Frederick Thomas Arnott, was born in Roehampton, Surrey on Monday, 20th August 1883. He was the youngest child born to George Arnott and Emma Why who had a family of six children who were; Anne Rebecca, William, Alice Mary, Sarah Jane, Martha and Frederick Thomas. William died at birth in 1875, whilst Martha and her father George both died in 1901 aged twenty and fifty-two respectively.

In 1901 when he was seventeen-years-old, Frederick worked at Grove House in Roehampton as a ‘Gardener’. Grove House was built in 1777 and had extensive gardens when Frederick worked there, one of fourteen servants employed at the house and gardens recorded on the Census return that year.

Young Frederick met his future wife Maria Pick, a native of Gloucester and a ‘Domestic Servant, when she came to the Roehampton area to work, possibly at Grove House. They married in 1906 in Chelsea and a year later the first of their four children was born; a boy whom they christened William Frederick. Their other children were; George Edward in 1908, Lorna Edith in 1909 and finally Miriam Alice in 1912. 

All four children were born in different locations indicating that Frederick and Maria moved frequently, presumably to take up new positions. They finally settled in Petworth in Sussex where it is likely that one or both worked at Petworth House and Gardens.

It was from here that Frederick went to join the Colours, attesting at Eastbourne in June 1915 and enlisting with the Royal Sussex Regiment. He went to Colchester to train and six months later he was sent to France where he was posted to the 7th (Service) Battalion Royal Sussex Regiment.

Frederick fought in the Battle of Albert which included the capture of the following towns; Montauban, Mametz, Fricourt, Contalmaison and La Boisselle. He was at the Battle of Pozières in late July and fought for Mouquet Farm where the ANZAC forces lost over 6,500 men in twelve days. In October 1916 Frederick saw action in the Battle of Transloy which included the successful capture of Eaucourt l’Abbaye and Le Sars

By the 12th February 1916, Frederick was with the Battalion in the trenches opposite Hohenzollern Redoubt at Auchy-les-Mines near Loos. Over the next eight days the 7th Sussex exchanged artillery bombardments and sniping with the enemy. The Battalion War Diaries recorded casualties on only two of those days, the 13th and 15th February and it was on one of these dates that Frederick was wounded. He was taken down the line to a Casualty Clearing Station for treatment but to no avail.

Frederick died of his wounds on Monday, 19th February 1917.

It is unclear why Frederick is commemorated on the Hemel Hempstead War Memorial as research has failed to reveal any link with the town or surrounding area. It may be that one of his sisters moved to the town and put his name forward for inclusion.

Frederick is Remembered with Honour in Avesnes-Le-Comte Communal Cemetery Extension, Pas-de-Calais, France where he is interred in Grave IV. B. 14.

He was 33 years old when he died.

Frederick was entitled to the British War Medal and the Allied Victory Medal.