Wheeler, Frank

1886 - 1916  (30 years)

• Name	Wheeler, Frank  [1]
  Birth	1886	Chatteris, Cambridgeshire, England   [1]
  Gender	Male
  Census	5 Apr 1891	Black House Lane, Chatteris, Cambridgeshire, England   [2]
  	Age: 4y
  Census	31 Mar 1901	High Street, Chatteris, Cambridgeshire, England   [3]
  	Age: 14y
  Occupation	31 Mar 1901	Chatteris, Cambridgeshire, England   [3]
  	farmers son
  Occupation	Aft 1914  [4]
  	East Kent Regiment (Buffs)
  Death	15 Sep 1916	Somme, France   [4, 5, 6]
  	Age: 30y
  Person ID	I639	Jennerations
  Last Modified	11 Feb 2024

  
  

  Father	Wheeler, William Raven,   b. 1850, Stretham, Isle of Ely, Cambridgeshire, England d. 23 May 1924, Chatteris, Cambridgeshire, England (Age 74 years)
  Mother	Ashford, Susannah,   b. 1848, Chatteris, Cambridgeshire, England d. 1933 (Age 85 years)
  Marriage	4 Nov 1870	Parish Church, Soham, Cambridgeshire, England   [7]
  	Witness Role: Witness: [I1105] Elizabeth WHEELER Witness Role: Witness: Name: Joseph Pollard [7]
  Photos » Slide Show		Frank Wheeler with sisters Bertha and Susannah Keywords: photograph
  		Susannah and William Wheeler with son and 2 daughters Keywords: photograph
  		WRW Family Keywords: photograph
  		Susannah and William Wheeler with son and 2 daughters Keywords: photograph
  		Susannah and William Wheeler with son and 2 daughters Keywords: photograph
  		Susannah and William Wheeler with son and 2 daughters Keywords: photograph
  Family ID	F151	Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

  
  

• Event Map

  Birth - 1886 - Chatteris, Cambridgeshire, England Census - Age: 4y - 5 Apr 1891 - Black House Lane, Chatteris, Cambridgeshire, England Census - Age: 14y - 31 Mar 1901 - High Street, Chatteris, Cambridgeshire, England Occupation - farmers son - 31 Mar 1901 - Chatteris, Cambridgeshire, England Death - Age: 30y - 15 Sep 1916 - Somme, France  = Link to Google Earth

  
  

• Photos » Slide Show		wheeler-frank Keywords: photograph
  		Frank Wheeler with sisters Bertha and Susannah Keywords: photograph
  		Frank Wheeler with sisters Bertha and Susannah Keywords: photograph

  
  

• Notes

  Lance Corporal Frank Wheeler L/7766 1st Bn The Buffs (East Kent Regiment) Died 15 September 1916 Frank Wheeler was born in Chatteris on 2nd August 1886. Frank was the youngest son of William and Susannah Wheeler who ran the Old Ship Inn on Chatteris High Street and before that lived in Black Horse Lane when William was a farmer. Frank was a reservist before the war but Frank went to visit his sister, Florence in Sevenoaks, Kent and while there he enrolled at Canterbury into 1st East Kent Regiment (Buffs). Frank went to France with his Battalion on 11th November 1914 and fought near Ypres in 1915 before moving down to the Somme in 1916. Frank was killed in action on 15th September 1916, during the third phase of the Battle of the Somme. His Battalion were to attempt to capture the Quadrilateral, a complex of German trenches which had impeded the advance of troops for several weeks. Frank’s Battalion were in the 16th Brigade who were on the right flank of the attack. An article in the Cambs Times recounts a letter from one of Frank’s comrades. “On the morning of Sept 15th, in connection with the great advance, the battalion was ordered to take the second line of German trenches. The front line should have been taken by another regiment but owing to the heavy gunfire from the enemy that battalion failed to reach their objective owing to great losses on their ranks. Under the impression that the first line was taken we set forth to take the second line and like others before us we were held up in the same way. I was with Frank during the whole time the advance was in progress and owing to heavy casualties through shell and machine gun fire we sought shelter in a shell hole and it was in that same hole that poor Frank met his death. We had been in the hole half an hour, during which time we were watching for the signal to advance again when a sniper who had evidently been watching our movements fired and hit Frank in the left eye by an explosive bullet which proved fatal. He did not suffer for his death was instantaneous. He was buried on the next day. I learnt from my comrades that he was buried with other comrades near Ginchy.” This was the first time that tanks were used but unfortunately two broke down and one had to turn back so they were of limited use. Frank’s grave was lost so he is commemorated on the Thiepval Memorial to the missing. Thanks to Susan Jones for photos and information. [8]

  
  

• Sources

  [S40] Genes Reunited - Roger Loose. [S194] Census 1891 Black House Lane Chatteris, Cambridgeshire RG12/1300/46/11, 5 Apr 1891. [S195] Census 1901 High Street Chatteris, Cambridgeshire RG13/1548/8/7, 31 Mar 1901. [S295] Dorothy Rumbelow, Facing Up, 8 Sep 2007. [S2813] Database Online: katheryn - Find a Grave. [S2817] Cambridge Community Archive Network website "Chatteris Community Archive". wheeler-frank Keywords: photograph [S1859] Marriage certificate of William Wheeler and Susannah Ashford, 4 November 1870, (335), F0919. [S2817] Cambridge Community Archive Network website "Chatteris Community Archive". Old-ship-com1 Media Date: 1898 Keywords: photograph, Place