Mark Frost

War Service

Mark was recalled to the colours in 1916 in 5th Scots Rifles then transferred to the Royal Scots 13th Battalion and given a new regimental number of 271220. He was in the reserves from 11th August 1916 until 16th February 1917 when he returned to his battalion and had one or two minor transgressions for being late or not attending the tattoo. He arrived at Boulogne, France on 20th February 1918. The following day – the 21st February – his father Thomas was buried in St Paul’s Churchyard aged just 49 years.
Mark is said to have died of wounds on 4th June 1918 and the field service sheet dated 6th June records his death on 4th June at the 42nd Casualty Clearing Station. One of the sheets in his service records, however, says he was wounded in action on 6th June, admitted to the 46 field ambulance with gunshot wounds to thigh and leg on 8th June and later the same day admitted to the 42 Casualty Clearing Station where he died of his wounds. The war diary of the 13th Battalion reports no casualties on the 6th but on the 3rd June there were 4 wounded. The Register of Soldiers Effects also confirms the date of 4th June and states place of death being 42 Casualty Clearing Station. It isn’t surprising though that there was confusion about dates when they were in the thick of fighting.
His mother received his personal items – letters and photos, wallet, cigarettes, discs etc – and wrote a very moving letter of thanks for the possessions of her “dear son” and went on to say “please if there is anything more to forward it on and we shall be very thankful indeed”.
He was buried in Aubigny Communal Cemetery and his mother received his Victory and British War Medals on his behalf.
On June 15th 1918 the following appeared in the Wakefield Express
“PTE MARK FROST. Royal Scots, Bragg Lane End died from gunshot wounds on the 4th inst. His mother has received a sympathetic letter from the (illegible) of the casualty clearing station in France saying that he was buried in the cemetery there. He had been three years in the army, previous to which he was employed at the Newton Pit.”
The following week they printed the following
“PVTE MARK FROST, Royal Scots, youngest son of Mrs T Frost, widow, Bragg Lane End, Wakefield, has died from wounds received in action in France. He was only 19 years of age and joined the Forces three years ago, but being too young was sent back until he was eighteen years of age. He served about twelve months in Ireland and four months ago he went to France. He formally worked at Wrenthorpe Colliery.”
In the same edition was the following from his Mother, Brothers, Sisters and Grandfather
“FROST – Died from wounds received in action June 4th 1918, Private Mark Frost, Royal Scots Rgt, youngest son of Mrs T Frost, Bragg Lane End, Wrenthorpe aged 19.”
Mark Frost is remembered on the Wrenthorpe Colliery Memorial as well as the Memorial at St Anne’s Church.

Family Life

Mark Frost was born on 18th January 1899 and baptised Thomas Mark Frost on 19th February that year at St Anne’s Wrenthorpe. His parents were Thomas Frost, a coal miner, and his wife, Elizabeth, who in 1901 were living at Bragg Lane End with their six children – Emma (b1888), Arthur (b1890), Alice (b1895), George (b1897), Mark and Agnes (b1890).
The 1911 census shows the family still at Bragg Lane End and that Mark was at school aged 10. His parents had been married 26 years with nine children of whom three have died. Alice was a twister in the mill and George a pony driver, while Agnes and 7-year-old Sarah Anne were at school.
Only five years later on 8th June 1915 at the age of just 16 years and 5 months he had enlisted in the Kings Own Yorkshire Light Infantry as Private 4865 with his medical record stating that his declared age was 19 years and 6 months! His parents were obviously unhappy as on 5th July 1916 the colliery manager wrote on their behalf to ask for his release back to civilian life until the age of 19, offering to give him his job as a pony driver back to him.

Aubigny Communal Cemetery