Pte 30284 Frank Chantler

Frank Chantler was born in Toxteth Park, Liverpool, in late 1897, the only son of Arthur Chantler from Cheshire, and Mary Kelly from Glasgow. His father had been married in 1880 (giving his occupation as mariner) and had a son. His wife had three more children, one of whom died young. But in 1891 Arthur Chantler was living in Toxteth as a single man, working as a gas lamp lighter. As there are no Marriage records it is assumed that Frank's did not marry. His parents had three children; Frank had older sisters Gladys and Mary Gertrude.

 

Frank was baptised in St. John the Baptist, Toxteth Park on 5th December 1897, his parents’ residence given as 333 Park Road, Liverpool and his father’s occupation as cycle agent. 

 

By 1901 the family (listed as Chandler) is living at 69 South Street, Toxteth Park.

His father, 40, is a cycle maker, his mother is aged 37, Gladys is 9, Gertrude 5, and Frank is 4. 

 

The 1911 census finds them at 29 St. Michael’s Road, Aigburth.  

His father is 53, a cycle agent and repairer, his mother is 47.  They state they have been married 20 years and have had 3 children all of whom have survived. Gladys, 18, is a telephone operator, Mary Gertrude is 15, at home, and Frank is 13, at school. 

 

In 1912 Frank is found as a steward’s boy on the Franconia (Cunard Line) sailing on 12th November 1912 on a four month transatlantic and Mediterranean voyage.  He is 15, gives his address as 19 Aigburth Road, Liverpool, and earns £1 a week.  The ship calls at Boston and New York, then to the Med, including Madeira, Gibraltar, Algiers, Monaco, Fiume, Naples, Trieste, Messina, and Palermo, then sailing to back New York and Boston, before returning to Liverpool.  Frank was discharged in Liverpool at the end of the voyage on 21st March 1913.  His ability and conduct are reported as ‘Good’.  He appears to have left the sea before joining up, as his name does not appear on the Cunard memorial.

 

He enlisted in Liverpool in the 20th Bn King’s Liverpool Regiment as Private 30284.  Based on the amount of the War Gratuity, Frank served for nearly two and a half years, enlisting in about February 1916, when he was  just 18 years old.  He must have lied about his age in order to serve overseas.  At some point he was posted to the 12th Manchester Regiment, with regimental number 44213, then to the 2/7th K.L.R., and subsequently to the 13th Bn K.L.R., and was serving as Private 30284 when he was wounded in action.

 

It is not known when Frank was wounded. In early May 1918 the 13th Bn arrived in Choques and the battalion war diary records routine patrols and carrying parties for the rest of the month, except for one raid on an enemy outpost on the 21st-22nd May which resulted in two men slightly wounded. June 1918 records similar patrols and carrying parties, except for an enemy raid on the 6th and an encounter with the enemy on the 7th; no casualties recorded. The battalion engaged in strengthening and consolidating the position and usual work parties until the 26th June when they moved into Brigade Reserve. On 1st July 1918 the battalion moved up to the front line trenches in the Avette section, then moved to the support line on the 8th July. Moving into Brigade Reserve on the 14th, an officer was wounded and later died of his wounds. No other casualties are recorded.

 

Frank died of wounds at a Casualty Clearing Station on 15th July 1918.

 

He was 20 years old and was laid to rest in Pernes British Cemetery. 

The cemetery was not begun until April 1918 when the 1st and 4th Canadian Casualty Clearing Stations came to Pernes, driven back by the German advance. In May, the 6th and 22nd Clearing Stations arrived and in August, they were joined by the 13th. Almost all the burials were made by these units, but a few of the graves were brought into the cemetery after the Armistice (Graves 2 to 13 in Plot VI, Row C, were brought from the small British Cemeteries of Anvin and Wavrans).

There are now 1,078 First World War burials in this cemetery and 18 graves from the Second World War, all of the latter dating from 3-4 September 1944. There are also 3 non Commonwealth burials here.

The cemetery was designed by Sir Edwin Lutyens.

His mother Mary received Frank’s Army effects and a War Gratuity of £13-10s.  The pension card in the name of his mother, at 19a Aigburth Road, Grassendale, Liverpool, shows she was awarded a pension of 9/6d a week.

 

His father died in 1931 aged 70, but despite leaving £200 to his widow Mary, was buried in a public grave.  His mother Mary died in 1936 aged 71, and was buried in a private grave.

 

Sadly, Frank has not been found on any memorial.

 

We currently have no further information on Frank Chantler, If you have or know someone who may be able to add to the history of this soldier, please contact us.