HUGHES, Frank Irwin
(Service number 21830)
| First Rank | Rifleman | Last Rank | Gunner |
|---|
Birth
| Date | 17 May 1896 | Place of Birth | Timaru |
|---|
Enlistment Information
| Date | 4 May 1916 | Age | 19 years 11 months |
|---|---|---|---|
| Address at Enlistment | 71 Woodlands Road, Timaru | ||
| Occupation | Plumber | ||
| Previous Military Experience | 2nd S.C. Regiment - serving | ||
| Marital Status | Single. Married 1919, Scotland | ||
| Next of Kin | Mrs Ella MILLER (aunt), 71 Woodlands Road, Timaru; Mrs L. McNair HUGHES (wife), 86 Wellgate, Lanark, Scotland | ||
Military Service
| Served with | NZ Armed Forces | Served in | Army |
|---|
Embarkation Information
| Body on Embarkation | New Zealand Rifle Brigade | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Unit, Squadron, or Ship | 7th Reinforcements, 3rd Battalion, G Company | ||
| Date | 21 August 1916 | ||
| Transport | Mokoia | ||
| Embarked From | Destination | Plymouth, Devon, England | |
| Other Units Served With | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Last Unit Served With | NZ Field Artillery | ||
Military Awards
| Campaigns | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Service Medals | British War Medal; Victory Medal | ||
Award Circumstances and Date
No information
Prisoner of War Information
| Date of Capture | |
|---|---|
| Where Captured and by Whom | |
| Actions Prior to Capture | |
| PoW Serial Number | |
| PoW Camps | |
| Days Interned | |
| Liberation Date |
Death
| Date | 21 November 1959 | Age | 63 years |
|---|---|---|---|
| Place of Death | 102 Malcolm Avenue, Beckenham, Christchurch (residence) | ||
| Cause | |||
| Memorial or Cemetery | Ruru Lawn Cemetery, Christchurch | ||
| New Zealand Memorials | |||
Biographical Notes
Frank Irwin Hughes was born on 17 May 1896 at Timaru, the second son of William John and Margaret Jane (née Irwin) Hughes, who had married in 1892. Within a few months in 1899, little Frank and his older sister and brother lost their parents and baby brother – William John Hughes died on 15 March; little William Harold Hughes on 7 August, aged 13 months; and Margaret Jane Hughes on 7 October. Frank started at Timaru South School on his fifth birthday, his guardian being Mr E. Irwin. He left school in February 1910 to go out to work.
Frank Hughes enlisted on 4 May 1916 at Trentham. He was a plumber for Southgate Brothers, Timaru. Residing at 71 Woodlands Road, Timaru, and single, he named his aunt as next-of-kin – Mrs Ella Miller, 71 Woodlands Road, Timaru. Ella Isabella Irwin married John Robertson Miller (Millar) in 1897. He was serving with the 2nd South Canterbury Regiment. Rifleman F. I. Hughes embarked with the New Zealand Rifle Brigade of the 7th Reinforcements, departing for Plymouth, England, per the “Mokoia” on 21 August 1916. He married Lilian McNair Stewart on 12 March 1919 at Lanark, Scotland. Lilian became his next-of-kin – Mrs L. McNair Hughes, 86 Wellgate, Lanark, Scotland. Gunner F. I. Hughes, Timaru, returned to New Zealand by the “Corinthic” which was due at Wellington on or about 22 September 1919, and headed for 34 Oxford Street, Timaru. He was discharged on 22 October 1919, on the termination of his period of engagement, and was awarded the British War Medal and the Victory Medal. Frank also served for over three years with the New Zealand Staff at Burnham in World War Two.
Frank Irwin Hughes died suddenly at his residence (103 Malcolm Avenue, Beckenham, Christchurch) on 21 November 1959, aged 63 years. He was buried at Ruru Lawn Cemetery with Lilian who had died in August 1956. He was survived by his fours daughters and two sons who were all born in New Zealand, and also by his sister and brother and Millar cousins.
Sources
Auckland War Memorial Museum Cenotaph Database [04 June 2023]; Timaru Herald, 5 September 1919, Press, 23 & 24 November 1959 (Papers Past) [02 & 04 June 2023]; School Admission record (South Canterbury Branch NZSG) [04 June 2023]; NZ BDM Indexes (Department of Internal Affairs) [04 June 2023]; Ruru Lawn Cemetery burial record (Christchurch City Council) [04 June 2023]; Timaru Cemetery headstone image (Timaru District Council) [04 June 2023]
External Links
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Researched and Written by
Teresa Scott, South Canterbruy Genealogy Society
Currently Assigned to
Not assigned.
Licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License unless otherwise stated.
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