Lance Corporal Frank WYKES
2nd Battalion, Border Regiment 10065
Frank was born in October 1892 in Spratton, the son of George Wykes, a bootmaker and cordwainer from Spratton, and Eunice Leach who came from Hanging Houghton, a nearby village. By 1901 when Frank was eight, the family had moved to Northampton and his father’s wife was named as Sarah. Ten years later Frank was still living with his father and brothers in Northampton and working for a boot and shoe manufacturer. The father’s wife was not at home on the night of the census but George records himself as ‘married’, not ‘widowed’.
Frank joined the Border Regiment and was sent overseas to France on 25 April 1915. The 2nd Battalion, Border Regiment took part in the Battle of the Somme and ‘went over the top’ on the morning of 1 July 1916. They lost 83 men killed and 240 wounded that day. In December 1916 they were fighting on the front line near Beaumont Hamel. They were relieved by the Devonshire Regiment and sent back to the Beaumont Hamel Defences in a supporting position. The enemy periodically shelled their position and Frank was killed on 16 December aged 24. He was the only man in the Border Regiment to be killed that day. He was buried close by at the Redan Ridge No 2 Beaumont Hamel Cemetery and awarded the 1915 Star, the British War Medal and the Victory Medal. His mother, Mrs Eunice Tysoe, was given as his next-of-kin.
MORE INFORMATION
Redan Ridge No 2 Beaumont Hamel Cemetery
Redan Ridge No 2 Beaumont Hamel Cemetery
Border Regiment badge
Border Regiment badge
EXPLORE SECTIONS
MEN WHO SERVED
- Private Charles Herbert AUSTIN (known as Herbert)
- Corporal Frank AUSTIN
- Lance Corporal James William AUSTIN
- Private John Samuel AUSTIN
- Sergeant William Henry AUSTIN
- Sergeant Bertie Henry BALDERSON
- Corporal Frederick Charles BALDERSON MM
- Lance Corporal Robert Samuel BALDERSON
- Private George William BUCKBY (known as William)
- Private Henry Andrew BUCKBY
- Richard Henry Horne BUCKBY
- Transport Sergeant Thomas BUCKBY MM
- Company Quartermaster Sergeant William Gander BUCKBY
- William Archibald COPSON (known as Archibald)
- Sapper Ebenezer COPSON
- Private Ernest Edward COPSON
- Pioneer Henry Owman COPSON (known as Harry)
- Private James COPSON
- Private John William COPSON
- Private Joseph COPSON
- Private Arthur Sidney GOODEN (known as Sidney)
- Private Hugh Henry GOODEN
- Sergeant Joseph Eric GOODEN (known as Eric)
- Private Arthur Thomas HAYTER
- Driver Frank Leonard HAYTER
- Private Harold Herbert HAYTER
- Lance Corporal John Charles HAYTER DCM (known as Jack)
- Private Walter Ernest HAYTER
- Ordinary Seaman Arthur Charles HORNE
- Private John William HORNE (known as William)
- Lance Corporal Lewis HORNE
- Private Thomas HORNE
- Driver John Henry LEESON
- Corporal Joseph Henry LEESON (known as Harry)
- Thomas Baden Powell LEESON (known as ‘Bard’)
- Private Albert MANNING
- Corporal Amos MANNING
- Private Arthur Cecil MANNING
- Private George MANNING
- Sergeant George William MANNING
- Sapper Henry Stanley MANNING (known as Stanley)
- Private John Thomas MANNING
- Private John William MANNING
- Air Mechanic Nathaniel MANNING
- Driver/Saddler Samuel MANNING
- Gunner George Albert MARTIN
- Private Joseph MARTIN
- Private Thomas Henry MARTIN (known as Harry)
- Private Thomas Walter MARTIN (known as Walter)
- Pioneer Walter Ernest MARTIN
- Sergeant William Higgs MARTIN, DCM
- Private Arthur Walter PAGE
- Private Francis Samuel PAGE (known as Sam)
- Private Frank PAGE
- Private Stephen PAGE
- Lieutenant George REEVE MC MM
- Private Richard Henry REEVE (known as Harry)
- Private Samuel REEVE
- Private Sidney Philip REEVE
- Private Frederick Thomas RICHARDSON
- Private John William RICHARDSON
- Private Percy John Partridge RICHARDSON
- Private Abraham Bert SMITH
- Private Alfred SMITH
- Private Frank SMITH 46648
- Private John Samuel SMITH
- Private John William SMITH (6942)
- Private John William (William John) SMITH (8964)
- Private Charles Walter WADHAMS
- Private John Edward WADHAMS
- Private Thomas Edwin WADHAMS
- Private William WADHAMS