FRANK WATTS 

Frank was the son of James and Louisa Watts (nee Sharp) of 2 Heathland Terrace, Shaw Heath, Stockport. By 1901 James had remarried to Esther Watts who was then 24, she was step mother to Annie Watts age 14, Joseph age 11, Emily age 13, and Frank age 9. By 1911 the family were still living at Heathland Terrace, Frank now had a younger brother James age 6. Frank was working as an apprentice Joiner for a Mr W Beattie of King Street West.

He enlisted into the army on the 3^rd September 1914, his given age was 23 years and 90 days, he was 5ft 4 ¾ inches with a fresh complexion with dark brown hair, because of his skills as joiner he was attached to the Royal Engineers.
Frank would stay in the UK for just over a year, on the 9^th October 1915 he went to France. Just before he went overseas, he married his fiancée, Beatrice Hulme, a lady he had courted for nine years. They set up home at 25 Menai Road, they probably had time only for a brief honeymoon.



                                                  Frank and Beatrice on their wedding day in 1915

At dawn on 31 July 1917, the British infantry went "over the top" in an attack that marked the first day of the Third Battle of Ypres. In Frank's sector, the men advanced abreast the Menin Road, to the north east of Ypres capturing positions near Hooge. Once the positions were secured, the Engineers were called in to lay tracks across the former No Man's Land to the captured trenches at Hooge Crater. These would enable the British artillery to move up ready for any counter attack and to prepare for the next stage of the attack. The Company's War Diary records they "went to work under heavy shell fire. Work progressed all day and Company took shelter in tunnel under Menin Road for night."

The Captain of Frank's Section wrote to Mrs Watts "I am afraid I have some sad news for you and must ask you to prepare yourself for the blow which so many others are having to bear nowadays. Your husband has gone to his rest. He died instantly and so you have the consolation of knowing that he himself knew nothing whatsoever about it. His loss is a great blow to me personally. Only two days ago, I had fetched him out of the rest of the section to be my orderly and right-hand man. He was killed whilst accompanying his OC out of the battle, the Major being wounded by the same shell. The Section lost one of its best sappers. Your husband was doing so well and showing so much coolness under heavy fire that had he lived I should have recommended him for the Military Medal."