Soldier Record

My great uncle, the youngest brother of my grandmother, Nellie Bailey. Frank was a Christmas day baby, born 5 months after his own father's death in a horrific rail accident. The youngest of four children, Frank was effectively raised by my grandmother who was 6 when he was born. Their mother provided for her little family by carting coal and coke, and emptying the night closets of the local school. He was at first reported wounded in action then missing, and the family never knew what had happened to him, visiting seances to try and contact him. In fact he was killed by German sniper fire on 23 August 1918 when storming Achiet le Grand on the way to taking Bihucourt. He had joined up in December 1914, giving up his teaching job, serving first with the Northamptons where he became a serjeant, then transferring to the Rifle Brigade. Remembered with honour at Vis en Artois cemetery.