SWAIN Frederick

Appears in the Worcester/Worcestershire Roll of Honour Book for army casualties located in Worcester Cathedral.

Frank Swain’s surviving service records are faded in places and these areas are therefore difficult or impossible to read. He enlisted as a rifleman for three years service in the King’s Royal Rifle Corps on 31st August 1914 at Birmingham. On his attestation form Frank gave his place of birth as Gosta Green, Birmingham, his age as 26 years 104 days and his occupation as a Stamper. He was 5 feet 5½ inches tall. He gave his next of kin as his wife Agnes Swain (nee Biddle) of 4 Arundle Place, Cattle Pk, Small Heath. The couple married in Birmingham on 25th December 1908 and had 3 children: James born 10th June 1909, Frederick born 26th May 1911 and Lily born 16th September 1914. By 1919 Agnes and the children were resident at 6 Back Lane, Hill End, Droitwich.

Frank was posted to the British Expeditionary Force (B.E.F.), France on 3rd August 1915. In October 1915 he was wounded but was able to rejoin his unit on 2nd November 1915. He was wounded again on 24th August 1916 resulting in him being invalided back to England on 26th August following treatment in a casualty clearing station and the 5th General Hospital at Rouen. On 27th December 1916 he embarked at Southampton, arriving in Havre on 28th December to rejoin the B.E.F. Frank returned to the trenches on 25th January 1917 but was once again invalided to England on 26th May 1917 with a gunshot wound to his foot. On 23rd July 1917 Frank embarked at Sheerness bound for the B.E.F. in France. He was posting missing on 18th September 1917.

An army form requesting details of Frank’s family was completed by his wife Agnes on 1st July 1919. She lists herself and her 3 children, his father as ‘none’, his mother as Emma Swain, 10 Hingerston St, Brookfields, 3 full blood brothers: James, Arthur and Horace and 4 full blood sisters: Florence, Lily, Fanny and Beatrice.

On 24th March 1925, the army sent a letter to Agnes Swain offering her Frank’s damaged discs which were recovered on the exhumation of his body.