Name
Frank Victor Thornton
1889
Conflict
First World War
Date of Death / Age
10/07/1916
27
Rank, Service Number & Service Details
Private
19108
Bedfordshire Regiment
2nd Bn.
Awards: Service Medals/Honour Awards
1914 /15 Star, British War and Victory medals
Cemetery/Memorial: Name/Reference/Country
ABBEVILLE COMMUNAL CEMETERY
V. C. 3.
France
Headstone Inscription
HE SLEEPS WITH ENGLAND'S HEROES IN THE WATCHFUL CARE OF GOD PEACE PERFECT PEACE
UK & Other Memorials
Hitchin Town Memorial, 4 Co' Hertfordshire Reg' Territorials’ Memorial, Hitchin, Not on the Preston Memorial, Ascott under Wychwood War Memorial, Oxfordshire
Pre War
Frank was born in 1889 in Walcot, Oxfordshire and baptised on 7 Jul 1889 in Charlbury, Oxfordshire. At that time his parents, William and Ellen Kate (sometimes just Kate) Thornton (née Palmer), were living in Walcot, with William working as a carter. They had married on 7 February 1880 in Bourton on the Water, Gloucestershire.
In 1891 the family were living at Shorthampton village, Oxfordshire,. Present were both parents: William (34) and Ellen (31), with William working as an agricultural labourer and carter. Their children were: Thomas W (10), Frederick G (8), Ellen M (4), Beatrice A (2) and Frank Victor (1).
By 1901 the family had moved to Shipton Road, Ascot, Oxfordshire. Present were both parents, William working as a carter on farm. Of the children Thomas, Ellen and Beatrice were absent, but Frederick and Frank had two new sisters Edith Kate (9) and Annie Elizabeth (3).
By 1911 the family had moved again, this time to Small Stones, Wychwood Chilson, Charlbury Oxon. Present were both parents, William now working as a farm labourer. The census recorded they had been married for 31 years with 8 children, of whom 1 had died. Of all the children only Edith and Annie were present. Frank has not yet been found in the 1911 census, perhaps that is when he had moved to Hitchin.
Officially he was recorded as born in Charlbury, Oxon and was living in Hitchin when he enlisted there.
Wartime Service
Frank enlisted in Hitchin around November 1914 and joined the Bedfordshire Regiment, serving as Private 19108 in the 2nd Battalion, arriving in France on 22 June 1915.
However a month later he was admitted to No. 2 General Hospital in Le Havre with influenza (22 July 1915) and discharged to duty after 11 days, sent to camp as reinforcements. When admitted he was recorded as 27 and had been in the Army for 8 months and in the field for 1 month.
The Battalion fought in the Battle of Loos in September 1915 and were in support trenches near Maricourt when the Battle of the Somme began on 1 July 1916.
The Battalion had moved up to trenches near Machine-gun Wood in the old British front line on the 9th July 1916 and later were told to attack Trones Wood the following day. At 11.00pm on the 10th July 1916 the Battalion moved up to Briqueterie Road then to the Sunken Road under shellfire prior to the attack on Trones Wood. Whether he was wound on the 10th or before in not known for certain but died of wounds on the 10th.
As he was buried in Plot 5, Row C, Grave 3 in the Abbeville Communal Cemetery, Somme in France, it seems likely he was wounded before that date and brought via Amiens to one of the Nos. 2 or 5 Stationery or the No. 3 British Red Cross Society Hospitals at Abbeville.
A private inscription on the headstone reads "He sleeps with English heroes in the watchful care of God. Peace perfect peace".
Additional Information
In the St. Mary's Parish Magazine it states that his home was in Preston, near Hitchin but his name does not appear on the Preston Church War Memorial.
After his death £10 11s 3d pay owing was authorised to go to his mother, Kate, on 20 September 1916. Later, a war gratuity of £7 was authorised to be paid to her on 3 September 1919.
His pension cards record his mother, Kate Thornton, living in Ascot under Wychwood, Oxfordshire, as his dependant. She was awarded a pension of 5s week from 6 November 1918.
Acknowledgments
Brenda Palmer
Adrian Dunne, David C Baines, Jonty Wild,
