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14/08/1895 - 22/07/1916

Place of birth: Catford, Kent
Last known address in Bromley: The Pines 19 Elmfield Road

Military information

Regiment/Service: Queen's Own Royal West Kent Regiment
Battalion/Ship: 1st Bn
Rank: Second Lieutenant
Number: Unknown

Family information

Parents: Frederick & Dora Kate Gillett (nee Taylor)
Parents' occupation: Merchant - tailor
Siblings: (1) Stanley Oborn, Dora Kathleen Marjorie, Lawrence Edwin George (2) Joyce, Audrey, Daphne Ruth, Humphrey Raymond, Eugenie Muriel

Census information

1901
Address: 64 Blythe Vale, Lewisham

Extra details

Frederick was the eldest of Fred Gillett's four children with his first wife Dora. Dora died when Frederick was 10 years old, two years later his father married Jessie Kathleen Pitt with whom he had another five children. Frederick was educated at North House School, Crawley, Sussex. When war broke out he was learning the Woollen business in Peebles, Scotland.

Frederick enlisted in the 5th Dragoon Guards at Dunbar and was trained at Aldershot before being sent to the Front in May 1915. Two months later he was offered a commission and after training requested to be gazetted to the Royal West Kents.

On the night of 22nd/23rd July 1916 the 1st Royal West Kents were involved in the attack on High Wood. There had been a preliminary bombardment, but this had not inflicted sufficient loss on the Germans, and they were able to hold High Wood. No significant gains were made, although the Royal West Kent's suffered 420 casualties, amongst these casualties were six Bromley men - L A Bartlett, F T Gillett, W E Nobbs, B C Read, W H Soans and G W Trueman.