Frederick Tom Sharp

Story:
Frederick Tom Sharp was born at Compton Abbas, Shaftesbury, Dorset, on 28th May 1894, the son of Tom Sharp and Eliza Emmeline Sharp (née Hibbs).  He lived most of his early life at Farnham, Dorset, until moving to Sussex with his family by 1911.  His father died in 1914. He enlisted on 15th November 1915 and joined the 2nd/5th (Cinque Ports) Battalion of the Royal Sussex Regiment as a Private (Service No. 5/3492).  He was posted to France on 22nd April 1916 and almost immediately caught rheumatic fever and had to be sent back to the UK on 24th June 1916 for treatment.  Following his recovery he was attached to the 4th Battalion (T.F. Reserve) (Service No. 4/5281) and posted to Egypt on 1 Nov 1916.  He was transferred to the 800th Agricultural Employment Company of the Labour Corps on 8th December 1917 (Service No. 361819).   He was discharged with a small pension due to the earlier indisposition and also awarded the Victory and British War medals.  The 1921 Census shows him living with his widowed mother at 'Rumara', Malling Street, Lewes, Sussex, working as an Agricultural Engineer. Frederick married Dorothy May Ware on 5 Feb 1924 at East Chiltington,Sussex, and they went on to have one known child.   By the 1939 Register he was living at 26 St John Street, Lewes, Sussex, now described as a Fitter and Agricultural Engineer.  He died in 1967.