Fred Talbot was a regular soldier. He joined the Army in 1900 aged 16 and served with the KDG in South Africa, the Mtd Police in Egypt, and then with the 4th DG in SA. In Aug 14 he was SSM A Sqn 4DG. He was a proud and accomplished cavalryman. 1/

He was mentioned in dispatches on 7 Sep & 8 Oct 14. ‘SSM Talbot worked forward with 4 scouts, close to the enemy and kept the squadron leader informed of enemy movements until daylight, this is the same NCO that has obtained the French decoration.’ 2/

This latter award, the Medaille Militaire, was presented to him in the field by King George V. By this stage he was acting RSM and he was confirmed as Regimental Sergeant Major in March 1915. He served at the Battle of the Aisne and the 1st and 2nd Battles of Ypres. 3/

In March 1917 he was commissioned into the Berkshire Regt & was immediately seconded to D Bn HB MGC. In Apr 17 his Coy Comd, Major Willie Watson, wrote about one particular incident where Fred’s background was put to good use. 4/

“Every precaution was taken to conceal the tanks from the enemy. My troop of Glasgow Yeomanry, under the direction of Talbot, who had been a sergeant-major in the Dragoons, rode twice over the tracks which the tanks had made in order to obliterate them by hoofmarks.” 5/

He was given a week’s leave at the end of May, his last time at home with his wife Violet whom he had married during his previous leave in Nov 16. On his return the prepared for action at Ypres. Captain Fred Talbot commanded 5 Section, 11 Company, D Battalion. 6/

On the night of 8 Oct, after 30 hrs continuous rain, Fred’s section & one other, 8 tanks in all, set out from St Julian along the road to Poelcapelle, aiming to take enemy MG positions that were preventing the inf from advancing towards the high ground & Passchendaele village. 7/

The road was narrow and severely damaged by shellfire, to slip off meant certain destruction as either side was a sea of mud from which no tank could be extricated. German artillery quickly found their range and all the tanks were hit and none returned. 8/

Fred was travelling in Lt Willis’s tank, D27, who reported that Fred had been severely wounded when the tank had been struck by shellfire. He wrote to Violet after the battle: 9/

'At 5.45 am we received a hit on the front from German artillery which wounded the Captain and myself. We evacuated the tank and crawled from one shell hole to another shoulder to shoulder. He received a hit from a machine gun or rifle and was killed instantly.’ 10/

Efforts were made next day to find the body but no trace was found. Fred had repeatedly said that he would never wear an identity disc. His company commander, Major Watson, wrote in his diary: 11/

‘Talbot, the old Dragoon, who had fought right through the war, did not come back. I never had a better section commander.’ Fred is commemorated at Tyne Cot.
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