Frank Stone- Wootton



Village memories: Straight Bit (picture from SWOP website)

No picture available


SECOND LIEUTENANT 18TH BATTALION KING’S ROYAL RIFLE CORPS
WHO DIED ON 21ST SEPTEMBER 1917
REMEMBERED WITH HONOUR TYNE COT MEMORIAL,ZONNEBEKE,
WEST-VLAANDEREN,BELGIUM.
GRAVE REF: PANEL 115 -119 162A, 163A

Frank Stone- Wootton (sometimes spelt as Wootten) was born in 1891 in Surrey. His parents were Frank & Minnette. He had two siblings, an older sister Minnette b in 1888 and a younger sister Ellen b in 1893. Both parents were born in London.
In 1901 the family were living in Cambridge at the Prince of Wales Hotel where Frank the elder was a “coffee refreshment contractor”. Frank junior is aged 9yrs. In 1911 the family are now living in London and Frank junior is now working as a Dock clerk aged 19yrs. His father is listed as an “inspector of military messing”! working for an Army food contractor. Sister Minnette is an assistant teacher and Ellen is an assistant milliner.The address is 12A Caithness Road, Brook Green, Hammersmith.
During WW1 Frank was with the King’s Royal Rifle Corps and saw many engagements in France and Belgium. They were formed in 1915 and landed at Havre on 3rd May 1916.
During 1917 they were involved in the Battle of Messines, Battle of Pilkem Ridge, the Battle of Menin road and operations on the Flanders coast. The last two battles were part of the Third Battle of Ypres.
During the first few weeks of September 1917 the spirit of the army was raised by good weather but advancement saw many casualties due to counter attacks from the enemy. It is during this time that Frank was killed in action.
His medal card shows a regimental number of R4792 with the King’s Royal Rifles when he was ranked Company Quarter Master and then he was 2nd Lieutenant with the same regiment.
His medal card records his father's name as Frank and the address as “The Hammock”, Flackwell Heath, Nr High Wycombe, Bucks.
His parent’s grave is in Little Marlow Cemetery with an inscription to Frank “missing Sept 17th 1917 aged 26yrs”. His sisters also lived in Flackwell Heath and both died as spinsters. Minnette died in 1959 and at that time was living at 1, River View, Heath End, Flackwell Heath. When she died she left everything to her sister Ellen who was probably living with her.

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