Air Mechanic 2nd Class 61783, 25th Squadron, Royal Flying Corps. Killed in acion 17 March 1917. Aged 22. Son of Timothy and Florence King, of Deeping St. Nicholas, Spalding, Lincolnshire. Buried in Canadian Cemetery No.2, Neuville-St. Vaast, Pas de Calais, France. Plot 11. Row A. Grave 1.

Frederick King: A Lincolnshire Victim of the Red Baron

Frederick King, the son of Timothy and Florence King, was born in Deeping St Nicholas in 1894. He was educated at the Middle Township School at Deeping Fen and continued to live in the area until he enlisted in the Lincolnshire Regiment.

Frederick proved to a keen and capable soldier and he was selected for transfer to the Royal Flying Corps and subsequently trained to be an observer. In early 1917 he was serving in France with 25 Squadron, which was equipped with the Royal Aircraft Factory FE2b. On the 17th March 1917 nine FE2s from 25 Squadron took off on a photo-reconnaissance sortie in the vicinity of Vitry, accompanied by a number of Sopwith Strutters from 43 Squadron. Included in the flight was Frederick King's aircraft (serial number A5439), which was being flown by Lieutenant Arthur Boultbee.

At around 11 o'clock the FE2s were attacked by a force of between 15 and 20 German fighters from Jas

ta 11. In the ensuing aerial battle two of the Strutters were shot down and all four of the airmen were killed. Arthur Boultbee and Frederick King also fell victim to the German fighters, being shot down by Manfred von Richthofen himself, who was flying a Halberstadt DII. Both men were killed and they lie buried in Canadian Cemetery Number 2 at Neuville-St Vaast, near Arras. Frederick King was 22 years old and Arthur Boultbee just 19. In a letter of condolence that was sent to Frederick King's mother after his death she was informed that her son would have been given a commission if he had survived (he held the rank of Air Mechanic 2nd Class at the time his death).

The Red Baron posted the following report on his 27th kill: "During the fight I managed to force a Vickers [Richthofen incorrectly identified the aircraft] aside, which I then, after 800 shots, brought down. In my machine gun fire the plane lost its open-work fuselage. The occupants were killed and were taken for burial by the local commander at Oppy."

A few days after the engagement, Richthofen was sent a macabre souvenir of his most recent victory: a photograph of Arthur Boultbee's dead body. The following message was scrawled on the back: "Sir, I witnessed on 17 March1917 your air fight, and took this photograph, which I send to you with hearty congratulations, because you seldom have the occasion to see your prey. Here's to the next!"

Photographs Copyright © Andrew D Clark 2018

The Tongue End memorial which was cleaned and properly mounted in the church porch in 2013.

1914 – 1918.
IN HONOURED MEMORY OF THE MEN OF TONGUE END
WHO LAID DOWN THEIR LIVES IN THE GREAT WAR.