London 1/25th Regt

Frederick John Metters was a member of the 1/6th Devons, and at one stage he was attached to the 1/25th London Regt. This information is from the Medal roll of soldiers entitled to the India General Service Medal for serving in the 3rd Afghan War in 1919, a conflict in which the 25th Londons were involved. His entry in the medal roll reads :-
Regt. No. 265297, Private, Metters, Frederick John, 1/6th Devons att 1/25th London Regt., 1908 medal - No, Entitled to 1919 IGS medal, Yes, Discharged. 392.XXv. 5-12-22.

Frederrick stayed on in India until at least 1920 as he was married in Madras on the 14 Feb 1920 (see bio below).

Frederick was born in South Molton, Devon in the 10th June 1897 the son of John Henry Metters, and his wife Elizabeth (nee Manley). He served during the First World War with the 2nd Devons, where as No 1694 Private he was awarded the Victory Medal the British War Medal and the Territorial Force War Medal. He must have decided that the military life was for him as he transferred to the regular army and though he remained with the Devonshire Regiment, he was given the new number of 265297. He stayed on in the army after the war and was posted to serve in India with the 1/6th Devons and and, while attached to the 1/25th London Regiment, he was awarded the 1908 Indian Medal with ‘Afghanistan 1919’ clasp. On the 14 February 1920, he married Marjorie Annie Vesey Brown in St Mark’s Church, Bangalore, India where it is recorded that he was a ‘Sergeant RE’. However, the 1921 ‘Absent Voters’ list for South Molton in 1921 states that he was “5611233 Sgt 2nd Devons”. He was discharged from the army on the 5 December 1922 under paragraph 392 XXV of King’s Regulations, which state ‘ (xxv) His service being no longer required’.

He returned to South Molton before moving to Exeter where he was employed as a carpenter. He had four children, two of whom pre-deceased him. His wife died in Exeter in 1958. Frederick died on the 4 November 1988 in Exeter aged 91.

[Bio courtesy of Brian Williams]