Desborough Avenue allotments (picture from SWOP website)
Frank Sherwin's memorial, High Wycombe Cemetery
Francis James Sherwin 1877 – 1918
I am Francis (Frank) James Sherwin and I was born in 1877 in HIgh Wycombe, the son of Thomas William Sherwin and Margaret nee Hampson. I had 8 siblings, 2 brothers, (one who died when I was 6 years old) and 6 sisters. My father found employment where he could, he was a farm Labourer, a chair packer, and a carter. I found work as a French polisher for RJ Howland and Co where I worked for 16 years. My mother sadly died in 1908 and by 1911 my father had moved from Upper Baker Street to Oxford Road where he was living with my sister Eliza who was still single.
I had married Annie Collier in 1903 and we had 3 children Evelyn Frances, Gladys Winifred and Charles Edwin. Then the Great War changed everything. I joined the army on 28th July 1916 and I served in a number or regiments before I became Private S/26195 in the 1st (Garr) Battalion of the Seaforth Highlanders. I was one of their older recruits. We proceeded overseas and started out for Salonka on 29th March of 1918. This is where I sadly fell ill with dysentry and bronchitis. My wife was notified that I was seriously ill in the 42nd General Hospital in Salonika and she would have heard the news about the same time as everyone was celebrating the armitice, not that she would have been feeling well enough to do much celebrating herself as she and the children had all been ill, probably due the flu which was sweeping across Europe at that time.
Sadly I did not recover and died on the 19th November 1918. I was 41. Annie heard of my death a couple of weeks later. They buried my body in the Mikra British Cemetery, Kalamaria, Greece. My wife's last known address was 46 Desborough Avenue which was her mother's house and where we had all lived in happier times. I do hope she and the children managed to get along without me.
Researched by Margaret Anderton, Flackwell Local Area History Group and Sally Scagell, Lost the Plot
