Frank Kinnerley
- Family History
- Military History
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Frank was born in 1867 in Normanton, in Derbyshire he married his wife Sarah Ann Fidler (born 1867 ) at North Wingfield parish Church on 25th December 1889 and they had 3 children Wilfred born 1894, Harry born 1896 and May born 1897 and lived at Edward Cottages, Redhill Lane, Arnold. In the 1911 census we find Frank and his family living at Kelks Yard, Front Street, Arnold he is 43 years of age and a coal miner - hewer His pension record card shows his wife Sarah Ann (born 1867) died on 23rd August 1917 , she was living at Edwards Cottages, Red Hill Lane, Arnold. She was awarded a pension of 15 shillings a week which had commenced on 26th February 1917.
Private Frank Kinnerley attested at Nottingham on 14th September 1914, where he falsely stated his age as 34 yrs and 45 days old, (he was in fact 47 yrs old) and lived at Edwards Cottages, Redhill, Arnold and had been born in Normanton. He was a coal miner. He enlisted into the 12th battalion Sherwood Foresters at Nottingham, however he was discharged on 16th November 1914 as medically unfit and not likely to become an efficient soldier (Kings Regulation 392) . It would appear he re enlisted when, in March 1915, he signed on for the duration of the war. He was originally posted to the 3rd (Reserve) Battalion based at Sunderland but on the 25th June 1915, he was posted to the 18th (Bantam) Battalion at Aldershot. However, Frank was to be posted again, this time to the 10th Battalion The Sherwood Foresters at Winchester, He went to France with them landing at Calais on the 14th July 1915. On the 7th August 1916, they moved into positions in Delville Wood, moving to new trenches on the night of the 9th near Montauban and while in this area Frank was killed in action on 12th August 1916. Having no known grave his name is commemorated on the Thiepval memorial on the Somme
His son Lance Sergeant Harry Kinnerley enlisted into the Sherwood Foresters, prior to about March 1916, he would have served with the 2/8th in Dublin during the Easter Irish rebellion as the incident became to be known. Leaving Ireland in January 1917, the battalion moved to Fovant in Wiltshire and in February 1917, they landed in France. At 11.45pm on the 26th April 1917, the 2/8th battalion marched out of Hervilly, where they had been preparing themselves to an attack the following day on two trenches and a switch near the quarries to the east of Hagricourt, which were strongly held by the Germans. The first objective was quickly taken but the second proved to be a much tougher proposition and heavy losses here suffered, the objective being enfiladed from a German position known as Cologne Farm, from which very accurate rifle and machine gun fire was being directed at the men of “A” company who had no cover of any description it was during this action that Harry was killed. He is buried at the Templeux Le Guerand British Cemetery
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