Frank Cheeseman
Date of birth: 1897
Date of death: 20.10.1917
Area: Normanton
Regiment: Royal Horse Artillery and Royal Field Artillery
Family information: Son of John and Caroline Cheeseman
Rank: Gunner
Service number: 232066
War Service
Unfortunately, despite hours of online searching and various requests for information locally, I have been unable to make any direct association with Altofts for Cheeseman, F., and the alternative spelling Cheesman, F., engraved on the Altofts cenotaph.
According to the records of “UK, Soldiers Died in the Great War, 1914 – 1919” there was a Frank Cheesman whose residence is given as Normanton, who also enlisted at Normanton. I can only assume that this is Frank, whose name appears on the Altofts Cenotaph.
Frank did not remain a member of the National Union of Railwaymen for long. Almost one year later, on 20 October 1917, he died of his wounds whilst serving King and Country in France. He had enlisted at Normanton joining the Royal Horse and Royal Field Artillery. Presumably Frank’s service record was one of the many thousands of service members’ records destroyed during the German bombing raids over London during World War Two. Commonwealth War Graves Commission records indicate Frank died of his wounds on 20 October 1917. His grave is located in Dozinghem Military Cemetery France. The words inscribed on Frank’s headstone are:
“UNTIL THE DAY DAWNS AND THE SHADOWS FLEE AWAY”.
Family Life
Frank was born in Wexcombe, Wiltshire in 1897 the son of John and Caroline Cheeseman. In 1901 Frank, then 4 years old, was living in Wexcombe with his parents and older siblings Frederick, John, George, Clara and his younger sister Blanche.
In 1911 John, George, Clara and Blanche still lived in Wexcombe. Frank’s mother and father died when he was young, but what happened to Frank during his childhood and teenage years is still unknown.
After further extensive searching I eventually found a record of Frank in the National Union of Railwaymen General Register of Members which states: “Age – 21, Admitted – 29.10.1916, Grade – Sigl (Signal) Lampman, Railway – Midland, Branch admitting – Normanton, Remarks – K in A”. Even with this document to link Frank to Normanton his age appears to be incorrect: born in 1897 and admitted in 1916 would have made him 19 years old, not 21.
