WALDUCK Frederick Selwyn

Awarded the Military Cross (M.C.)

Frederick Walduck attended Bromsgrove School from 1908 to 1914.
Source: Bromsgrove School at War 1914-19 by Philip Bowen and Bromsgrove School at War 1914-19 by David Cross.

Frederick Selwyn Walduck was the son of Henry and Gertrude Walduck nee Barklam. Henry was a director of a construction engineering company and the couple had 3 children:
Frederick Selwyn Walduck born 1897 at Kings Norton
Cyril Francis Walduck born 1899
Mary Gwendoline L Walduck born 1900

The family resided at the Beeches, 46, Kings Norton Lane, Kings Norton, subsequently at Caspidge, Finstall, Bromsgrove.  Frederick was a university student prior to leaving for France in June 1915.

Bromsgrove Droitwich and Redditch Messenger, 13th May 1918:
Lieutenant F S Walduck, Royal Field Artillery, who has been awarded the Military Cross, is the eldest son of Major H J Walduck, Royal Field Artillery of Kings Norton. He was educated at Bromsgrove School and was at the Birmingham University when war commenced, leaving there, on being gazetted to the South Midland Brigade of the Royal Field Artillery in 1915. He went out to France and has since been with the South Midland Brigade, whose headquarters are at Stoney Lane. The act in recognition of which the Military Cross was awarded was described in the London Gazette as follows:
On a tunnel, in which the personnel of the Railway Company were sheltering being blown in, he volunteered to lead a party for 400 yards over a shell-swept area, to aid in extricating the buried men. Though the whole area was being heavily shelled, he continued to dig, in order to extricate the buried men until the task was completed. He displayed marked courage, determination and contempt for danger.

His brother, Lieutenant Cyril Francis Walduck also served in the Royal Field Artillery. He went to France on 23rd August 1918.