Francis (Frank) Hughes likeness

Francis (Frank) Hughes cap badgeAble Seaman Francis (Frank) Hughes

Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve "Hawke" Battalion 63rd (Royal Naval) Division
Service No: Clyde Z/6893

Francis (Frank) Hughes grave

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Personal details

Family Information

Son of James and Mary Ann McLean Hughes of 42 Academy St, Coatbridge. Francis had 5 brothers also serving. His younger brother Able Seaman Michael Hughes of the Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve "Howe" Battalion was Killed in Action on the 23/04/1917, a day after Francis died. Younger brother Private Timothy Hughes of the Cameronians (Scottish Rifles) was wounded on the 11/04/1917. Francis' other brothers serving were Sergeant John Hughes of the Highland Light Infantry, Sapper William (Willie) Hughes of the Royal Engineers, Private Andrew Hughes of the Cyclist Corps. At the time of Francis and Michael's deaths Andrew and 1 other brother lay wounded in Malta. From the 1901 Census - Address - 97 Buchanan St, Coatbridge - James Hughes aged 41, Mary Ann Hughes aged 43, Frank Hughes aged 18, Maggie Hughes aged 17, Helen Hughes aged 15, Andrew Hughes aged 12, John Hughes aged 8, Timothy Hughes aged 6, Michael Hughes aged 4, William Hughes aged 5, lodgers Peter Morris aged 23, John Kerr aged 50, George McPherson aged 61, Maggie McPherson aged 51. Francis' Pension was originally awarded to his mother Mary Ann of 6 Canal St, Coatbridge who died on the 18/01/1919 and was then passed to Miss Margaret Banks of 70d Buchanan St, Coatbridge who as listed as Francis' "unofficial wife".

Born / Resided

Coatbridge / 62 Buchanan St, Coatbridge

Died

Died of Wounds on the 22/04/1917 at the 3rd (Royal Naval) Field Ambulance at Arras

Enlisted

Coatbridge 25/10/1915

Employed

Iron Worker in the Dundyvan Iron Works

Age

29 / DOB - 21/01/1888

Buried / Remembered

Arras Memorial (Addenda Panel 1), Pas de Calais, France.

Cemetery / Memorial Information

The MEMORIAL commemorates nearly 35,000 soldiers of the British, South African and New Zealand forces with no known grave. Most of those commemorated were killed in the Battle of Arras, fought between 9 April and 16 May 1917.

Additional Information

The "Hawke" Battalion were part of the 189th Infantry Brigade, 63rd (Royal Naval) Division. Francis Died of Wounds at the 3rd (Royal Naval) Field Ambulance. The day after his death the Battalion was part of the 2nd Battle of the Scarpe (23rd - 24th April 1917), a phase of the Arras Offensive, in which the Division captured Gavrelle. Francis originally enlisted in the Royal Scots Fusiliers in February 1915 but was discharged after 2 weeks. In October he and his brother Michael enlisted in the Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve but were posted to the Infantry Division made up of excess Naval recruits. See Directory for his brother Michael's page. They both fell at the start of the Battle of Arras and are both listed on the Arras Memorial. In 1916 Francis suffered loss of pay and detention on numerous occasions for being absent from parade and other unspecified offences. SERVICE HISTORY - Enlisted 25/10/15 ; 1/11/15 3 days cells low diet (6th Battalion. Crystal Palace) ; 28/12/15 21 days detention (6th Battalion. Crystal Palace) ; 14/1/16 Drafted to 2nd Reserve Battalion. Blandford ; 1/3/16 14 days cells, pay forfeited & pay damages ; 12/6/16 Deprived 6 days pay ; 5/7/16 28 days detention Devonport & to pay damages ; 14/8/16 District Court Martial 84 days detention ; Draft for BEF (released from detention for draft, unexpired sentence 28 days) 9/10/16, joined Hawke Battalion. 26/11/16-22/4/17 DD. NOTES - 27/11/16 14 days Field Punishment No.1, (1) Absent from 8.15pm muster until 9am 26/11/16. (2) Absent from 9.15am parade ; 26/12/16 21 days Field Punishment No.1, (1) Absent from 8.15pm until apprehended by the Military Police Drunk about 12 midnight. (2) Leaving his billet without permission. ; 8/6/17 Buried H.I.9.3. Bailleul-Arras Road, by Rev. CWG Moore, Divisional HQ RND. ; An Iron Worker ; b.1889 ; Home address: 62 Buchanan St., Coatbridge ; Mother, Mary Anne Hughes, 15 Coatbank St. (later of 42 Academy St.), Coatbridge. Field Punishment No. 1 comprised a British Army punishment imposed for minor offences such as drunkenness, and was often applied during the First World War. A most humiliating form of punishment which continued into the late 1920s, Field Punishment No.1 saw the soldier in question attached standing full-length to a fixed object - either a post or a gun wheel - for up to two hours a day (often one hour in the morning and another in the afternoon) for a maximum of 21 days. Stories abound of soldiers positioned to face the enemy lines, invariably out of range of enemy fire but allegedly not always so. If exposed to open sunshine this form of punishment proved ever more discomforting, quite aside from the constant problem of trench lice. If the soldier in question started to sag while attached to the post he would often be checked by Military Police. See photos for his Medal Index Card, his CWGC Grave Registration, his name on the Arras Memorial Panel List x 4, his Naval Medal and Award Rolls, his name on the Arras Memorial, Francis' Pension Records x 3, the "Hawke" Battalion Cap Badge, the Royal Naval Division Memorial at Gavrelle and Francis' name on the Arras Memorial. Finally, SEE PHOTOS x 10 FOR THE BATTALION WAR DIARY APRIL 1917, PHOTOS x 9 FOR THE HAWKE BATTALION BOOK 20th MARCH - 4th MAY 1917, PHOTOS x 11 FOR THE ROYAL NAVAL DIVISION BOOK APRIL 1917, the 63rd (Royal Naval) Division Order of Battle x 16 (the Division he was with when he died), photos for a picture of Faubourg d'Amiens Cemetery / Arras Memorial I took in July 2023 (my partner Linda is in this picture on the right) and Newspaper clippings x 5 (Coatbridge Express x 2, Coatbridge Leader x 2 and the Airdrie and Coatbridge Advertiser x 1).

Photos
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War Diaries

The battalion War Diary is available on the National Archives website.

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