Frederick William Cross was born in Moreton in 1894. He was the middle child of nine born to William George Cross of Moreton and Adelaide Cross (nee Higgins) of North Weston. In 1911 he was a 16 year old horsemen on a farm in Moreton living with his parents and eight siblings.

Frederick enlisted at Oxford with the Oxford and Bucks Light Infantry in October 1914, regimental number 18915. He was posted for training to the 3rd (Reserve) Battalion stationed at Portsmouth. At the end of September 1915 he was attached to the Royal Munster Fusiliers, and sailed for Salonika to join the 6th Battalion who had recently been withdrawn from Gallipoli. The battalion took part in the Macedonian campaign with the 10th (Irish) Division.

At some stage, Frederick was released back to his regiment , the Oxford and Bucks Light Infantry, and served at various times with the 5th and 2nd battalions on the western front, and finally with the 2/4th Battalion serving with the 61st (South Midland) Division, part of Gough’s 5th Army.

On the 21st March 1918, the first day of the German spring offensive through the Somme the battalion almost ceased to exist as a fighting force with over 520 casualties (killed, missing, wounded, or captured) whilst attempting to defend the Enghien Redoubt. Frederick was one of the missing, with no known grave. He was 24 years old.

18915 Private Frederick Cross, Oxford & Bucks Light Infantry, has no known grave and is commemorated on the Pozieres Memorial, Somme, France. He is remembered in Thame on the war memorial, Moreton war memorial, St Mary’s church memorial board and on the Moreton chapel memorial plaque.