Broadcaster uncovers tale of WW1 choir star

A promising chorister from Derbyshire, who gave up his musical career to serve in World War One, is being remembered more than a century after his death.

Historian and broadcaster David Olusoga has uncovered the story of Frank Reginald Froggatt, from Eyam, after researching names on the village's war memorial.

Born in 1888, Froggatt grew up in a family with deep musical roots, became a choirmaster and went on to tour the world. He dropped his music career to enlist in WW1 in 1914 and died in modern-day Iraq in 1917.

Olusoga said: "War memorials are among the most familiar historical landmarks in Britain, but for many of us the names engraved on them have become distant and anonymous."

Froggatt's father, grandfather and great-grandfather had all served as choirmasters at the village's parish church, with Froggatt following in their footsteps.

Before he turned 21, Froggatt became the youngest member of the famous choir of Dr Henry Coward, visiting Canada, New Zealand, Australia and South Africa as part of a world tour.

Newspaper reports reveal that among fellow choir members he became affectionately known as "The Cherub".

After returning to Britain, Froggatt continued building his musical career. He performed at concerts and was appointed tenor soloist at Exeter Cathedral, one of the country's most prestigious musical posts.

But when war broke out, he chose to give up his career in September 1914 and enlisted alongside his three brothers - Earnest, Jack and Harold.

Serving with the 1/4th Battalion, Devonshire Regiment, he rose from Pte to L/Cpl, deployed to India and later Mesopotamia. Here, Froggatt helped run a field library and reading room for fellow soldiers, distributing books throughout the division while serving near the front line.

On 3 February 1917, at the age of 29, Froggatt was killed in action in what is now modern-day Iraq near the city of Kut-al Amara - 100 miles south of Baghdad.

Reports sent to his family stated a sniper shot him while he was observing from a captured Ottoman trench.

He was buried at Amara War Cemetery and a memorial service was held at Exeter Cathedral, where colleagues remembered him as the first member of the cathedral choir to lose his life in the war.

His story was uncovered by a new digital tool from Findmypast, Military Lives, which connects names on war memorials with millions of historical records and newspaper archives to reveal the people behind the inscriptions.

Olusoga, who appeared on the first series of Celebrity Traitors, said: "What struck me about Frank was not only the tragedy of his death, but the richness of the life he lived before the war.

"By uncovering stories like his, we can begin to see these memorials not simply as monuments to conflict, but as memorials to individuals whose lives helped shape the communities we know today.

"War memorials are among the most familiar historical landmarks in Britain, but for many of us the names engraved on them have become distant and anonymous.

"Yet every inscription represents a life that extended far beyond military service and a loss that was felt by families, neighbours, workplaces, and entire communities.

"This Remembrance, I'd encourage everyone to visit your local memorial, select one name, and go online to discover their story."

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