{"id":157,"date":"2016-11-25T19:58:56","date_gmt":"2016-11-25T19:58:56","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blogs.kent.ac.uk\/rochesterborstalfirstworldwar\/?p=157"},"modified":"2016-11-25T19:58:56","modified_gmt":"2016-11-25T19:58:56","slug":"atkinson-frank-edwin-1896-1817","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.kent.ac.uk\/rochesterborstalfirstworldwar\/2016\/11\/25\/atkinson-frank-edwin-1896-1817\/","title":{"rendered":"Atkinson, Frank Edwin (1896-1817)"},"content":{"rendered":"

Third son of Joseph Atkinson and Ellen Matilda Atkinson (Sell). <\/strong><\/p>\n

1901 Census aged 5 living at 64 Brompton Lane, Strood with his parents and 2 brothers and two sisters. His father is a grocer\/Shopkeeper<\/p>\n

1911 Census aged 15 at 48 Weston Road, Strood with his father and his elder brother and sister. Frank is listed as a Milk Boy and father a Senior Gas Meter Collector. Hi mother had died in 1905 and his other sister in 1906<\/p>\n

Military Career<\/strong><\/p>\n

Enlisted in Royal West Kent Regiment, service number G\/4597<\/p>\n

At the time of his death he was a Corporal in the 10th<\/sup> Battalion Royal Fusiliers (City of London Regiment) and died on 11th<\/sup> April 1917 in the early stages of the Battle of Arras.<\/p>\n

Service No G\/61873.<\/p>\n

The note in UK, Army Registers of Soldiers’ Effects, 1901-1929 states – Death presumed on or since 11.4.17.<\/p>\n

He has no known grave and is listed on the Arras Memorial, Pas de Calais France http:\/\/www.everymanremembered.org\/profiles\/soldier\/739106\/<\/a><\/p>\n

His father died 4 days later and his sister, Mabel N Atkinson is listed as next of kin and received his effects of \u00a38 2s 3d which was split between the surviving family. He has a memorial tablet on the family grave in Strood Cemetery.<\/p>\n

Extract from the War Diary 10th Battalion Royal Fusiliers (City of London Regiment) <\/strong><\/p>\n

11th<\/sup> April 3am. Orders received to attack and take MONCHY LE PREUX at 5.30am. Major R. A. Smith arrived to take command.<\/p>\n

After a stubborn resistance, the village was entered & occupied, the enemy placing on it a very heavy barrage.<\/p>\n

By 3pm were all entrenched about the western edge of the village except for a small advanced part on eastern side of the village. Enemy shelling of village very intense, & the Cavalry who entered the village about 100am suffered severe casualties.<\/p>\n

At 11pm the Battalion was relieved by the Queens (12th<\/sup> Div: )<\/p>\n

12th<\/sup> April<\/p>\n

Terrible night of heavy snow & very cold. Marched to FEUCHY CHAPEL, arriving therat 2am, spent the remainder of the night in ruined houses. Total casualties 9th<\/sup> -11th<\/sup> 12 Officers & 240 ORs<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Sources<\/strong><\/p>\n

Ancestry.com sources<\/p>\n

England & Wales, FreeBMD Birth Index, 1837-1915<\/p>\n

1901 Census Class: RG13; Piece: 721; Folio: 87; Page: 32<\/p>\n

1911 Census Class: RG14; Piece: 3873; Schedule Number: 201<\/p>\n

Military-Genealogy.com, comp. UK, Soldiers Died in the Great War, 1914-1919 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2008<\/p>\n

England & Wales, National Probate Calendar (Index of Wills and Administrations), 1858-1966, 1973-1995 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2010.<\/p>\n

National Army Museum; Chelsea, London, England; Soldiers’ Effects Records, 1901-60; NAM Accession Number: 1991-02-333; Record Number Ranges: 685001-686500; Reference: 408<\/p>\n

The National Archives of the UK; Kew, Surrey, England; First World War and Army of Occupation War Diaries; Class: WO 95 Piece 2532: 111 Infantry Brigade (1915 \u2013 1919)<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Research<\/strong><\/p>\n

Biography compiled by Sean Ryan<\/p>\n