Frank Gearing
Family history booklet ... pages 9 to 22 refer to the story.
Seriously injured as a child, Frank Gearing joined up in September 1916 as part of the Derby Scheme. He served in the RAMC Field Ambulance and trained as a medical orderly ferrying injured troops from the front to Calais and Bologne. He was later to tell his surprise at the number of casualties injured by being shot in the foot or in the hand! On one occasion the train driver refused to set off because of the danger involved and the only people on the train with guns were the doctors, who had to force the train drivers to operate at gun point. Frank served beyond the end of the war and helped in the clearing up exercise. He was blistered by mustard gas and scarred for life. He had little contact with people killed at the front as the corpses were dealt with by the Pioneer Corps. They wrapped the corpses in blankets and buried them at the roadside. The next of kin were charged for the blankets. His regimental number was 112171. He subsequently worked with shell shocked soldiers at Aylsford where he trained to be a pharmacist.
Frank Gearing's story
Book
CONTRIBUTOR
Gerald Gearing
DATE
1914 - 1988
LANGUAGE
eng
ITEMS
15
INSTITUTION
Europeana 1914-1918
PROGRESS
METADATA
Discover Similar Stories
Following Frank
16 Items
My mother was the youngest of thirteen children. Her eldest brother, Frank, volunteered and was enlisted, only to be killed a couple of years later. Mother recalled as a child lining up to say goodbye to him outside the little terraced house in Liverpool 8 where the family lived. If ever she was asked he was 'Killed in the trenches', she really knew no more than that. A few years back she passed his picture to me for safe keeping as her own end neared. I determined then to fill in the details of his brief service. The little history attached is the best I can do, but I hope gives a glimpse of the mundane, and short, service life of the many citizen soldiers like Frank Goodwin. Mother was able to read it before she joined him. On his death in July 1916 Frank was still three months short of his twentieth birthday.
FRANK AND BERTRAM
1 Item
THIS IS ALSO A TREASURED PHOTO OF BERTRAM AND HIS BROTHER FRANK WHO SACRIFICED THEIR LIVES IN THE FIRST WORLD WAR. (FRANK IS ON THE LEFT HAND SIDE AND BERTRAM IS ON THE RIGHT)
Frank Mark Finan
6 Items
This is all the information on a Frank Mark Finan. He was born in May 1894 in the village of Dromore West in county Sligo. He was 5 feet and ten inches in height; he weighed 156lbs on enlistment. He had red hair and grey eyes. He was an only child. He served in the following British regiments: Irish guards and service number is 10857, Connaught rangers and service number is 11216, aircraft mechanic 2nd class R.F.C. and service number is 51231, 10th battalion Sherwood foresters and service number is 72254. He died on the 24 august 1918 at the military hospital at Le Treport in France. He is buried at Mont Huon cemetery. I believe he was wounded at Bapaume. This is all the information I have on Frank. I believe I am a distant relative through my grandfather.