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© The Wooster Family Group
Frederick Arthur Wooster (1892-1979) - Stand to Your Horses! By Gay-Lynn Beighton (Granddaughter)Frederick Arthur Wooster (Fred Wooster) was born on 16 Apr 1892 in Norwood, Middlesex to parents George and Olive (nee Munger) Wooster and was a great grandson of John Wooster and Ann Ives. - Tree Early Life Fred served in the military for three years in the pre-war period in the Duke of Cambridge's Own 8th Middlesex Regiment. No records for his service have been located, but his service is noted on his Attestation documents in WW1. Fred and his brother Percy had tickets to sail on the Titanic. His mother was sick and asked them not to go. So he sold the tickets and honoured her wishes! She died a few months later.1 Emigration to Canada Fred first emigrated to Canada in 1912, although on his re-entry form of 1920 it indicates he may have first visited in 1910. He was certainly in England in 19112, working as a coal office clerk and living with his widowed father, sister Edith and brother Percy. World War 1 Fred enlisted in the Canadian Overseas Expeditionary Force on 23rd Jun 1915 and enroled in Lord Strathcona's Horse Regiment.
Fred's Unit (First Troop C Squadron) taken at St Pol. Picture: Stand to your Horses by Captain S H Williams The regiment was raised in 1900 by Lord Strathcona at his own expense to fight in the Boer War in South Africa. The regiment was disbanded at the end of that war but reformed in 1909. In modern times they are a regular armoured division of the Canadian Army and are based in Edmonton, Alberta. Fred's regiment, along with the Royal Canadian Dragoons and The Fort Garry Horse were involved in what was likely the last cavalry charge of WW1 in The Battle of Moreuil Wood on 30th March 1918. A strategic area, the Canadians were ordered to recapture the lost ground after a German advance and this is thought to be a pivotal moment in WW1 as the charge weakened the Germans sufficiently to allow the recapture of the area, although it was August before that was achieved.
Lord Strathcona's Horse Regiment was decimated with an estimated loss of 70% of the men and Fred's story within this is remarkable in that he was one of only two survivors in his unit. A book (front cover shown to the left - click on photo to see pages relevant to Fred) detailing the wartime exploits of the regiment entitled "Stand to Your Horses" written by Captain S H Williams MC has a description of Fred's involvement. The author states that Fred was the only person he could find who charged clean through both German lines and lived to tell the tale. The truth is that my mother, his daughter Olive Caroline Shettler (nee Wooster) hated war and forbade him from talking about it. So I only remember him telling me once that he ran his sword through a German soldier on the ground who was shooting at him while he was galloping on his horse. This is referenced on p 208 - "He (Fred Wooster) says that at the first line of Germans he went through quite correctly with sword, in line and got his man in quite correct style". In the book he then goes on to say that when he hit the second German line he got so excited that he forgot about the sword in line and tried to club the man with his sword. Having got through both lines of the enemy, he found himself all alone thinking he was possibly the only survivor and seeing a large party of Germans farther along, he swung around and made his way back, giving a hand to a wounded man from 4th troop, who was then hit by a shell and died. The charge of Flowerdew's squadron by Alfred Munnings
On 12th Jun 1918, Fred was awarded the Bravery in the Field medal for his actions at Moreuil Wood.The Post-War Years - Marriage and Family In 1919 he visited family in England and attended a dinner at the Savoy Hotel in London, from which we have a signing sheet of attendees, which included Winston Churchill! See Programme and signing sheet Fred married Ada Caroline South on 10th Mar 1920. Fred and Ada returned to Canada on 9th April of the same year and they had three daughters born in 1921, 1924 and 1929.1 Working Life Fred and Ada started in Canada with very little. They ultimately became the owners of Kelvin Florist on Henderson Highway in Elmwood, now a part of Winnipeg, Manitoba Sources 1. The Diary of Olive Caroline Wooster 2. 1911 Census: Registration District Number 127, Sub-registration district Hayes, ED 12, Piece 6794
Fred's medals - Victory, British War Medal and 14-15 Star with the Bravery in the Field medal on the right
Page last updated
05 August 2026