Frederick Sumsion was born in Brighton (UK) on 5th April 1880.

I have not been able to find the names of Frederick’s parents or been able to locate him on any census forms prior to 1901. In that census  he is listed as a Boarder, aged 20, living in Worthing, West Sussex. He was a Market Gardener.  Ancestry.co.uk

Frederick married Sarah Ann Church in 1904 according to the Registrations of Marriage on Ancestry

The 1911 census shows that the Sumsion family was living at 70, Asdown Rd, Worthing. Head of the household was Market Gardener Frederick aged 30.  He and his wife Sarah who was 31 (born in Worthing, Sussex) had a son named Frederick Stanley and he was 5 years old. Also living at the property were Alice Maud Cooper, Sister-in-law age 28 and Hilda Grace Cooper, niece age 3.

Frederick and his wife emigrated to Halifax, Canada in 1913 under the resettlement scheme, and by that time they had another son by the name of William who had been born in 1912.

Frederick’s army records tell us that he enlisted into the Canadian Over-Seas Expeditionery Force on 28th May 1916 at Toronto. He was described on his medical form as being 5ft 6ins tall with a dark complexion brown eyes and dark hair. He had previously served six months with the 12th York Rangers. After training in Canada, Frederick embarked from Halifax aboard the S.S.Olympic on 28th April 1917 and disembarked in Liverpool on 7th May 1917 when he was posted to West Sandling Army Camp. He served in U.K. and was transferred to 134th Canadian Infantry Battalion and 12th Canadian Reserve Battalion at Whitley Army Camp. On 24th January 1919, Frederick was transferred to Kinmel Army Camp in Rhyl, North Wales. Sadly Frederick contracted Bronchial Pneumonia, and was admitted to the Canadian General Hospital where he died on 8th February 1919.

(From Library of Canada Archives)

Kinmel Park Camp was a segregation camp used to house Canadian Soldiers awaiting repatriation to Canada after the end of WW1. Unfortunately the conditions at that time were extremely harsh with a lack of every kind of commodity, the camp was overcrowded and the services were poor, there were shortages of clothing, food and blankets. As a result of this situation, a vast number of servicemen and women became ill and many succumbed to the Influenza Epidemic or complications associated with this infection.

All of Frederick’s effects, Medals, Plaque and Scroll were sent to his wife, Sarah A. Sumsion, 17, Ketchum Ave, Toronto.

Frederick Sumsion is buried in St. Margaret’s Cemetery, Bodelwyddan.

He is commemorated on the Canadian Virtual War Memorial.