Thank you to John Callcut for letting us reproduce the following information, taken from his book: A Village at War. Newdigate in World War One.
Frederick William Goldberg, who was known as Fritz, was born at Clapton on the 4th April 1882 and like his brother was educated at Charterhouse and University College, Oxford, whence he graduated with honours in jurisprudence. Although he was not in the Charterhouse eleven he represented University College at cricket. He was called to the bar at Inner Temple in 1904 and during the same year he played hockey for England against Ireland. He was a prominent member of Redhill Lawn Tennis Club, playing right up to the start of the war, and took part in the Championships at Wimbledon. In June 1915 he joined the Inns of Court Officer Training Corps and in the November received his commission in the Queens. He was sent to Egypt in May 1916 and then to another front where he was attached to the Royal Dublin Fusiliers. The combined British Salonika Army under Lieutenant-General G. F. Milne C.B., D.S.O and the French Army were combating the Bulgarians who had advanced into Greek Macedonia. On the morning of the 3rd October 1916 preparations were made to capture the village of Jenikoj on the main Serres road. The operation was preceded by an artillery barrage and then an infantry brigade composed of the 6th Dublins and 7th Munsters with the 7th Dublins and 6th Munsters in support – took their objective with few casualties. As they advanced, some 7th Dublins were killed by their own artillery and both Dublin battalions were caught between the allied bombardment and a Bulgarian counter attack. Following this bombardment six or seven enemy battalions advanced with a view to enveloping the held position and succeeded in entering the northern portion of Jenikoj where the hard fighting continued all night until fresh reinforcements succeeded in clearing out the enemy. During this operation 385 men were killed, wounded or missing and 128 were from the Royal Dublin Fusiliers.
14th October 1916 © Surrey Advertiser
Frederick Goldberg was killed during the fight for Jenikoj on the 3rd October 1916 and is buried at the Struma Military Cemetery, ref III H2. Like his brother he is also remembered on memorials at Charterhouse, Temple Church and on his parents’ gravestone in Newdigate churchyard.
SEC-LIEUT. F. W. GOLDBERG
We record with deep regret that Sec. Lieut. Frederick William Goldberg. The Queen’s (Royal West Surrey Regiment), attached Royal Dublin Fusiliers, was killed in action on October 3rd. The gallant officer, who was thirty-four years of age, was the youngest son of Mr. L. Goldberg, of Newdigate and of Cadogan Gardens. He was educated at Charterhouse and at University College, Oxford, where he graduated with honours in jurisprudence. He was subsequently called to the Bar. Since July 1st 1910, he had held a public appointment on the staff of the Public Trustee. In June 1915, he joined the Inns of Court O.T.C., and in November of that year, he received his commission in the Queen’s. In May, 1916, he was sent to Egypt, and from there for another front, where he was attached to the Royal Dublin Fusiliers. His elder brother, H. W. Goldberg, who held a commission in the same regiment, who was killed in France in July, 1915. Lieutenant F. W. Goldberg was keen in games; he represented his College at cricket, Association football, hockey and lawn tennis, and obtained his “half-blue” for hockey and tennis. Later he got his international cap for hockey. In the lawn tennis world he was well known and for some years took part in the Championships at Wimbledon. He was a prominent member of the Redhill Lawn Tennis Club, which has suffered so heavily in the loss of some of its most distinguished players during the war.
Lieut. Goldberg was a man of refined literary tastes and a great lover of music. He will be remembered by many as a most loyal friend and by all who knew him as a man of wide sympathies and one who was guided in his conduct by the highest ideals of life.
Frederick Goldberg Obituary 14th October 1916 © Surrey Advertiser
| Born | Clapton, East London | |
| Son of | L. Goldberg of The Red House, Newdigate | |
| Brother of | Herbert Walter Goldberg | |
| Regiment | 3rd Battalion, The Queen’s Royal West Surrey Regiment, attd. 7th Battalion, Royal Dublin Fusiliers | |
| Date of Death | 3rd October 1916 | |
| Place of Death | Jenikoj, Greece | |
| Cause of Death | Killed in Action | |
| Age | 34 | |
| Cemetery | Struma Military Cemetery, Greece |
