Donkey Lane Community Orchard - The effect of WW1 on the families born in the Orchard Part 2 The Sad Part!

Anyone reading this will know that this is not a story with a happy ending. The three young men in question are featured on the Chinnor War Memorial and were all closely connected with what is now, The Donkey Lane Community Orchard.

 

Major Frank Eggleton, Royal Field Artillery

His battery took part in the 3rd Battle of Ypres better known as Passchendaele. The Battle lasted from July 1917 until November, but the main offensive began on the 12th October to gain the high ground. The weather was very wet indeed and the whole offensive movements were impeded by deep mud, allied troops were mown down by German machine guns because they were unable to advance. This battle was described as a wasteful disaster.

During this time Frank had gone forward to the guns to attend to an officer who had been wounded. On the way back, he stepped aside to let the stretcher pass him and while he was waiting, he was hit by a large piece of exploding shell in his back which entered his spine. A fellow officer with him reported that “he immediately became unconscious and died a few minutes later”. He died on 21st of October 1917 aged just 31. It was reported in the John Hampden Grammar School, High Wycombe obituary that a 2nd Lieutenant in his battalion wrote that he was ‘so loved and respected by all’. He was buried in Canada Farm Cemetery.

Frank is remembered on the High Wycombe Hospital memorial as well as on the Chinnor Memorial. He was reported to be very popular for his kind acts. He had requested that better socks for his men should be found and contacted friends in High Wycombe by letter to arrange for them to be knitted and sent out to the battlefield. We have not yet discovered whether the socks actually arrived there to be used. Read more...