Pte 31620 Frank Edward Vaughan

• Age: 23
• From: Birkenhead, Cheshire
• Regiment: The King's (Liverpool Regiment) 18th Btn
• K.I.A Monday 9th April 1917
• Commemorated at: Arras Memorial
  Panel Ref: Bay 3

Frank Edward was born in Birkenhead on 26th September 1893 the son of Edward Edwin Vaughan and his wife Barbara Ann (nee Evans) who were married in 1887 at St Mary's Church, Birkenhead. Frank Edward was baptised 10th December 1893 at St David’s Church, Liverpool. He was actually registered as Ffrangcon Edward Vaughan in the December quarter 1893.

The 1891 Census, prior to Frank's birth, shows the family living with Barbara's widowed father Edward Evans at 3 Princes Terrace, Birkenhead - Edward E. Vaughan aged 27 a stonemason b.Cefn, Flint, his wife Barbara Ann aged 35 b.Liverpool with children Barbara Eleanor 3 and Mary Gladys 1.

Other children born to Edward E. and Barbara were Arthur Stanley in 1891 and Annie Blodwyn in 1896.

His father Edward died in Birkenhead in 1898 aged 35.

Frank  enlisted in Liverpool and was serving with the 18th Battalion of The King's Liverpool Regiment as Private 31620 when he was killed in action aged 23 on 09th April 1917 which was the opening day of the Battle of Arras.

Arras 09^th April 1917

Details of the circumstances that the 18^th Battalion had to contend with are illustrated below:

The battalion formed the left assaulting battalion of the brigade, the 2^nd Wiltshire Regiment being on the right, the 19^th Manchester Regiment being in support and 2^nd Battalion Yorkshire Regiment furnishing “moppers -up”  for the two assaulting battalions. The brigade advance was timed to begin at ---- hour after “Zero”, suited to conform with the movements of 56^th Division and other divisions on our left further north (near Arras). This battalion’s objective was the front-line system Lion Lane on the left (exclusive) to Panther Lane on right (exclusive). This sector included the strongpoint known as “The Egg”.

The brigade advanced at prearranged time, i.e., 11.38 a.m, from position of assembly trenches south of Neuville Vitasse to German front line. This necessitated an advance across the open of at least 2,000 yards. This area up to Neuville Vitasse- Henin road was crossed in artillery formation; after this, owing to machine-gun fire and considerable resistance from German posts forward in the sunken roads, it was found necessary to deploy. During the whole movement across the open the advancing columns had been under considerable artillery fire from guns of all calibres. On gaining the position immediately in front of German line it was found that the wire was practically uncut; this wire formed two strong belts in front of German trenches. Two small gaps were eventually discovered and Second-Lieut H.F.Merry gallantly led a bombing party through them, but his three remaining men were killed as they reached the German trenches.

From the moment the battalion was “held up” in front of German wire Capt. R. W. Jones, the senior company commander on the spot, at once began the work of consolidating in front of German wire. The battalion held on in this position for the remainder of the day, until relieved by the 16^th Manchester Regiment about 3 a.m. on the 10^th of April, all the time under intense machine-gun and rifle fire.

Between 9th-10th April, 1917, the 18th King's lost 2 officers 2nd Lt. F. Ashcroft and 2nd Lt. H.G. Ewing and 59 other ranks killed. 8 other officers were wounded. 

His death was reported in the Birkenhead News on 16th May 1917:

Frank's body was not recovered from the battlefield or was subsequently lost as his name is on the Arras Memorial in France.

The ARRAS MEMORIAL commemorates almost 35,000 servicemen from the United Kingdom, South Africa and New Zealand who died in the Arras sector between the spring of 1916 and 7 August 1918, the eve of the Advance to Victory, and have no known grave. The most conspicuous events of this period were the Arras offensive of April-May 1917, and the German attack in the spring of 1918. Canadian and Australian servicemen killed in these operations are commemorated by memorials at Vimy and Villers-Bretonneux. A separate memorial remembers those killed in the Battle of Cambrai in 1917. Both cemetery and memorial were designed by Sir Edwin Lutyens, with sculpture by Sir William Reid Dick. The memorial was unveiled by Lord Trenchard, Marshal of the Royal Air Force on the 31 July 1932 (originally it had been scheduled for 15 May, but due to the sudden death of French President Doumer, as a mark of respect, the ceremony was postponed until July).