FRANK HEDLEY DUNNE
Regimental No. 55931
5 March 1879 – 12 October 1918
Frank Hedley DUNNE was the second child of Frank and Annie Dyson Dunne of Warrington, Lancashire. He had five siblings - Anne, Martha, John, Edward and Frances. His father's occupation was that of a boot and shoe maker and on the 1901 Census record he has a second occupation of “draughts editor”. By 1901 the family were living at 6 Manchester Road, Warrington, Lancashire, above the shoe shop. Frank, who was 22 years old, is listed as a book binder, his sister Martha as an Assistant Schoolmistress, and younger brother John, like his father, was a boot maker.
Frank obviously decided not to continue with his bookbinding career and in 1907 he immigrated to New Zealand, arriving in Wellington on 27 May 1907 as crew (assistant steward) on board the “Waiwera”. The first time Frank is recorded in publicly available records is in the 1914 electoral roll, by which time he was working as a rabbiter, on the Happy Valley Station, Wellington. Happy Valley is part of the wider Brooklyn area, and the Station was probably around the area now occupied by the WCC landfill.
By the time Frank attested for military service in May 1917 he was working as a book binder for the Government Printing Office, in Thorndon, close to the Wellington Railway Station. He was living at the top of Willis Street, at no. 212, and would have been able to commute to work using the Brooklyn tram route.
Frank enlisted with the New Zealand Army on 14 May 1917. His Attestation Papers record that he was single, 38 years and 3 months old, 5 foot 11 inches tall, and weighed 154 lbs. His chest measurement had an expansion of 35 inches to 38 inches, he was of a ruddy complexion, with dark hazel eyes, his hair was dark and tinged with gray. He had good eyesight, normal hearing, well-formed limbs, and normal heart and lungs. He was also free from hernia, varicose veins, hemorrhoids, or any contagious skin complaints, was not vaccinated, but did not suffer from any other “slight deffects” so was passed fit for duty by the medical officer. Frank did not have any religious beliefs and listed himself as agnostic. His mother Mrs. A.D. Dunne of 6 Manchester Road, Warrington, Lancashire, is recorded as his next of kin.
Frank was posted as a rifleman to D.Coy, 2 Battalion, 3rd NZ Rifle Brigade. After his initial training he left New Zealand on the 26 July 1917 on board the troopship HMNZT 90 “Ullimaroa” bound for Plymouth, Devon. From there the troops were marched into Sling Camp on Salisbury Plains, Wiltshire. It was a rather desolate place but was “home” to thousands of Commonwealth soldiers. After more training Frank was posted on 8 December 1917 to Etaples, France. On the 28 December he was sent to Division and a week later, on 5 January 1918, he joined the Battalion and was sent to D Coy in the field. On the 12 January 1918 he became sick with boils and was admitted to the Field Hospital. Three weeks later he was well enough to rejoin his unit. In 13 July 1918 he is again admitted to hospital only to be returned to his unit on the same day.
Frank would have been amongst those rushed south to the Somme to counter the German’s Operation Michael which began on 21 March, and presumably participated in the major battles where the Rifle Brigade were engaged during the rest of the year, including the Battle of Bapaume in August. By early September, the British First, Third and Fourth armies had pushed the German forces on the Somme back to the Hindenburg Line. Maybe the tension was getting to Frank by this time – on 14 September he forfeited 7 days’ pay when he refused an order to lay out his kit.
On 8 October the New Zealand Division advanced more than 5 km passing through the Hindenburg Line to take the village of Esnes, capturing more than 1000 prisoners and a dozen field guns along the way. There were 800 New Zealand casualties including 150 dead.
The next day, 9 October 1918, Frank sustained gunshot wounds to the right leg and was admitted to No. 4 Casualty Clearing Station. He died of his wounds three days later, on 12 October 1918.
He was buried with 24 other NZ Rifle Brigade men killed round the same time at the Beaulencourt British Cemetery, Ligny – Thilloy, Pas de Calais, France. Beaulencourt is a small village less than 3 kilometres south of Bapaume. His burial service was conducted by the Rev. T. A. Frend. There are now over 700, 1914-18 war casualties commemorated in this site.
Frank was entitled to the British War Medal and the Victory Medal, and these were sent to his mother Mrs A. D. Dunne in England. Someone who knew Frank in Wellington must have put forward his name to be included on the Brooklyn war but there are no records to indicate who this was. Frank’s death was not noted in the Death columns of the Evening Post, nor were there any In Memoriam notices inserted in the next few years.
Researched and written by Vivienne McIsaac
Sources:
1901 English Census Records
Familysearch – Passenger Arrivals to New Zealand
National Library of New Zealand – Archway Archives – NZ Army Personnel File
Auckland Museum Cenotaph Database
Commonwealth War Graves Commission
The Official History of the New Zealand Rifle Brigade
http://nzetc.victoria.ac.nz/tm/scholarly/tei-WH1-NZRi.html
Regimental No. 55931
5 March 1879 – 12 October 1918
Frank Hedley DUNNE was the second child of Frank and Annie Dyson Dunne of Warrington, Lancashire. He had five siblings - Anne, Martha, John, Edward and Frances. His father's occupation was that of a boot and shoe maker and on the 1901 Census record he has a second occupation of “draughts editor”. By 1901 the family were living at 6 Manchester Road, Warrington, Lancashire, above the shoe shop. Frank, who was 22 years old, is listed as a book binder, his sister Martha as an Assistant Schoolmistress, and younger brother John, like his father, was a boot maker.
Frank obviously decided not to continue with his bookbinding career and in 1907 he immigrated to New Zealand, arriving in Wellington on 27 May 1907 as crew (assistant steward) on board the “Waiwera”. The first time Frank is recorded in publicly available records is in the 1914 electoral roll, by which time he was working as a rabbiter, on the Happy Valley Station, Wellington. Happy Valley is part of the wider Brooklyn area, and the Station was probably around the area now occupied by the WCC landfill.
By the time Frank attested for military service in May 1917 he was working as a book binder for the Government Printing Office, in Thorndon, close to the Wellington Railway Station. He was living at the top of Willis Street, at no. 212, and would have been able to commute to work using the Brooklyn tram route.
Frank enlisted with the New Zealand Army on 14 May 1917. His Attestation Papers record that he was single, 38 years and 3 months old, 5 foot 11 inches tall, and weighed 154 lbs. His chest measurement had an expansion of 35 inches to 38 inches, he was of a ruddy complexion, with dark hazel eyes, his hair was dark and tinged with gray. He had good eyesight, normal hearing, well-formed limbs, and normal heart and lungs. He was also free from hernia, varicose veins, hemorrhoids, or any contagious skin complaints, was not vaccinated, but did not suffer from any other “slight deffects” so was passed fit for duty by the medical officer. Frank did not have any religious beliefs and listed himself as agnostic. His mother Mrs. A.D. Dunne of 6 Manchester Road, Warrington, Lancashire, is recorded as his next of kin.
Frank was posted as a rifleman to D.Coy, 2 Battalion, 3rd NZ Rifle Brigade. After his initial training he left New Zealand on the 26 July 1917 on board the troopship HMNZT 90 “Ullimaroa” bound for Plymouth, Devon. From there the troops were marched into Sling Camp on Salisbury Plains, Wiltshire. It was a rather desolate place but was “home” to thousands of Commonwealth soldiers. After more training Frank was posted on 8 December 1917 to Etaples, France. On the 28 December he was sent to Division and a week later, on 5 January 1918, he joined the Battalion and was sent to D Coy in the field. On the 12 January 1918 he became sick with boils and was admitted to the Field Hospital. Three weeks later he was well enough to rejoin his unit. In 13 July 1918 he is again admitted to hospital only to be returned to his unit on the same day.
Frank would have been amongst those rushed south to the Somme to counter the German’s Operation Michael which began on 21 March, and presumably participated in the major battles where the Rifle Brigade were engaged during the rest of the year, including the Battle of Bapaume in August. By early September, the British First, Third and Fourth armies had pushed the German forces on the Somme back to the Hindenburg Line. Maybe the tension was getting to Frank by this time – on 14 September he forfeited 7 days’ pay when he refused an order to lay out his kit.
On 8 October the New Zealand Division advanced more than 5 km passing through the Hindenburg Line to take the village of Esnes, capturing more than 1000 prisoners and a dozen field guns along the way. There were 800 New Zealand casualties including 150 dead.
The next day, 9 October 1918, Frank sustained gunshot wounds to the right leg and was admitted to No. 4 Casualty Clearing Station. He died of his wounds three days later, on 12 October 1918.
He was buried with 24 other NZ Rifle Brigade men killed round the same time at the Beaulencourt British Cemetery, Ligny – Thilloy, Pas de Calais, France. Beaulencourt is a small village less than 3 kilometres south of Bapaume. His burial service was conducted by the Rev. T. A. Frend. There are now over 700, 1914-18 war casualties commemorated in this site.
Frank was entitled to the British War Medal and the Victory Medal, and these were sent to his mother Mrs A. D. Dunne in England. Someone who knew Frank in Wellington must have put forward his name to be included on the Brooklyn war but there are no records to indicate who this was. Frank’s death was not noted in the Death columns of the Evening Post, nor were there any In Memoriam notices inserted in the next few years.
Researched and written by Vivienne McIsaac
Sources:
1901 English Census Records
Familysearch – Passenger Arrivals to New Zealand
National Library of New Zealand – Archway Archives – NZ Army Personnel File
Auckland Museum Cenotaph Database
Commonwealth War Graves Commission
The Official History of the New Zealand Rifle Brigade
http://nzetc.victoria.ac.nz/tm/scholarly/tei-WH1-NZRi.html