Commemorated:

1. Memorial:Thiepval Memorial, PicardiePier and Face 8 C 9 A and 16A.
2. Book:The (1921) Masonic Roll of Honour 1914-1918Pg.138
3. Memorial:The (1940) Scroll - WW1 Roll of Honour6C GQS
    

Awards & Titles:

 

Family :

Son of Thomas and Eliza Wilkinson, of 7, York Avenue, Hove, Brighton. Educated at Hurstpierpoint College, near Burgess Hill in Sussex, after which he joined his father’s business. At the 1901 census, Frank (aged 24) he is listed as an “auctioneer’s clerk”. He was a Fellow of the Auctioneers and Estate Agents Institute.

Service Life:

Campaigns:

Unit / Ship / Est.: 20th (Service) Battalion (3rd Public Schools) Royal Fusiliers 

20th (Service) Battalion (3rd Public Schools) Formed at Epsom on 11 September 1914 by the Public Schools and University Men's Force. 26 June 1915 :came under command of 98th Brigade, 33rd Division. Landed in France in November 1915. 27 November 1915 : transferred to 19th Brigade, 33rd Division. 16 February 1918 : disbanded in France.

Action : The Battles of the Somme 1916 

The Battle of the Somme 1st July - 18th November 1916 is inevitably characterised by the appalling casualties (60,000) on the first day, July 1st 1916. Having failed to break through the German lines in force, and also failed to maximise opportunities where success was achieved, the battle became a series of attritional assaults on well defended defence in depth. The battle continued officially until 18th November 1916 costing almost 500,000 British casualties. German casualties were about the same, and French about 200,000. The Somme could not be counted a success in terms of ground gained or the cost, but it had a strategic impact as it marked the start of the decline of the German Army. Never again would it be as effective whilst the British Army, learning from its experience eventually grew stronger to become a war winning army. The German High Command recognised that it could never again fight another Somme, a view that advanced the decision to invoke unrestricted submarine warfare in an attempt to starve Britain of food and material, and in doing so accelerated the United States declaration of war thus guaranteeing the eventual outcome. 287 Brethren were killed on the Somme in 1916.

Detail :

PS/5967, Corporal Frank Wilkinson, 20th (3rd Public Schools) Battalion, Royal Fusiliers.

Masonic :

TypeLodge Name and No.Province/District :
Mother : Royal Clarence No. 271 E.C.Sussex

Initiated
Passed
Raised
17th June 1898
21st October 1898
18th November 1898
 

Frank’s grandfather, Peter Richard Wilkinson, had been initiated into Old Union Lodge No 54 (meeting at Radley’s Hotel, Bridge Street, Blackfriars) in February 1838, but resigned in 1841 following his move to Brighton. After a gap of seven years, in May 1848 he was a joining member at Royal Clarence Lodge (then No 338, meeting at the Old Ship Inn, King’s Road, Brighton), where he remained until his death in 1882.

Peter was also a founder member of Royal Brunswick Lodge No 1034 in December 1857 (although he resigned in 1861) and joined South Saxon Lodge No 390 in December 1856, but again resigned, after less than two years in the lodge.

Thomas Wilkinson followed his father into Royal Clarence Lodge, where he was initiated on 21 May 1869, and remained in the lodge until his death in 1930.

Frank (aged 22) was the third generation of his family to become a freemason, when he was initiated into Royal Clarence Lodge (now renumbered as No 271 and meeting at the Royal Pavilion) in 1898. He served the lodge as Worshipful Master in 1908 and obtained the rank of Past Grand Steward.


Source :

The project globally acknowledges the following as sources of information for research across the whole database:

Additional Source:

Last Updated: 2020-03-15 07:05:18