King Edward’s School and the Great War

Frederick William Lister, born on 12th August 1892, was admitted to King Edward’s School in September 1904, earning a Foundation Scholarship a year later. He lived with his widowed mother, Harriet, at ‘Avalon’, Bunbury Road, Northfield.

At School, Frederick was a talented athlete, participating in running throughout his School career. He was also an exceptional student, placing first in his class in 1906. In 1907, he and his friend V Trought delighted the crowd at Birmingham Town Hall with their display of “scientific boxing”. After School, he worked as a clerk for a motor car manufacturer.

In August 1914, Frederick enlisted in the West African Rifles and in 1915, he gained a commission as a Second Lieutenant in the 1st Worcestershire Yeomanry. In 1916, he was promoted to the rank of Captain in the South Staffordshire Regiment, and a year later was attached to the Tank Corps, 3rd Company, 1st Battalion. In September 1918, he won the Military Cross for “conspicuous gallantry and devotion to duty. He led his tanks into action and directed them personally to their objectives up to the moment of their engaging the enemy. On two occasions, he rallied his tanks to deal with severe local opposition. Throughout two actions he was on foot with his tanks, and showed an absolute disregard for personal safety.” Thereafter he was promoted to Acting Major and sent to Wareham in Dorset, presumably to train new tank troops, but there, on 24th February 1919, he died of pneumonia, probably as a result of complications following a gassing earlier in the war. He is buried in St Lawrence’s Churchyard, Northfield.