Frederick Reed was a bus driver who married in 1937 and had a daughter. He joined the R.A.F. in August 1942 having lived in a rented room in  St. Pancras, London with another woman since June 1942. In December 1942 the couple were found dead in their London room. An inquest later concluded they had kiled themselves through gas poisoning. Frederick's widow lived in Chelmsford.

Frederick was born around 1913. He married Evelyn Green in Essex in 1937 and the couple had a daughter.

Aged 29, he died on 30th November 1942 at a house in Lyme Street, St. Pancras in London while serving as Aircraftman 2nd Class 1664467 in the Royal Air Force. That day a landlady discovered his body and that of Edith Sophia Gasiorowski (1906-1942) lying side by side in bed, both having been poisoned by the coal gas fire in the room they had rented since June 1942.  

The inquest into their deaths on 4th December 1942 was to conclude that they had taken their own lives whilst the balance of their minds had been disturbed.

The inquest heard from Frederick’s wife, who lived in Chelmsford, that Frederick, who before joining the R.A.F. at the end of August 1942, was a bus driver, Their marriage had been happy and her husband had always contributed to her support. Frederick’s wife knew that he had an association with Edith with whom he worked on the buses, but did not think it amounted to an infatuation. She had no idea he was in London.

A sister of Edith said she knew her sister had had an affair with a married man, but thought it was broken off. She last saw her sister when the latter visited her in Chelmsford the weekend before and she then seemed quite happy.

Frederick REED, Aircraftman 2nd Class, Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve

Committed suicide in London. Aged 29

Mrs. Janet McCrae, of Lyme Street, said the dead couple engaged the room in the name of Evans, She last saw them the weekend before their deaths and said that she thought Frederick was returning to duty from leave. On the following Monday, as she was unable to get into the room, she had the door forced, and saw them both dead.

Other lodgers at the house said that on the Sunday evening they were called by Mr. ‘Evans’ who said his ‘wife’ and himself had been asleep, and on waking found gas had been escaping. His ‘wife’ was feeling ill. He asked for a cup of milk, and this was taken to the room, and, as the woman was looking very unwell, one of the lodgers recommended a cup of tea.

P.c. Riddle said a tube leading from a gas ring rested between the bodies. The doors and windows were sealed with paper, and paper was also stuck over the fireplace and keyhole.

In recording his verdicts, the Coroner said the earlier gas incident seemed to be in the nature of an experiment.

Today Frederick lies in St. Pancras Cemetery (Section 5 D. Grave 151).

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