. He couldn’t see Fred Durnford anywhere. Someone said he saw Fred (19) and Soloman Keeping (20) go down and they were dead. Tommy didn’t know Soloman Keeping well but Durnford and he spent time together in Rouen. Durnford should have been on the boat home but the crazy bastard had to come back. He didn’t have the strength to fight."

I also found some letters in his service record. One from a James Macrae of New Brunswick asking about the whereabouts of Fred. I'm not sure who he is. 

The Honorable Justice George Johnson wrote a letter to the Newfoundland Governor asking why the actions of Fred Durnford on the day he saved Lt. Outerbridge under extreme fire weren’t recognized. (Johnson had met Durnford in the summer of 1916 while making a trip on the coastal boat “Porta”. Fred was on leave to say hello to his family before he went to France.) Johnson noted in his letter that in appearance and size "Durnford looked a boy of sixteen, but his brightness and wit caught his attention."  He stated that Durnford had suffered from scabies, pyrexia, bronchitis, laryngitis, advanced trench fever and influenza. The letter then became stern stating that Durnford was gassed in the trenches yet he insisted on returning to the firing line despite medical advice to the contrary. He was back with his Battalion less than a month before he was killed. 

The reply from government house was short: 

"His Excellency does not see how anything can be done in the matter now as Durnford was killed some 18 months ago and it would seem somewhat late in the day for any special recommendation to be made."

May 6, 1919: His parents are paid $16.14, the balance of Fred's estate. 

Aug 26, 1921: The Victory Medal and/or British War Medal was sent to his parents. It doesn't say which one he got. 

Lastly, I managed to contact a relative of Lt. Outerbridge:

"Thanks so much for this information. Uncle Herbert was my Grandfather’s oldest brother. They lost a brother Norman in WWI. Fascinating to hear and thanks to your uncle I got to meet my great Uncle. Uncle Herbert had no children. He and his wife Alice enjoyed nieces and nephews."

So nice to know that his life was not lost in vain. 

Fred is buried in the Marcoing British Cemetery in France. My cousin John Bagnell took these photos when he visited Fred's grave a number of years ago. 

This still hangs on my family's wall.

Fred's page in the Books of Remembrance

1 Found in the Newman Papers in London by Bill Crant. Justus Durnford came first to St. Lawrence, removed to Gaultois, and finally settled in Francois, Newfoundland. His grandsons Robert and Thomas both moved to Rencountre West. 

2 In 1921 the census of Rencontre West shows 236 persons in 56 households. 

3 On July 1, 1916, at Beaumont-Hamel, France, 753 men of the Royal Newfoundland Regiment went over the top of a trench. The next morning, only 68 men answered the rollcall.