The Royal Canadian Regiment and
The First World War - 1914-1919

Warrant Officer (Class I)
Frederick Noel Carpenter

Regimental Sergeant Major, The RCR
26 Feb 1919 - 14 Mar 1919

Service:

• Born Litchfield, Staffordshire, England; 3 Dec 1881
• Enlisted in the British Army, aged 17 years 8 months; 22 Aug 1899
• Discharged from the British Army "at his own request on payment of £25.0.0 under Article 1142 Pay Warrant 1906" on 19 Oct 1907. Carpenter's service was 7 years, 199 days Army and 225 days Reserves for a total service of 8 years 59 days of which 2 years 315 days was spent abroad (South Africa).
• Carpenter enlists in the Canadian Permanent Force with The Royal Canadian Regiment on 6 Nov 1907. Age 25 years, 10 1/2 months. Prior service, 7 years, 199 days with the Duke of Cornwall's Light Infantry (D.C.L.I.) from 22 Aug 1899 to 19 Oct 1907. Next of kin: Herbert Carpenter (Father), Brasildon, Billencay, England. Regimental number 4819.
• Enlisted at Toronto; R.C.R., No. 2 Company; 6 Nov 1907
• Appointed Lance Corporal. Received Good Conduct pay at 2 cents per diem; 23 Nov 1907
• Permitted to reckon previous service in H.M.'s Regular Army towards maximum rate of pay; 6 Feb 1908
• Married to Ida Mary Simmons at Basildon, Essex, England; 20 Apr 1908
• Promoted Corporal; 12 May 1908
• Appointed Lance Sergeant; 7 Nov 1908
• Promoted (on probation) Sergeant; 22 Dec 1908
• Confirmed in the rank of Sergeant; 16 Feb 1909
• Son Thomas Stanley born to the Carpenters at Toronto; 20 Mar 1909
• Re-engaged for a further period of three years in the Permanent Force with The RCR; 5 Nov 1910
• Re-engaged; 5 Nov 1910
• Transferred on probation and appointed Sergeant-Instructor; later confirmed in rank effective 6 Jan 1912
• Re-engaged for a further period of three years in the Permanent Force with The RCR; 6 Nov 1913
• Re-engaged; 6 Nov 1913
• Attested at Valcartier for overseas service with the 9th Canadian Infantry Battalion. next of kin given as: Mrs Ida May Carpenter (Wife), 43 Howard Park Ave, Toronto, Ont. Her address later changed to 90 Pickering Ave, Toronto, Ont. He had prior service with the 2nd Battalion, D.C.L.I. of 8 1/2 years. Carpenter is described as 5-foot, 7 inches in height, with a dark complexion, grey eyes and black hair. His religious denomination was Church of England; 28 Sep 1914
• Sailed with the 9th Battalion from Quebec aboard the S.S. Zealand; 3 Oct 1914
• Promoted C.S.M.I; 6 Jan 1915
• While at Shornecliffe, reverts to rank of Colour Sergeant from Sgt Major at own request; 26 Mar 1915
• Sergeant Major; Chief Paymaster's Office (On strength with effect this date); 1 May 1915
• To Pay and Records Office, London; 5 May 1915
• Granted leave from 1 Sep to 7 Sep; 31 Aug 1915
• To 7th Can. Res. Inf. Bde., Shornecliffe; 13 Oct 1915
• Transferred to D of R & O; 18 Mar 1916
• Proceeded to Bath for duty as a Physical Instructor and TOS CCD & ED; 3 Apr 1916
• TOS 9th Battalion; 17 Apr 1916
• On Command to the Physical Training and Bayonet Fighting (P.T. & B.F.) Course, Aldershot; 25 May 1916
• Ceases to be On Command; 28 Jun 1916
• On Command as PT Instructor, Shorncliffe; 3 Jul 1916
• On Command Cananadian Hospital, Buxton; 6 Jul 1916
• Promoted Q.M.S.I.; 7 Jul 1916
• SOS 9th Bn and ceases to be shown on command, on transfer to CAMC for duty at Cdn Red Cross Hospital, Buxton; 17 Oct 1916
• "Extension of Service. 19249 RSM Carpenter FN (WO 1st Class), a member of the Permanent Force whose service of three years expired 31 Oct 1916 has been permitted to further extend his services for a period of three years from 31 Oct 1916 to 31 Oct 1919 and to continue holding the above mentioned rank."Carpenter's re-engagement paperwork confirms his next of kin as: Ida May Carpenter (Wife), 33 Heath Grove, Buxton.
• Ceases to be attached to Canadian Red Cross Hospital from the 9th Battalion and returned to Headquarters C.T.D., Shorncliffe; 8 Jan 1917
• Attached to C.M.S., Crowboro, for duty, to be School Sgt Maj; 12 Feb 1917
• Ceases to be attached and is TOS C.T.S. from 2nd C.O.R.D., Bexhill; 2 May 1917
• "Brought to the notice of Secretary of State for War for valuable services rendered in connection with the War." - LG 14 Aug 1918.
• Awarded Long Service and Good Conduct Medal, under provisions of the Royal Warrant 31 May 1895; 18 Sep 1918
• Proceeded overseas to C.C. Inf Sch, shown on command; 9 Oct 1918
• Ceases on Command to C.C. Inf Sch; 29 Oct 1918
• On Command to Headquarters Kemmill Park; 30 Dec 1918
• SOS to No. 6 Wing Camp 19, Kimmell Park, Rhyl; 31 Dec 1918
• Authorized to draw subsistence allowance; 31 Dec 1918
• SOS No. 6 Wing to The RCR Bramshott, R.S.M; 26 Feb 1919
• TOS NSRD from RCR Bramshott and posted to "B" Coy; 12 Mar 1919
• On Command to CDD Buxton; 7 Apr 1919
• Sailing No. D15-1-1; 4 May 1919
• Ceases On Command and is SOS to CEF Canada; 14 May 1919
• TOS No. 2 District Depot and SOS No. 2 D.D. on transfer to Instructional Cadre Permanent Force M.D. No. 2; 23 May 1919
• Discharged from the Permanent Force on demobilization with a view to pension; 5 Nov 1919
• Discharged with a view to pension after 12 years service with The RCR; 5 Nov 1919
• 4819 / 19249 Q.M.S.I. Frederick Carpenter signs his Proceedings on Discharge form at Toronto, Ont., following 12 years service and effective on 5 Nov 1919. Carpenters conduct and character is assessed as "Exemplary." He is confirmed as having the following medals and decorations: Queen's South Africa Medal (Clasps: Transvaal, South Africa 1902), Long Service and Good Conduct Medal, and entitlement to European War medals ("not yet determined"). At the time of his discharge, Carpenter is described as 37 years, 10 months of age; 5-feet 6 1/2 inches in height with a medium complexion, hazel eyes and dark brown hair. His trade is recorded simply as "soldier." Carpenter's intended place of residence is given as "Upper Canada College, Toronto, Ont."; 20 Nov 1919
• Deceased; 28 Apr 1955

Certificates:

• Sergeants Certificate No. 14370 (1908)
• Musketry and Maxim Gun certificate No. 19601 (1910)
• Instructor on the Instructional cadre, No. 22392 (1912)

First World War - Brought to the notice of Secretary of State for War (B List):

• R.S.M., Can Res Bde; 14 Aug 1918

Pro Patria

• The O'Leary Collection; Medals of The Royal Canadian Regiment.
• Researching Canadian Soldiers of the First World War
• Researching The Royal Canadian Regiment
• The RCR in the First World War
• Badges of The RCR
• The Senior Subaltern
• The Minute Book (blog)
• Rogue Papers
• Tactical Primers
• The Regimental Library
• Battle Honours
• Perpetuation of the CEF
• A Miscellany
• Quotes
• The Frontenac Times
• Site Map
• e-mail

 The RCR in the Great War
 War Diary
 Battle Honours
 Battle Bars and The RCR
 The RCR Battle Bar Ledger (pdf)

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 Honours and Awards
 Roll of Honour
 Prisoners of War
 Cemetery List
 Cemetery Map
 Courts Martial

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 Officers
 RSMs of The RCR (1914-1919)
 NCOs and Soldiers

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 An Officer's Diary (1914-1918)
 Recollections of a Nonagenerian (R. England) (1916-1919)
 On to Bermuda (1914-15)
  England and France 1915-1916 (Hayes; 1931)
 Overseas with The Royals (1915)
 Regimental History Pamphlet (1917)
 Amiens (1918)
 Cambrai (1918)
 Monchy-le-Preux (1918)

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 Badges - Signs of the Times

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 Under-aged Soldiers in The RCR
 Not All Were Volunteers; The RCR and the Military Service Act
 Sentenced to Death by Court Martial
 The 7th Trench Mortar Battery
 A Regimental Goat
 Regiment and Family, Bermuda 1914-15
 "March the Guilty Bastard In"
 Surrendered as Stowaway
 Re-Visiting the Great War Roll of Honour for The RCR

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 Canadian Corps Trench Standing Orders (1916)

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