BRASSINGTON, FRANCIS JOHN ("Frank")

Photograph with kind permission from the Uttoxeter Advertiser

 

Source

CWGC

SDGW

Uttoxeter Advertiser

Other

Parents

Mr. & Mrs. Brassington

 

 

 

2

Where born

Somershall, Derbyshire

 

Yes

 

 

When born

About 1894

 

 

 

7

Address

Parents: Somersal Herbert, Derbyshire

 

 

1b,

2

Parents & siblings: Somershall Herbert

 

 

1e

 

Uttoxeter

 

 

 

2

Doveridge, Derbyshire

 

Yes

 

 

Spouse

 

 

 

 

 

Children

 

 

 

 

 

Employment Before Joining up

Lion Hotel, Uttoxeter

 

 

1b

2

When enlisted

1914

 

 

1b

2

About October 1914

 

 

1b

 

Where enlisted

Burton-on-Trent, Staffordshire

 

Yes

 

 

Regiment

Sherwood Foresters (Notts and Derby Regiment)

Yes

Yes

1b, 1d, 1e, 1f

2, 4

Unit

11th Bn

Yes

Yes

1d, 1f

2

11th (S) Bn

 

 

 

2

Rank

Private

Yes

Yes

1b, 1c, 1d, 1e, 1f

2, 4

Service Number

19306

Yes

Yes

 

2, 4

Date of Death

1 October 1916

Yes

Yes

1d, 1e, 1f

2, 4

Age at time of death

22

 

 

1b

 

Where Killed or died

Somme – Le Sars

 

 

1e, 1f

2

Le Sair

 

 

1f

 

France / Flanders

 

Yes

 

 

How he died

Killed in Action

 

Yes

1b, 1c 1d, 1f

2, 4

Location of Grave or Memorial

Thiepval Memorial, Pier and face 10 C, 10 D and 11 A

Yes

 

 

 

Where commemorated

Uttoxeter Town War Memorial

 

 

 

2

Awards

1915 Star F/1B1 Page 83

 

 

 

4

Victory Medal F/103 B8 Page 1260

 

 

 

4

British Medal F/103 B8 Page 1260

 

 

 

4

 

 

Before the war Frank worked in the Lion Hotel in Uttoxeter1b. The building is now the premises for the Uttoxeter Advertiser, but it is still recognisable as an old inn. One of the original stained-glass windows can still be seen above the entrance:

 

His parents lived at Somersal1b and he enlisted in about October of 19141b.

According to his medal card4 he first served in France on 27th August 1915.

He was serving with the British Expeditionary Force during the winter of 1915 to 1916 when the Uttoxeter townsfolk sent Christmas parcels to their servicemen. In January 1916 the Uttoxeter Advertiser published a list of the men who had sent grateful letters of acknowledgement[1a]. Frank was one of them.

For some considerable time after being sent to the front he was a despatch rider, and afterwards performed duty on an armoured car. [2] Later, he joined his brother Charles, in the Sherwood Foresters1b. The two of them had enlisted together and, unfortunately for Charles, he was present when Frank was killed. [1b]

The Uttoxeter Advertiser quoted a letter which his Chaplain had written to his mother. [1b] In it he told her:

  "You will probably have heard by this time from your younger son that his brother was killed in action on Sunday afternoon (October 1). The Sherwoods attacked and captured a strong German position, and your son, who bravely took part in the attack, died a hero's death close to his officer, who was also killed. It was impossible to remove either Pte. Brassington or Lieut. Thornton's body from the front line, where they fell, and they will be buried there by the battalion who took our place after the fight. His younger brother is naturally very upset about it, poor fellow, and he fears that it will be a blow to you; but it is a great help to those out here, who are behaving so splendidly, to feel that their relatives at home are equally brave under all their sorrows and anxieties. May God, who gave His Son to die for us, grant to you strength and courage to bear this separation. The knowledge of God, and what our Lord teaches us of His will, and how He would make us strong by overcoming difficulties – all this is our great consolation and source of courage at such time as this.”..".

He has no known grave and his name is recorded on the Thiepval Memorial to the Missing.

The Thiepval Memorial

 

All of the notices which follow were posted in the Uttoxeter Advertiser to mark the anniversaries of his death:

These notices were posted in October 1918 [1d, 1e] to mark the second anniversary of his death

 

The third anniversary, in October 1919, was marked in this way1f