Name
Frank Matthews
1881
Conflict
First World War
Date of Death / Age
03/09/1918
27
Rank, Service Number & Service Details
Private
220508
Royal Berkshire Regiment
8th Bn.
Awards: Service Medals/Honour Awards
British War and Victory medals
Cemetery/Memorial: Name/Reference/Country
VIS-EN-ARTOIS MEMORIAL
Panel 7.
France
Headstone Inscription
NA
UK & Other Memorials
Not on the Tring memorials
Pre War
Frank Matthews was born in 1891 in Buckland, Aylesbury to George Matthews, farm labourer, and Mary Ann (nee Day).
On the 1901 Census the family of parents, George Edmund (born 1883), Daniel (born 1889), Frank, Jane (born 1894), and Albert (born 1901) were living at Buckland Common, Aylesbury.
On the 1911 Census the family of parents, George and Frank were working as farm labourers, Daniel was farm horseman, and Albert were living in Buckland, Tring.
Wartime Service
Frank enlisted as a Territorial in the Oxfordshire & Buckinghamshire Light Infantry as Private 2190, No Service Record was found for him. He received his new serial number of 265581 while still serving with the Ox & Bucks in the Territorial renumbering in 1917 and was transferred in early 1918 to 8th (Service) Battalion, Princess Charlotte’s (Royal Berkshire Regiment) possibly after the Battles of Passchendaele as Private 220508
This Battalion was part of 53 Brigade 18 (Eastern) Division and in Sep 1918, they fought in the Battles of Albert (21-23 Aug) and 2nd Bapaume (31 Aug-3 Sep), it was in the last action that Frank was reported killed in action, his remains were not recovered and he is remembered on the Vis-en-Artois memorial.
Additional Information
War Gratuity of 18 10s and arrears of £30 2s 3d was paid to his father.
Brother George served with 2nd Battalion, Ox & Bucks Light Infantry as Private Day, 8182 and was killed in action on 1 Nov 1914. He is remembered on the Menin Gate Memorial, Ypres.
Acknowledgments
Neil Cooper
Jonty Wild
