Frederick Harry Vincent was born at 7 Pine Parade, Highmoor on 30th December 1915. Fred was the fifth of six children born to Frank Vincent and Florence Mary Coakes. His siblings were:
Nathaniel Frank Vincent, born 5 March 1906, married Vena DORIS Broomfield Q3 1929, died Q4 1966.
Sydney Jack Vincent, born 10 December 1909, married Hannah Louisa Kate Pitt Q2 1934, died Q4 1975.
Cyril George Vincent, born 30 April 1911, married Agnes Jane Spence 15 September 1944 in Dyce, Aberdeen, died Q4 1981.
Harriet May Vincent, born 30 April 1913, married Frederick Alfred Dominey Q2 1948, died 24th October 1995.
Violet Kate Vincent, born 21 July 1920, married Robert Spence (brother of Agnes Jane) November 1947, died Q1 2002.
As a boy Fred was a keen footballer. He played for Talbot Village School and Poole Town. The photograph shows the 1927 Talbot Village school football team. Fred is in the back row 2nd boy from the left. Behind him is the Rev Benjamin Clutterbuck. In the second row, 2nd from the left is Fred’s lifelong friend Jimmy Hawkins.
After leaving school Fred was worked as a slaughterman.
The next two photographs appear to be taken on the same day. One is of Fred with two friends and the other with some of his family which, since his youngest sister still has some growing to do, suggests a date of early 1930s. Jimmy Hawkins is in both photographs. The name of the other friend is unknown but he appears to be in Navy issue clothing. Fred never talked about the 1939-45 war during which some of his close friends were killed. Among the local born naval war dead was Edmund Admont Draper. Edmund, born in Parkstone on 24 Mar 1913, was the son of a slaughterman. He joined the navy as a Boy II Class on 10 July 1928 and enlisted for 12 years on his eighteenth birthday. If it is Edmund in the photograph it was likely taken when he was home on leave. Edmund was a Leading Signalman on HMS Grenville and was one of the 77 of the 175 ship’s complement who were killed when HMS Grenville struck a mine and sank outside the Thames Estuary on 19 January 1940.
In 1915 Frederick Etches leased a couple of fields at Talbot Village Farm to create an aerodrome for the Bournemouth Aviation Co. After the company moved to a new aerodrome at Ensbury Park in 1917 the site became a show ground although it was used as an air strip by Amy Johnston when she visited Bournemouth on 27 August 1930 (link to British Pathe short film showing Amy landing) and by the US Army Liaison Unit in May and June 1944. Between 1933 and 1936 the Talbot Village and Wallisdown Carnival was held at the showground to raise funds for the Bournemouth Hospitals.
Fred rode one of four decorated penny-farthing bicycles in the 1934 parade from the Lodges, High Road to the farm on Wednesday June 27th where he finished third in the penny-farthing race.
Fred was a member of the St John Ambulance.