tracking frank

FRANK SYDNEY WALKER 1897-1984

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My grandfather, Frank Walker, was a member of the 8th Brigade Royal Field Artillery during the Great War. Like many others, he joined up under age (he was 17 – the minimum qualifying age was 19). He entered the Theatre of War in France/Belgium on

19 August 1914, just a fortnight after Britain had declared war on Germany. He'd originally joined the King's Royal Rifle Corps on 20 April 1914 and transferred to the RFA on 1 July 1914. His Service Record indicates that he spent a total of 4 years 221 days in France (until 24 April 1919).

Perhaps not surprisingly, he never spoke to us about the war. As a family, getting on for a century later, we find ourselves left with only a few half-remembered stories, some medals and the odd photograph. Frank was not a war hero (no more than all the others who went to fight) but I wanted to find out more about what he was doing/where he was and to understand a little of what it must have been like to have been a soldier during that time.

The following endeavours to tell his “story”, mainly through access to War Diaries at The National Archives (some sections are very much still “in progress”):

5. 1917 DIARY (incomplete)

6. 1918 DIARY (incomplete)

7. MEDALS

8. ARMY PAPERS/SERVICE RECORDS

9. MISCELLANEOUS NOTES

HAVE you forgotten yet?...

For the world's events have rumbled on since those gagged days,

Like traffic checked while at the crossing of city-ways:

And the haunted gap in your mind has filled with thoughts that flow

Like clouds in the lit heaven of life; and you're a man reprieved to go,

Taking your peaceful share of Time, with joy to spare.

But the past is just the same-and War's a bloody game...

Have you forgotten yet?...

Look down, and swear by the slain of the War that you'll never forget.

Extract from “AFTERMATH” by Siegfried Sassoon, 1920

INTRODUCTION

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Photo: thought to have been taken in Ireland during initial training (Frank is 5th from left in the middle row).

Germany declared war on Russia on 1 August 1914 (following assassination of Franz Ferdinand on 28 June). Germany declared war on France on 3 August (and poured into Belgium). The British Foreign Secretary sent ultimatum to Germany demanding its withdrawal from neutral Belgium. Germany failed to withdraw and Britain declared war on Germany on 4 August.

On the outbreak of the First World War, it was decided to send Sir John French and four infantry division to Belgium. By October 1914 the BEF had seven infantry and three cavalry divisions in France and Belgium.
Note: In 1921, to make some sense for historical description of the continual and complex battles, the various actions were defined and named by the Battles Nomenclature Committee.
Where relevant, these have been highlighted appropriately and links provided to various websites.

1915 DIARY

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Taken from 38th Brigade Royal Field Artillery War Diaries (National Archives).
You can track Frank’s locations during 1915 by following this map link.

1+2 January 1915: At Messines.
3 January: Withdrew to Dranoutre to overhaul guns.
4-6 January: -
7 January: Moved to Neuve Eglise.
8-10 January: -
11 January: Engaged various targets with good effect. Howitzer shells dropped in enemy trenches (enemy forced to evacuate).
12-26 January: -
27 January: No change. Kaiser’s birthday – all quiet.
28-30 January: -
31 January: Enemy shelled fairly heavily road in front of 65th Bty between 3-4pm.

1 February: Still at Neuve Eglise. 37th Bty attached to Indian Corps (or 28th Div); 61st Bty grouped with 27th Bde RFA; 65th Bty grouped with 28th Bde RFA.
2-7 February: -
8 February 1915: Frank posted from 38th Brigade to 12th Brigade.
8 February: At Armentieres: Field howitzers opened fire of 24th Bty; they were engaged and eventually silenced. “Daily allowance of ammunition exceeded. The hostile fire then increased”. 12th Bde at La Houssoie: did not fire.
9 February: Fired four rounds at Goods Station near Rue du Bois (“4th round went through roof”). Lt McHair of 87th Bty wounded in morning.
10+11 February: 38th Bde did not fire.
12-15 February: -
16 February: Shelled crossroads at Blanc Coulon.
17+18 February: Dispersed working party.
19+20 February: -
21+22 February: One gun sent to new position near L’Armee to register trenches.
23-27 February: -
28 February: “Germans put two light shells through house occupied by observation party – but all the men got out in time”.

1-8 March: -
9 March: Registered trenches in front of Bois Blanc.
10 March: Bois Grenier.
11 March: Frank posted to 72nd Battery.
12-21 March: -
22 March: Big attack made successfully on Neuve Chapelle. Fired on firing line trench in retaliation for shelling Bois Grekier. Fired 8 rounds.
23-29 March: -
30 March: Registered French by La Houssoie. “Two German batteries opened fire and we immediately located. Fired 36 rounds”.

1 April: -
2 April: Registered trenches in front of Wez Macquart.
3+4 April: -
5 April: Battery re-assembled at its position Rue des Charles.
6-12 April: -
13 April: “3pm: Shelled hotel at La Houssoie – obtaining five direct hits”.
14-29 April: -
30 April: “Life continued as before”.

www.1914-1918.net/bat10.htm: Second Battle of Ypres 22 April – 25 May 1915www.spartacus.schoolnet.co.uk/FWWypres2.htmNote: War Diary file at The National Archives contains booklet by Col E Harding-Newman, published 1919: “Action of the 37th Battery RFA in the Second Battle of Ypres, 22 April – 3 May 1915”.

1-22 May: -
23 May: Co-operated with the 49th Division in attack on some houses at Touquet. 12th Bde cut wire and bombarded trenches to east of Bois Grenier-Radinghem road.
24-29 May: -
30 May: Poreringhe. One section from each battery went into action. 72nd Bty temporarily detached from 38th Bde and joined 24th Bde north-west of Ypres. 24th and 134th Bty relieved 149th and 366th Bty of 146th Bde.
31 May: Relief of 146th Bde completed. Zone of 38th Bde is from Verlorenhoek road to Roulers railway.

1 June: Ypres. Quiet day.
2 June: Germans shelled Ypres and district heavily during afternoon.
3 June: 24th and 34th Bty registered and 65th Bty fired six rounds at German trenches, obtaining 3 direct hits.
4+5 June: 24th and 34th Bty registered. 65th Bty not engaged.
6 June: 24th Bty located and silenced field battery. 34th Bty registered. 65th not engaged.
7 June: 24th and 65th Bty each dispersed small party of Germans. 65th Bty afterwards fired at German sausage balloon and caused it to descend.
8 June: Ypres. Fired at party of Germans walking up lane.
9 June: Searched road from Verlorenhoek to Frezenberg. Direct hit obtained on some buildings and also later fired to stop sniping at the request of infantry.
10 June: Fired at working party in the trenches.
11 June: -
12 June: At 5.30pm fired a few rounds at field gun which was shelling north of Potijze and it stopped at once.
13-15 June: -
16 June: Assault on Bellewarde Ridge. Wire cutting and bombardment took place from 2.50am-4.15am and was effective. By 5.45am Bellewarde Farm had been taken. De Bellewarde: 38th Bty formed barrage preventing reinforcements from coming up from north-east. Fire on Bde used in moving to disperse counter attacks.
17+18 June: Not engaged.
19 June: Shelled German front line trenches.
20 June: Ypres. Silenced a battery and then turned on observation station. Also shelled railway station at 1am at the request of infantry (who were being shelled with gas shell in this area).
21 June: Engaged howitzers and afterwards shelled enemy trenches.
22 June: Took part in operations to take an earthwork and to make a trench running north from it to join our own trench crossing the Roulers railway. Bombardments at 10 minute intervals.
23+24 June: Quiet day.
25 June: Fired a few rounds at Verlorenhoek road.
26 June: Registered anti-aircraft gun and silenced it.
27 June: Shelled parties of men behind wood and registered an enemy gun emplacement in this wood at 9am.
28 June: Ypres. Registered three line trenches and shelled centre of Frezenberg in retaliation. Silenced howitzers which were shelling in the direction of Menin Road.
29 June: Shelled field guns.
30 June: Shelled woods as working party was reported there. Also shelled observation station in trench south of Roulers railway.

1 July: Ypres. Shelled wood.
2 July: Heavy guns turned on to trench. Germans seen to run away down Roulers railway. Also shelled observing house. Fired a few rounds in retaliation at Verlorenhoek dip.
3 July: At 6.30am was again shelled with gas shell. Trenches fired on in retaliation.
4 July: Occasional rounds.
5 July: Ypres. Engaged field guns which were shelling our trenches. They stopped firing.
6 July: Took part in a fire demonstration from 5.30-6.30am. Targets engaged (trenches). Owing to mist, little movement could be seen but some Germans were seen coming up communication trench and were shelled to good effect.
7 July: Obtained direct hit on advanced post. Shelled working party in Prinz Oskar Farm.
8 July: Silenced field guns.
9 July: Shelled party of 30 men in trench.
10 July: -
11+12 July: Shelled suspected observing houses.
13 July: Shelled working party on railway bank (battery retaliated). Germans rushed our advance post at Stink Houses on Verlorenhoek road. Batteries at once turned to form a curtain of fire round this post, while it was re-taken by our bombing parties.
14+15 July: Shelled working party.
16 July: Fired on trenches in retaliation. Shelled observing house and working party.
17 July: Shelled and dispersed working party leaving dug-out near railway.
18 July: Parties of men dispersed by Battery. Farm shelled.
19 July: Shelled working parties. Gun opened on our trenches at 1.15pm and was engaged. Retaliated on German trenches.
20 July: Exploded mine near Hooge. German artillery opened fire on numerous points and battalion commander asked for artillery support.
21 July: Shelled working party. Engaged field gun and scattered some Germans. Germans replied on 24th Bty billet and burnt it to the ground. Retaliatory fire on observing stations.
22 July: Ypres. Further fire on working parties and house (Stink Houses).
23 July: Four or five direct hits observed on chateau near Menin Road(?).
24 July: Shelled Verlorenhoek hollow and Prinz Oskar Farm in retaliation for single gun shelling. Shelled chateau “apparently hitting periscope”.
25+26 July: -
27 July: Shelled Frezenberg crossroads in reply to howitzer shelling south of Menin Road.
28+29 July: Fired on working party and anti-aircraft gun.
30 July: Ypres (note: war diary written by Lt Col Phillpotts). Co-operation during attack near Hooge to recapture lost trenches. Preliminary bombardment lasted from 2.00-2.45pm. Lots of action.
31 July: Continuing engagement.

1-7 August: Ypres.
8 August: All batteries fired intermittently during the night on German trenches between Bellewarde Farm and Roulers.
9 August: Infantry Brigades attacked Hooge.
10-30 August: Every day continuing engagement (summary).
31 August: A quiet day.

1 September: Single gun located. All batteries retaliated on German trenches.
2-30 September: Continuing engagement (every day)(summary).

1-21 October: Ypres.
22 October: 38th Brigade relieved by 24th Bde. Batteries were billeted in farms between Watou and Houtkerque. “The Brigade has come out for 3 weeks rest – the first it has had for nearly 12 months”.
23-26 October: -
27 October: The King reviewed detachments of 6th Corps today. 38th Bde sent 20 men”.
28-31 October: in rest.

1-22 November: At rest in Watou.
23-30 November: 34th and 24th Bty and Bde staff moved to Volkerinckhove. 72nd detached to Berthen.

1 December: Volk. Brigade in exercising camp near Watten.
2-5 December: -
6 December: In rest at Escquelbec.
7-15 December: -
16 December: One section of Battery goes into action at Ypres relieving battalions of 48th Bde, 14th Division.
17 December: Relief completed.
18 December: Ypres.
19 December: Germans commenced gas attack at 5.30am. “All batteries fired on their front line trench throughout most of the morning, retaliated occasionally during afternoon”. No infantry attack.
20 December: Retaliated hostile shelling in afternoon.
21 December: Continuing action.
22+23 December: -
24 December: 24th Bty was shelled with gas shells from 9am-2pm. No casualties.
25-31 December: Continuing action.

1916 DIARY

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Taken from 38th Brigade Royal Field Artillery War Diaries (National Archives).You can track Frank’s locations during 1916 by following this map link.

1-25 January 1916: Ypres. Continuing action.
21 January: According to Frank’s Service Record, he was admitted to hospital with Pyrexia (medical term for trench fever).
22 January: Frank’s Records indicate that he was “discharged to duty” after one day in hospital.
23-31 January: Ypres. Continuing action.

1 February: Ypres. Continuing action. Lots of shelling and retaliation.
2-11 February: -
12 February: 24th Bty shelled House X. Germans bombarded 20th Division on left – an aftermath on 12 using smoke barrage which drifted on to 24th Bty zone. 24th Bty opened a barrage. Retaliated and shelled Low Farm tramway. 34th retaliated throughout the day and shelled screen which again appeared on Oskar Farm.
13-23 February: -
24 February: Brigade retires to rest in Houtkerque.
25-29 February: -

1-9 March: -
10 March: Frank’s Service Records indicates that he was posted to 72nd Battery of 38th Brigade RFA.
11-15 March: -
16 March: Brigade distributed as follows: 2 Section 24th Bty in action at Ypres; 72nd Bty at Berthen; remainder about Zeggers Cappel.
17-31 March: -

1-18 April: Berthen.
19 April: 72nd Bty relieved at Berthen by 42nd Bty, 2nd FAB.
20 April: Ypres. 38th Bde (72nd Bty position B28.b91/2.1).
21 April: Trenches having been lost in the night. 72nd Bty fired intermittently on trench and shelled at Willow Walk.
22-23 April: Systematic bombardment carried out on night of 22nd/23rd from 10pm to re-take lost trenches. “Attack successful”. 72nd Bty dispersed working party near Von Kluck cottages at 7.30am on 23rd.
24 April: 72nd Bty shelled suspected working party.
25+26 April: Continuing action.
27 April: 72nd Bty retaliated for trench shelling (also obtained direct hits on Trench Mortar emplacement).
28+29 April: All batteries retaliated for shelling and trench mortaring.
30 April: 72nd Bty stopped working party at Von Kluck cottages at 4.35am.

1 May: Ypres.
2-4 May: Continuing action.
5 May: 72nd Bty shelled machine gun at 12.30am and working party on Mushroom at 9.30am. Later retaliated on Mushroom for shelling of our trenches.
6 May: Retaliated on trenches.
7 May: 72nd Bty shelled Gournier Farm and neighbourhood and also retaliated on Mushroom and High Command Redoubt.
8+9 May: Continuing action.
10 May: “The Brigade retaliated heavily for very heavy shelling of all on front and support lines”.
11-31 May: Continuing action every day (eg. 30 May: 72nd shelled MGs on High Command Redoubt at 9.16pm at request of the infantry”).

1-18 June: Continuing action.
19-30 June: Brigade rest at Zegger Cappel.

The Battles of the Somme 1 July-18 November 1916
http://www.1914-1918.net/bat15.htm
http://www.1914-1918.net/bat15_what.htm

1-11 July: Brigade rest at Zegger Cappel.
12 July: 72nd went into action at Brielen Farm to relieve Battery of guards. DA doing digging fatigues. Brigade relieves batteries of Lahore Division supporting the Canadians.
13 July: 24th and 72nd Bty marched up to wagon lines and each relieved one section of two Batteries in action.
14 July: Ypres. Brigade HQ marched up into action.
15-20 July: Continuing action every day.
21 July: A bombardment of trenches about Hooge was carried out by 6” howitzers and 4.5” howitzers. 72nd Bty and 11th CFA fired shrapnel over bombardment area. The bombardment referred to lasted from 11am until 12.25pm (with 20 minute interval at 11.30am).
22-26 July: Continuing action.
27-31 July: Brigade in XIV Corps Reserve Area at Houtkerque.

1-3 August: Brigade in XIV Corps Reserve Area at Houtkerque.
4+5 August: Brigade billeted in Louvencourt.
6 August: Brigade marched to Bertrancourt.
7 August: Bertrancourt. Batteries commenced action in front of Beaumont Hamel covering 25th Division Infantry.
8-15 August: Mailly-Maillet. Right group in action.
16 August: Brigade relieved in the line by 29th DA and returned to wagon lines at Bertancourt.
17 August: Brigade marched to 6th Divisional Artillery at Vauchelles Les Authie.
18 August: Marched to Outrebois.
19 August: Marched to Havernas.
20 August: Marched to Daours.
21+22 August: Marched to Bois Des Tailles.
23 August: Marched to Carnoy (relief of 2nd DA by 6th DA completed).
24 August: Carnoy. Brigade registered during day and shelled communications by night.
25-28 August: Shelled communications.
29 August: Commenced bombardment – as preliminary to attack on Guillemont in morning. This was stopped by order at 3pm.
30 August: At 6.15pm, fired for a short time in reply to SOS signal.
31 August: Continuing action.

The Battle of Guillemont 3-6 September 1916
http://www.ww1battlefields.co.uk/somme/guillemont.html
http://www.firstworldwar.com/battles/guillemont.htm

1 September: Carnoy. All batteries retaliated for the shelling of our trenches.
2 September: During the night, carried out bombardment about the north end of Guillemont (8am-6.30pm) as preliminary to attacking the village.
3 September: Bombarded as 2 September from 6am-12 noon. Infantry attacked at 12.04pm along whole front from Ginchy to junction French and British (72nd Bty “formed a creeping barrage all the way”). At 4.10pm all objectives reported gained. At 5.50pm Ginchy reported re-taken from 7th Division.
4 September: “At 9.30am firing ceased. Guillemont in our hands”.
5-8 September: -
9 September: 4th Army resumed attack. 38th Bde supported a Bde of 16th Division in attack south of Ginchy.
10 September: -
11-14 September: New positions.
15 September: General attack started at 6.20am. 38th Bde supported attack of 2nd Guards Bde. Objective = Les Boeufs.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/worldwars/wwone/mirror05_02.shtml

16-23 September: Attack continued 10am on 16 September. Held up about 300yds from Les Boeufs. 38th Bde formed creeping barrage. Trones Wood: counter-attack repulsed. Main line is now 500yd short of Les Boeufs.
24 September: Guillemont. Searched ground in Brigade zone.
25-27 September: Attacks resumed.
28-30 September: nil (just night-firing).

1-4 October: Infantry attack line. 38th Bde put up creeping barrage. “Attack successful”.
5 October: SOS signal received at 7.40pm. Stopped firing at 8pm as German attack appeared to be well in, left of our zone.
6 October: -
7 October: Guillemont. Series of diary entries of battle
“3.15pm: Enemy fire in N28+29 slackening, but heavy shelling of Les Boeufs. 150 prisoners coming down”;
“11.06pm: stopped. All quiet. This attack eventually proved to have reached Spectrum trench only”.
8 October: Continuing action.
9+10 October: Fired about (Le?) Transloy.
11 October: “Bombardment by our heavies. Chinese attack at 3.15pm”.
12 October: Attack resumed.
“2.05pm: zero hour; 4.10pm: infantry asked for thicker barrage on line N28.b8.2-29.C.3.3. Quickened up 72nd Bty; 5.00pm: infantry satisfied with barrage”.
13-27 October: Continuing action.
28 October: Dewdrop trench taken.
29 October: Continuing action and night firing.
30+31 October: nil (night firing at 29 October).

1-3 November: Continuing action.
4 November: Guillemont. Night firing about trenches near Le Transloy.
5 November: Attack resumed. 24th and 72nd Bty shelled Sleet trench. Stopped firing at 5.30pm.
6 November: nil.
7+8 November: Batteries considered out of action.
9 November: Brigade withdrawn to Meaulte. No Brigade taken its place.
10 November: Meaulte.
11 November: Marched to Talmas at 4am.
12 November: Talmas.
13 November: Brigade marched to Amplier at 8.30am.
14 November: Brigade marched to Grand Buret at 10.00am.
15 November: Brigade marched to Orlencourt at 9.25am.
16 November: Brigade marched to Cauchy a la Tour at 9.50am.
17+18 November: Brigade marched to St Venant.
19 November: Brigade HQ in La Ventie.
20 November: La Ventie. Brigade in action.
21-30 November: Continuing action every day.

1-5 December: La Ventie. “Normal. Trench Mortars bombarded front line”.
6 December: Fouquieres. Relief completed.
7 December: -
8 December: Annequin. Relief completed.
9+10 December: Registrations.
11-27 December: Continuing action “normal”.
28 December: “Germans at 10pm on night of 27 December shelled batteries and village of Annequin with gas shell continuously for six hours. We retaliated, supported by the heavens”.
29-31 December: Continuing action.

1917 DIARY

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in progress.

1918 DIARY

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in progress

ARMY PAPERS/SERVICE RECORDS

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ENLISTMENT:
Frank joined The King’s Royal Rifle Corps in Birmingham on 2 January 1914 (image).

SERVICE RECORD:
First entry, dated 2 December 1914, shows Frank being posted to the 38th Brigade. The final entry indicates his transfer to Section B Army Reserve on Demobilisation dated 23 May 1919 (2 images: “Casualty Form – Active Service”).

COURT MARTIAL:
Paper indicates that Frank was sentenced on 22 October 1914 to two years imprisonment HL (hard labour?) for “leaving his post before being regularly relieved, when a soldier acting as a sentinel on active service” at Pavillion Farm, Jury, France on 3 September 1914 (just two weeks after arriving at the Western Front)(image).

STATEMENT OF SERVICE:
First entry indicates Frank being attested to The King’s Royal Rifle Corps on 20 April 1914 and finally being discharged on 19 April 1926 (two images).

Discharge certificate (note: Alan has copy) states that he was discharged from the Royal Artillery on 19 April 1926 at Woolwich, having served 7years 46days with the colours and 4years 319days in the Army Reserve.

11 November 1918:
Germany signed an armistice with the Allies – the official date of the end of World War One.

MISCELLANEOUS NOTES

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Photo1: detail from the Royal Artillery Memorial at Hyde Park Corner (by Charles Sargeant Jagger).
Photo2: Artillery in action.

Infantry/Artillery Context: Worthwhile bearing in mind the following (from Geoff Dyer’s book ‘The Missing of the Somme’): “Sixty per cent of casualties on the Western Front were from shell-fire, against which shelter was the infantryman’s only defence. Artillery fire transformed the foot soldier from an active participant in conflict to an almost passive victim of a force unleashed randomly around him. ‘Being shelled’, Louis Simpson claimed later, ‘is actually the main work of an infantry soldier’”.

Horses (another quote from Geoff Dyer’s book ‘The Missing of the Somme’): “In footage and photographs of the war there are horses everywhere. So many of them it is easy to think you are watching an early Western, set in an especially dismal period of the American Civil War. In St Jude’s Church, Hampstead, there is a memorial to the 375,000 horses killed in the war”.

Ypres: In his novel ‘Fields of Glory’, Jean Rouaud gives a terrifying description of life in the kind of ‘sullen swamp’ that is the ‘enduring truth’ of the Ypres battlefield:
“Little by little, abandoned corpses sank into the clay, slid to the bottom of a hollow and were soon buried under a wall of earth. During an attack you stumbled over a half-exposed arm or leg. Falling face to face on a corpse, you swore between your teeth – yours or the corpse’s. Nasty the way these sly corpses would trip you up. But you took the opportunity to tear their identification tags off their necks, so as to save those anonymous lumps of flesh from a future without memory, to restore them to official existence, as though the tragedy of the unknown soldier were to have lost not so much his life as his name”.

"Old Contemptibles": was the title adopted by the men of the BEF who saw service before or on 22 November 1914. They were the originals, and most were regular soldiers or reservists. They derive their honourable title from the famous "Order of the Day" given by Kaiser Wilhelm II at his headquarters in Aix-la-Chapelle on 19 August 1914: "It is my Royal and Imperial Command that you concentrate your energies, for the immediate present upon one single purpose, and that is that you address all your skill and all the valour of my soldiers to exterminate first the treacherous English; walk over General French's contemptible little Army."

War Diaries: were produced by each unit, recording day-to-day activities in some detail (note: Steve checked these out at The National Archives, summer 2008). They represent an amazing documentation of the unit’s war involvement. The early (numbered) separate pages of the diary were fairly crude (very thin paper and glued into files for The National Archives’ records; after a few weeks, these were replaced by individual diary sheets (still on thin paper) with the following heading: “War Diary or Intelligence Summary (erase heading not required)”. Locations are carefully recorded in capital letters (although some spellings may be incorrect as Steve hasn't been able to trace all locations).

MEDALS

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Victory Medal: RFA/214B page 22724
British Medal:
1914 Star Medal (with 14 Clasp): RFA/20 page 62.

Note: The Star Medal was instituted in 1917 for service ashore in France and Flanders between 5 August and 22 November 1914.
In 1919 a clasp bearing the above dates was authorised and given to those individuals who had actually been under fire between the prescribed dates.

Under “Action taken”:

1914Clasp 28981.CHR. iv.1719/c.d/25.11.20 (guessed?)
Theatre of War Qualifying Date: 19 August 1914.

Photo: Frank’s Medal Roll Index from The National Archives and the medals themselves - with the Clasp has been laid over the Star Medal(note: Alan has the medals in his possession).

1914 DIARY

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Taken from 8th Brigade and 38th Brigade Royal Field Artillery War Diaries (National Archives)
You can track Frank’s locations during 1914 by following this map link.

20 April 1914:
Frank enlisted with the Royal Artillery at Winchester.
Regimental no: 78965, 8th Brigade Royal Field Artillery
Note: Frank formed part of the British Expeditionary Force (BEF) - which numbered some 120,000 men in August 1914 - that had been set up following the Boar War in case it was necessary to take part in a foreign war.
Note: August 1914: 5th Division Artillery expeditionary force incorporating 37th, 61st and 65th Batteries (commanding officer: Lt Col EJ Duffus).

17 August: Unit left Dublin North Wall and sailed to France (note: Frank’s unit apparently undertook its training in Ireland).
19 August: Landed at Le Havre about 12 noon.
20+21 August: Entrained.
22 August: Arrived Landrecies at 5am and marched to Bavay.
23 August: Marched to Dour and joined up with remainder of 5th Division. Entrenched 0.25 mile west of Boussu.
24 August: Position attacked at dawn. 37th Bty came under heavy fire but engaged enemy’s infantry “with great success”. At 1pm division retired in direction of Athis but on reaching Pre Feuillet, 65th Bty ordered into action to repel attack on left flank (61st Bty came into action south of Montignies Sur Roc to help repel same attack. Bivouacked between Wargnies Le Grand and St Waast Les Bavay.
25 August: Retired with 5th Division and marched to Reumont (via Bavay, Engle, Fontaine, Montay) and went into bivouac. Attacked on left flank by enemy’s infantry.
note: Despatch no.1 letter calling for reports of gallant conduct.

www.1914-1918.net/bat2.htm:
Battle of Le Cateau 26 August 1914

26 August: Le Cateau: Moved from bivouac at 4am; very little time to entrench before enemy opened fire (causing severe losses in 28th Brigade and some infantry trenches). 65th Bty materially assisted with their fire in beating off two attacks on Troisvilles and neighbourhood from NW. Had run out of ammunition by 2pm.
Meanwhile, infantry attack had developed on 13th Infantry Bde from direction of forest. 61st Bty did very good work in stopping enemy’s infantry advance and preventing them gaining the plateau. This Battery did not retire until they had fired their last round and all 13th Infantry Bde had left their trenches.
37th Bty successfully withdrawn during night under heavy fire.
27 August: After marching all night, Bde reached St Quentin at 6am and bivouacked at Rocourt. Resumed marching at 1pm to Ollezy (via Roury, Fluquieres, Tugny and St Simon) where Bde bivouacked with remainder of Division. During the day and preceding night, retreat had been carried out without attack by enemy “who must have been too severely handled in the previous day’s battle to be able to pursue”.
28 August: Departed 8.30am for Pontoise (via Cugny, Berlancourt and Noyon).
29 August: Bivouacked all day. Moved to Carlepont at 8.30pm.
30 August: Departed 2am and marched to Croutoy (via Bascule, Rue de Val and Attichy).
31 August: Bde left at 8am and marched to Crepy en Valois (via St Etienne, Pierrefonds, Morienval and Fresnoy). Bivouacked at Haxemont Ferme.

1 September: Placed under orders of GOC 14th Infantry Bde and took up position at Sablieres. At 1pm, 61st and 37th Bty opened fire on 2/3 squadrons of enemy’s cavalry near Raperie.
2 September: Departed bivouac south of Nanteuil en Valois at 3.30pm and marched with remainder of 5th Division to Iverny.
3 September: Left Chambre Fontaine at 7am and formed part of rearguard to 5th Division. Came into action south of La Baste to cover “retirement of our outposts”.

According to a document Steve obtained from The Army Personnel Centre in Glasgow in 2008:
3 September: Incident at Pavillion Farm, Jury in France.
22 October: Papers indicate that Frank was tried by a Field General Court Marshall and sentenced to “2 years imprisonment HL” (hard labour?) for “leaving his post before being regularly relieved when a soldier acting as sentinel on active service”.
Subsequent remarks indicated: “6 months imprisonment remitted” and “Sentence commuted by Corps Commander to 3 months Field Punishment no.1”.

Alan identified this website for an explanation of “Field Punishment no.1”.
As he pointed out in a subsequent e-mail to Steve:
“Leaving your post acting as a sentinel certainly was a serious offence. At that time there were 4 types of court martial and 2 of them, General Court Martial (GCM) and Field General Court Marshall (FGCM) could pass the death sentence! This remained the case until 1930. I like the way it states: ‘The British Army was composed of volunteers...who were regarded by many as lower beings, not fit for the niceties of British Justice’. The commander taking the hearing would act as judge and jury with very little chance of appeal. Field punishments were regarded as brutal by most soldiers - the offender may be kept in irons, attached by ropes or straps or made to labour. Plainly the incident occurred soon after Frank’s arrival - due to lack of knowledge, experience...or was he enticed away by a Mademoiselle? Records show that 7 people were executed for quitting their post”.

4 September: Remained in bivouac all day. Baggage wagons left for Ferrolles at 12 noon. Bde marched to Tournan (via Villeneuve). “Route to Tournan lay through forest and officer misguided column” (discovered by another officer)…. Much delayed by field ambulance, which was the leading unit, “having to reverse in a very bad muddy lane”.
5 September: Reached Gagny (south of Tournan) and remained there all day (note: southernmost point reached by Bde in its retirement after Le Cateau).
6 September: Advance begun (forming only artillery for 15th Infantry Bde). Marched to La Pointe by 1.30pm and bivouacked for 1.5hours. Moved on at 6.45pm.
7 September: Marched to Boissy le Chatel and bivouacked for night. Two shells wounded 2 men from Cheshires (who were in front of 8th Bde) when passing through Vaupleurs. Still attached to 15th Infantry.
8 September: Marched to St Ouen.
9 September: Located east of Charnesseuil-Rougeville road.
10 September: Marched to Chezy in Orxious (via Montreuil, Dhuisy, Coulombs and Brumetz; where batteries brought into action).
11 September: Marched to Billy Sur Ourcq (via Dammard, Neuilly and Chouy). Wet evening and cold night.
12 September: Departed 4am and came into action in late evening near Serches. Very wet night.
No supplies all day.
13 September: Three batteries went into action on heights north of Ciry to support attack of 13th Infantry.

www.1914-1918.net/bat4.htm:
Battle of the Aisne 12-15 September 1914

14 September: 37th+61st Batteries moved via Le Mesnil and crossed River Aisne by pontoon at Venizel. “Attack made by us on Chivres Heights just failed”. During afternoon, enemy’s guns opened fire from Chivres ridge (the wagons and teams of 61st+37th Bty were in this road… and had to be unhooked and placed under cover in neighbouring yards and buildings). 13 horses killed or destroyed between two batteries.
15 September: 61st Bty remained in action throughout day.
16 September: No change.
17 September: Enemy’s artillery bombarded Bucy Le Long.
18 September: No change.
19 September: No change. “Orders received for all obviously hostile aircraft to be fired at”.
20 September: -
21 September: No change.
22 September: 80th Bty opened fire on lower edges of woods on Chivres at daylight.
23 September: -
24 September: Heavy artillery turned on to enemy’s guns at Fort de Conde.
25 September: HQ of 8th Bde and 80th Bty RFA remained at St Marguerite.
26-30 September: -

1 October: Lt Col Duffus 8th Bde RFA in command of 61st+80th Bty.
2 October: At daybreak, HQ and 61st Bty “put horses under cover from aeroplanes”. Whole of 8th Bde marched with column consisting of 15th Infantry Bde, 108 Heavy Bty and 15th Bde to Nampteuil (via Serches).
4 October: -
5 October: Reinforcements joined Brigade.
6-12 October: -

www.1914-1918.net/bat6.htm:
Battle of La Bassee 12 October - 2 November 1914

13 October: 37th+65th Bty came into action at dawn to support advance of 14th Infantry Bde between Richebourg and Festubert.
14-15 October: -
16 October: At Gorre. Received orders to support attack of French division south of canal at Cuinchy. Support fire for French left on La Bassee Bridge over canal and Auchy.
17-19 October: Cuinchy and Festubert.
20 October: At Sailly Labourse. Came into action 1 mile west of Mazingarbe and Annequin.
21-30 October: -
31 October: Still at Gorre. Meerut Division relieved greater part of 5th Division (8th Bde not relieved).

1 November: Grouped at Gorre with 37th Bty, 4th Bde RFA, 20th Indian Infantry Bde; 61st Bty with 13th Bde RFA; 65th Bty with 9th Bde RFA.
2-13 November: -
9 November: Despatch from King George V to Sir John French (BEF):
“The splendid pluck, spirit and endurance shown by my troops in the desperate fighting which has continued for so many days against vastly superior forces fills me with admiration. I am confident in the final results of their noble efforts under your able command”.
14 November: Prisoners captured during night stated that enemy intended to attack at 6.30am. Troops warned but no attack took place.
15-18 November: -
19 November: Snow fell during aftwernoon.
20 November: No change. Sharp frost and roads bad.
21-26 November: -
27 November: 2/3rds Bde marched to Dranoutre (1/3rd remained at Gorre).
28 November: Occupying position north of Neuve-Eglise “battery was heavily shelled during the day and had three men wounded”.
HQ 8TH Bde went into billets at Croix de Poperinghe and rested.
29+30 November: -

1 December: Grouped at St Jans Cappel. 37th Bty attached to Indian Corps; 61st Bty in action north of Neuve Eglise; 65th Bty in action at Lindenhoek.
2 December: According to Frank's Service Records, he was transferred to 38th Brigade RFA.
3 December: King George V visited army in the field and presented medals (VCs/DSOs/DCMs).
4+5 December: -
6 December: Communication from King received:
“By your discipline, pluck and endurance, inspired by the indomitable regimental spirit, you have not only upheld the tradition of the British Army, but added fresh lustre to its history”.
7-13 December: -
14 December: Attack on Wytschaete (61st Bty fired 305 rounds and destroyed two houses being used as observing stations by the enemy).
15-24 December: -
25 December: Christmas Day: “Princess Mary’s Gifts and Xmas Cards from their Majesties The King and Queen distributed to every officer, NCO and man”.
26-31 December: Messines: No change.