2nd Lieut Francis Barnes

• Age: 29
• From: Edge Hill, Liverpool
• Regiment: The King's (Liverpool Regiment) 20th Btn
• D.O.W Saturday 1st July 1916
• Commemorated at: Danzig Alley Cem, Mametz
  Panel Ref: II.O.8

2^nd Lieutenant Francis (Frank) BARNES, 20^th Battalion KLR.    

Francis “Frank” Barnes was born on 28th May 1887 at 21 Crossfield Road, Edge Hill, Liverpool, the eldest son of Frederick William Barnes and his wife Hannah Thurston (nee Brown). who were married on the 11^th July 1886 at St Mary's Church, Edge Hill. Frederick was a 24 years old sculptor of 15 Brae Street, father John, whilst Hannah was aged 24 of 52 Janet Street, father Henry, a compositor.[Hannah signs her name Thurstan] Frank was baptised in St Mary's Church, Edge Hill on 10th July 1887. 

On the 1891 Census the family are living with Hannah’s father at 26 Cotswold St, Kensington. The head is Henry Brown aged 55, a printers compositor b.Coventry, his son John W. aged 19, a solicitors clerk b.Walsall. Father Frederick W. is aged 29, a stone carver b.Ireland, mother Hannah T. aged 29 b.Walsall, children Francis aged 3 and Frederick J. H. aged 1, both born Liverpool. 

Brother Frederick John Henry died, aged 5, in the March quarter of 1895. 

The 1901 Census find Francis aged 13 living with his parents, grandmother and 4 siblings at 44 Milroy Street, Edge Hill, Liverpool. His father, Frederick W. is a 39 year old stone sculptor born in Londonderry, whilst his mother, Hannah, is shown as a 39 year old born in Walsall. His maternal grandmother is shown a s Sarah Brown a 71 year old widow born in Walsall. His siblings, all born in Liverpool, are listed as Marion S. aged 8, Norah W. 7, Frederick J. 3 and Stanley V. aged 1 month.      

Francis was educated at Clint Road School, Edge Hill, Holt School, Liverpool and Oulton Secondary School, Liverpool. He later took up a position with the Liverpool Education Committee at Chatsworth Street Council School.

In 1906 he was appointed Assistant Master at St Mary's school, Frog Lane, Lichfield where he taught for five years. Whilst teaching in Lichfield he enlisted in the 6th (Territorial) Battalion of the North Staffordshire Regiment on 18th March 1909 and served with them until 31st October 1911 when he was discharged to take up employment with the Accountancy Department of British American Tobacco.    

In 1911 Francis is shown as a 24 year old elementary school teacher boarding at 69 Birmingham Road, Lichfield.  Frederick and Hannah with six of their children are living at 44 Milroy Street. His siblings are listed as Marion Sarah 19 an invoice clerk for a printer and paper merchant, Norah Winifred, 17 a cashier for a drapery establishment, Frederick John 17, Stanley Victor 10, Leonard James 7 and Elsie Hannah 3. 

Prior to the war Frank had been working for British American Tobacco having initially been apprenticed in their offices in Constantinople and Trebidzonde, Turkey. However, he was transferred to their Liverpool Office, just before war was declared.  

He enlisted on 02nd September 1914 at St George's Hall, Liverpool as Private No 15949 into the 17^th Battalion Kings (Liverpool) Regiment. (1^st Liverpool Pals). He was described as being 5'11 inches tall, weighed 146lbs, had a sallow complexion with grey eyes and fair hair. His religion was recorded as Church of England.  He was soon promoted Corporal (26th October 1914), Lance Sergeant (29th December 1914), and Sergeant (24th February 1915). Frank was discharged to commission in the 22^nd Battalion Kings (Liverpool) Regiment on 06th July 1915.

On 16th April 1916 he embarked for France. He reported for duty on 24th April 1916, when the 20th Battalion was stationed at Bray sur Somme, France. On 22nd June 1916, Francis was with a working party, carrying Trench stores for the Royal Engineers, when he was slightly wounded at duty, presumably by shell fire.

He does not appear again in the Battalion War Diary until the day of his death on 01st July 1916, which occurred during the opening day of the Battle of the Somme.

The Battalion’s first objective on that day was the German reserve line known as Dublin Trench, at the point where it met the fortified position known as the Glatz Redoubt. To get to it the Battalion had to cross the German front and support lines.

Following a sixty five minute bombardment, the Battalion went over the top at 07.30am and crossed No Man’s Land in four waves in Company order, with about one hundred yards between each wave. It advanced through the German artillery line “ as if on parade in quick time”, according to the Battalion War Diary and the leading wave soon secured Alt Trench and Casement Trench which were behind the German support line. Casualties at this stage were fairly light and once the British barrage on Dublin Trench had lifted, it too was captured and consolidated.

However, by this time the Battalion had lost two officers killed and one wounded, and forty nine other ranks killed or wounded. One of the Officer Casualties was Second-Lieutenant Francis Barnes, who is listed in “ Officers Died “, as having died from his wounds, although the Battalion War Diary states he was killed in action. One can only presume that he was hit by enemy shell fire and did not die immediately. He was aged twenty nine.

Perhaps this is because “Officers Died in the Great War “, and the Commonwealth War Graves Commission list his Battalion as the 22nd, which was a feeder Battalion for the 19th and 20th Battalions. It was customary for officers from the 22nd to transfer to their new Battalion fairly soon after reporting for duty, but for some reason Frank Barnes does not seem to have done this.

He now rests at Danzig Alley Cemetery at Mametz, in Plot XI, Row O, Grave 8. His headstone does not bear the Eagle and Child of the Pals Battalions, but the White Horse of Hanover worn by the Regular and some Territorial Battalions of the King’s Liverpool Regiment.

The village of Mametz was carried by the 7th Division on 1 July 1916, the first day of the Battle of the Somme, after very hard fighting at Dantzig Alley (a German trench) and other points. The cemetery was begun later in the same month and was used by field ambulances and fighting units until the following November. The ground was lost during the great German advance in March 1918 but regained in August, and a few graves were added to the cemetery in August and September 1918. At the Armistice, the cemetery consisted of 183 graves, now in Plot I, but it was then very greatly increased by graves (almost all of 1916) brought in from the battlefields north and east of Mametz and from certain smaller burial grounds.

Dantzig Alley British Cemetery now contains 2,053 burials and commemorations of the First World War. 518 of the burials are unidentified but there are special memorials to 17 casualties known or believed to be buried among them. Other special memorials record the names of 71 casualties buried in other cemeteries, whose graves were destroyed by shell fire.

The cemetery was designed by Sir Herbert Baker.

His headstone also has a private inscription: 

BE THOU FAITHFUL UNTIL DEATH AND I WILL GIVE THEE A CROWN OF LIFE.

At the time of his death he was engaged to be married to Miss Mary Hands who lived at "Ivydene", Ashfield, Wavertree, Liverpool. 

His death was reported in the Liverpool Courier on 10th July 1916

Second-Lieut. Francis Barnes (29), King's (Liverpool Regiment), is officially reported killed in action. He was the eldest son of Mr. and Mrs. F. W. Barnes, 4 Grove-street, Wavertree, late Milroy-street, Edgehill, and joined the Pals when war broke out in August 1914. After rapid advancement he received his commission, going to the front in May last.

AN OLD BOY OF HOLT SCHOOL

Second Lieutenant Francis (Frank) Barnes of the King's (Liverpool) Regiment, who was killed in France, was the eldest son of Mr and Mrs F. W. Barnes of Grove Street, Wavertree. He was 29 years of age. He was educated at the Holt School and Oulton Training College, entering the scholastic profession under the Liverpool Education Committee, Chatsworth Street Council School. He was assistant master at St Mary's School, Lichfield, Birmingham, for two years and then entered the accountancy department of the British American Tobacco Company, being appointed one of the Turkish representatives in Constantinople and Trebizonde. He was transferred to their office just before the war broke out. In August 1914, he joined the "Pals" and rapidly rose until he received his commission. He was a keen cricketer and footballer. He went to France on the 16th of April 1916. Official intimation was received that on June 24th he was wounded but remained at duty. His parents have now heard from the War Office that he was killed in action on July 1st.

His fiancee placed a notice in the local press:

BARNES - July 1, killed in action, Second-Lieutenant Francis (Frank) Barnes (Pals). - Deeply mourned by his sorrowing fiancee, Dolly.

He was remembered on the first anniversary of his death in the Liverpool Echo on 02^nd July 1917: 

LOST AT THE SOMME BATTLE: 

BARNES - In loving remembrance of Francis (Frank) Barnes, King's (Liverpool Regiment), Pals, the dearly-loved eldest son Mr. and Mrs- F. Barnes, killed action at Maricourt July 1, 1916. "Be thou faithful unto death and I will give thee a crown of life." "Thy will be done.”  

Fondly remembered by Father, Mother, Blossom, Elsie. Jack (in India), Stanley, and Leonard.  

BARNES—In fond memory of Frank, K.L.R. (‘Pals'), killed in Battle of the Somme, July 1, 1916.—Sadly missed by his sorrowing Fiancée, Dolly, and all at “Ivydene,” Ashfield, Wavertree. 

Soldiers Effects to father Frederick William, no Pension record found. 

Frank is commemorated on the war memorial that once stood in the Clint Road School, Edge-Hill, Liverpool.

Hannah, dob 23^rd January 1862 , now widowed appears on the 1939 Register at 70 Abbeystead Road, Childwall with children Norah, Stanley, Leonard and Elsie. She died, aged 88, in 1950 and was buried at Toxteth Cemetery on the 30^th September. 

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