On Friday 8 November 2024, a blue plaque was unveiled at 24 Congleton Road, St George. Since the plaque celebrates a war hero the date of the event was deliberately chosen to be close to Remembrance Sunday.
Fred Room was born in Horfield and his family moved to St George when he was a teenager. Fred enlisted in the local church Lads Brigade, at St Ambrose church, around the corner. It was a uniformed youth organisation specifically for the Anglican Church which aimed to instil Christian values and a military-style discipline into lads and young men aged from 13 to 21. Fred would have attended weekly parade nights which included Bible study, drill, physical training, first aid, marching and rifle shooting.
This training stood him in good stead: at the Third Battle of Ypres (Passchendaele) Fred distinguished himself with his stretcher-bearer party. The company was holding trenches, under intense fire from enemy machine guns and snipers. Fred worked steadfastly, dressing the wounded and helping to evacuate them.
Around forty people attended the event, along with ten children from Whitehall Primary School, the school which Fred attended. Two of the pupils assisted the Lord-Lieutenant for the County and City of Bristol, Peaches Golding OBE CStJ with the unveiling.
Military historians Clive Burlton and Jeremy Banning gave moving accounts of battle conditions at Passchendaele. They also worked with the Panel throughout on research and to organise the day’s events and make them memorable.
Thanks are also due to residents Dave and Nicky Summerhill for agreeing to the commemorative plaque and to Rev Nicola Coleman, Priest-in-Charge at St Ambrose church for allowing us to adjourn to the church to pay our respects at a war memorial. Parishioners provided welcome food and refreshments on what was the coldest day of the week.
Some attendees went on to nearby Greenbank cemetery to lay flowers at Fred’s grave. Altogether, a sombre and moving day for all those who attended.
Gordon Young