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Pte. Frank Gill
British Army 1st Btn. Kings Own (Royal Lancaster) Regiment
from:Reddish
(d.10th Apr 1917)
Frank Gill was the fourth born son to Hartley & Sarah Gill (nee Higginbottom) registered in the Sept quarter 1895. Little is known of his youth but was listed on the 1911 census at 15 years old and still at home but working in the cotton mill owned by the Reddish Spinning Co - Elisabeth Mills on Houldsworth Road Reddish. He worked there with his brothers. His role was as a Cotton Mule Bobbiner. Frank was a member of St Elisabeth's Church and, in his teens, was an officer in the Church's Boys' Brigade company.
Frank was just 18 years old when the war started and he immediately signed up. He was enlisted as a Private in the 1st Battalion, Kings Own Royal Lancaster Regiment. Frank survived almost three years fighting multiple battles on the Western Front in France. He eventually lost his life at Fampoux during the Arras offensive of April - May 1917. He died 10th of April 1917 at the age of 21 years. Frank is remembered with honour at the Arras Memorial in the Faubourg-d'Amiens Cemetery, which is in the Boulevard du General de Gaulle in the western part of the town of Arras. The cemetery is near the Citadel, approximately 2 kms due west of the railway station.
