Frank Cruttenden (1887-1918)

Post date: Nov 30, 2015 8:50:19 PM

Frank was born in 1888 (in Maidstone, according to 1891 and 1901 censuses) the youngest of Edward and Fanny's 10 children (4 had died by 1911). In 1891 they were living in Phoenix Cottages, Nettlestead, and his father is recorded as being an "Engine Driver Stationary" which is clarified in the 1901 census by when they had moved to 5, Bow Road, Wateringbury, as being an "Engine driver in Brewery". Frank went to Wateringbury school as he is on the school list of those killed but he never gets a mention in the school log; at the time of the 1901 census when he was 13 and should have still been at school for another year his occupation is left blank. By 1911 he is living at The Haunch of Venison, a hotel on Maidstone High Street and his occupation is given as "Boots". His parents were in 1911 at 5, Bow Terrace.

The vicar records on his January 1917 list of parishioners serving two of Frank's elder brothers, Thomas and Henry Edward, as serving but not Frank- possibly because Frank was then in Maidstone.

Frank married Lilly Sharpe in Wateringbury Church on 15th December 1917, one of only 5 marriages in the church that year. As Lilly, the same age as Frank, had lived all her life at 8 Bow Terraces she must have known him a long time. Lilly also came from a large family; she was the second eldest of 11 children living in the 4 rooms of 8, Bow Terrace.

We know little about Frank's military career. He joined 5th battalion South Wales Borderers as a private, No 42519, but we do not know when. The National Archives holds the battalion's war diary (Army form C2118) reference WO/95/2071/1 which is very neatly, but faintly, written around the date of his death on 10th April 1918. The 10th April covers over 2 pages of the diary and Frank is listed as one of 9 men (plus 1 officer) killed in action on that day near Messines on the day it fell to the Germans.

Extract from Kent Messenger 8th June 1918

Pte. F. Cruttenden (Wateringbury)

South Wales Borderers.

KILLED IN ACTION.

Mrs. F. Cruttenden, Bow Terrace, Wateringbury, has received news that Pte. Frank Cruttenden, South Wales Borderers, went into action and was killed on April 10th, 1918. The enemy shelling heavily, he with others, took cover in a dug-out, but a shell pitched on this and it is almost certain that none of those inside escaped alive.

He is one of 35,000 commemorated on the Tyne Cot Memorial, one of four in the Ypres salient.