Frank Rees Wheatley

A Second Lieutenant with the 1st Battalion, Frank died on 11th of August 1916 at the age of 34. 

Frank was born at Ilford, Essex, in 1882, a son of Frank Richard and Zillah Annie Wheatley. In 1891 his family lived at 151 High Street, Lowestoft. Frank was educated at Framlingham College. By 1901 Frank was a draper’s apprentice living, and working, at 35 Lower Brook Street, Ipswich. 

On 5 February 1907 Frank married Evelyn Mary Linforth at Saint Margaret’s Church, Streatham Hill, London. Frank was a draper living at 152 High Street, Lowestoft, and Evelyn lived at 29 Quicklade Avenue, Streatham. In 1909 they lived at 46 Denmark Road, Lowestoft, and by 1911 they were living at Enfield House, Marina, Lowestoft, and Frank was a draper’s manager. On his return to Lowestoft Frank worked with his father at his father’s drapery. 

After Frank’s death Evelyn married Josiah Brewster and they lived at Saint Martin’s, Station Road, Lowestoft.

Soon after the First World War began, Frank volunteered and joined the Officer Training Corps. He was commissioned Second Lieutenant in the Essex Regiment on 21 August 1915 (London Gazette 30 August 1915, page 8629). He joined the 12th (Reserve) Battalion. Frank was posted to the 1st Battalion and arrived in France on 2 April 1916, joining the Battalion, at Acheux, on 8 April 1916. 

Frank took part on the Battalion’s attack at on 1 July 1916. The 1st Essex attack took place at Mary Redan, Beaumont Hamel, and they fought alongside the Newfoundland Regiment. The Battalion’s casualties were nine officers and 207 men.  

In early August 1916 the 1st Battalion were in Brigade Reserve at Ypres. On 9 August they moved into trenches from Duke Street to Park Lane and from Park Lane to the Railway. The War Diary for 11 August 1916 has:

Germans made a raid with party of 10 to 12 men, one German got into the Gully, and bombed 2 Lieutenant Wheatley and Sergeant Edwards. All three died. The German belonged to 362 regiment. 

An article in The Evening Star (Ipswich) 23 August 1916, page 2, adds:

His brother officers say of him: ‘He was a true friend, a thorough English gentlemen, and an excellent soldier. He had shot a German at close quarters, and was killed, together with his platoon sergeant, by the German dropping a bomb as he was falling.’

There is a brass plaque, to Frank’s memory, at Christchurch, Lowestoft.