Soldier Spotlight: Private Frederick Anderton

Image: Notes about Frederick’s military career from his military service file (Library & Archives Canada)

Regimental Number: 2684153
Rank: Corporal (reverted from Corporal to Private on June 24, 1918)
Branch: RNWMP; Canadian Light Horse

Frederick was born on December 17, 1889 in Claybrook, England. Prior to coming to Canada, he served with the Leicestershire Constabulary from 1910 until 1912. He joined the RNWMP at Regina on August 9, 1913 and continued to serve until 1937, apart from the time spent in the army during World War I. In 1915 he went to Fort Good Hope in search of two priests who were thought to have been murdered. At this time he was a sergeant in the Grande Prairie Detachment of the RNWMP. He enlisted in the RNWMP unit in 1918 and went overseas to serve in France. He arrived exactly one month before the Armistice and saw action in France and Belgium before being discharged on March 13, 1919. Anderton Channel in the NWT was named after him. Frederick died in Surrey, BC on October 20, 1974.

Source: Grande Prairie: Capitol of the Peace p. 56; RCMP Graves Database

Soldier Spotlight highlights veterans from the Archives’ online Soldiers’ Memorial. Each week, our volunteers select a remarkable individual to showcase in this blog series. The Soldiers’ Memorial commemorates more than 1,100 WWI veterans and 2,300 WWII veterans from our region. Three dedicated volunteers have contributed over 1,200 hours to this project by researching and writing biographies. Our goal is to have all South Peace soldiers acknowledged for their service. If you know of someone who lived in the South Peace and should be listed on the Memorial, or would like to get involved by researching a local veteran, please contact the Archives.

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