Source: Michael Doyle Their Name Liveth For Evermore: The Great War Roll of Honour for Leicestershire and Rutland.
He was the son of Thomas Samuel Northen, a grazier and district council road surveyor, born 1855 in Thorpe by Water, Rutland and his wife Mary Elizabeth Northen (nee Colwell, married in the 2nd quarter of 1883 in the Uppingham, Rutland district), born 1855 in Lyddington, Rutland. Frederick Herbert was born on the 30th August 1891 in Thorpe by Water, his siblings were, John William, born 1885 and baptised on the 26th July 1885 in Lyddington, George Edward, born on the 20th October 1889, Margaret May, born 1893 and Daisy Eva, born 1896 and baptised on the 16th June 1895 in Lyddington, all his siblings were born in Thorpe by Water, in March 1901 the family home was at the Gate House, Thorpe by Water. In April 1911 Frederick was absent from the family home in Thorpe by Water, residing there was his father, a grazier and highways surveyor, his mother and siblings, John, a farm worker, Margaret, a dairy worker and Daisy, a schoolgirl, also residing in the family home was Frederick’s widowed maternal Grandfather, John Colwell, a retired grazier, born 1826 in Lyddington, Frederick was employed as a clerk and was residing as a boarder at Minster Precincts, Peterborough, Northamptonshire. Frederick first entered the theatre of war in France on the 14th July 1915, he was awarded the 1914-15 Star, British War and Victory medals. His elder brother George Edward fell in action in March 1916.
Frederick was educated at Market Harborough Grammar School and entered Messrs. Barclays Bank at Peterborough when he was sixteen years of age, afterwards transferring to Newark, Nottinghamshire. At both towns he was a prominent member of the leading cricket clubs, and was also a devotee of hockey. On the outbreak of war he enlisted in the 7th Battalion of the Lincolnshire Regiment and embarked on foreign service in France and Belgium during July 1915. He fought with the 7th Battalion of the Lincolnshire Regiment until December 1915, and then with the 6th Battalion of the Royal Berkshire Regiment from August 1916 until the 11th August 1917 when he was mortally wounded at Glencorse Wood during the Battle of Ypres, dying the following day in No. 44 Casualty Clearing Station. Captain N. B. Hudson, 6th Battalion Royal Berkshire Regiment writing of Corporal Northen, says:- Both as a soldier and a man I had the greatest regard and affection for him, as also, I know, did every officer and man in his company. He did his duty splendidly and cheerfully, and no man could have been more trustworthy. I knew he had been hit badly, but thought he would pull through, and it was a truly great blow to me to hear of his death. . . . I shall always miss him, both as a personal friend and a loyal and brave non-commissioned officer. Second Lieutenant H. R. Hooper, Platoon Commander, who was wounded on the 31st July, writes:- It will be some consolation to know that his life was not thrown away, for our Battalion attacked and captured very valuable ground in one of the worst parts of the line under very difficult circumstances. I never wish to have a better or braver man in my platoon, and if he had been spared he would have become Sergeant, or taken a commission.