| Description | Work completed by volunteer includes the following information
Frank was born in Beverley on June 18th 1898 and baptised at Beverley Minster on August 6th of that year. He was one of nine children born to George Braithwaite (1865-1925) and his wife Susannah (1865-1929) (nee Redhead). Frank’s father and grandfather were in the boot making and boot repair trade and George had a business in Butcher Row. Glove making is also mentioned in one source. Despite his four elder brothers going into this trade, it seems that Frank became an apprentice painter for Messrs Burton Bros of Beverley. The family lived at 4 Butcher Row. Frank was unmarried.
Frank joined the army in 1916 or 1917 and became a private in the 11th Battalion of the East Yorkshire Regiment. The 11th was also the 2nd Hull Pals Battalion, commonly referred to as the “Hull Tradesmen”. The 11th had been heavily decimated at Serre in November 1916 and at Oppy Wood in May 1917 so Frank would have been a replacement for lost men. On September 8th 1918, aged 20, days after returning from leave, he was killed in unknown circumstances in the vicinity of the Forest of Nieppe and Morbecque in northern France. The German armies were slowly retreating but put-up considerable resistance and the British army suffered large numbers of casualties as a result. Frank is buried at Trois Arbres Cemetery at Steenwerck in Nord-Pas-de-Calais in France. He was awarded the War and Victory Medals.
Frank is commemorated on the Hengate Memorial and on the East Riding Memorial in the Minster. Frank was a member of the Wesleyan Methodist church and is commemorated on the Wesleyan Circuit Roll of Honour. A window in Toll Gavel Church is dedicated to twelve lost soldiers, including Frank Braithwaite. His parents are buried in St Mary’s cemetery and his name is inscribed on their headstone.
Includes information taken from census, military records, newspapers |