Name
Francis George Simmons
Conflict
First World War
Date of Death / Age
01/11/1918
33
Rank, Service Number & Service Details
Private
54098
Manchester Regiment
22nd Bn
Awards: Service Medals/Honour Awards
Not Yet Researched
Cemetery/Memorial: Name/Reference/Country
GIAVERA BRITISH CEMETERY, ARCADE
Plot 5. Row D. Grave 10.
Italy
Headstone Inscription
Not Researched
UK & Other Memorials
Not listed on the Hertfordshire Regimental Memorial, All Saints Church, Hertford
Pre War
Son of William and Sarah Simmonds, of Mortlake, Surrey; husband of Elizabeth Ann Simmonds, of 20, Ashleigh Rd., Mortlake, Surrey.
Wartime Service
Formerly 21697 in the Bedfordhsire and Hertfordshire Regiment.
Additional Information
His headstone inscription reads: “SOUL OF MY SOUL I SHALL MEET THEE AGAIN AND WITH GOD BE THE REST”.
This man’s connection to the Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire Regiment may be misleading. This combined regiment was not officially formed until 1919, but arguably the process began in May 1918 with the amalgamation of the remnants of Hertfordshire Regiment with those of the 6th Battalion, Bedfordshire Regiment. When men died before 1919 it is likely that they were officially still in one or the other of the individual regiments. In the absence of other information we are recording them as related to Hertfordshire, rather than miss such a relationship.
Acknowledgments
Jonty Wild
