Early Life :

Education & Career :

Frank junior was educated, firstly at the Port Sunlight School, and then the Birkenhead Institute in Whetstone Lane, Birkenhead, and was also a member of the 1st Port Sunlight Boys Brigade. Ten years later the census shows the Schenkel family had moved to 286 New Chester Road.

After schooling finished, Frank followed his father into Lever Bros, securing a post in 1903, as an apprentice in the engineering department, later based in their Liverpool Office in the Royal Liver Building. In 1910 he went abroad to one of Levers Associated Companies, West African Oils Limited in the Gold Coast (now Ghana), to help erect a new mill and buildings at Adjuah. Frank had now become one of the pioneers of Lever’s huge West African enterprise, not returning to England until he came home on leave arriving in Liverpool aboard the African Steamship Co (Elder Dempster) “S.S. Dakar” on 19 February 1912. He soon returned to Africa, this time on a two year agreement, to the Belgian Congo Oil Works, finishing in June 1914, and at the end of July Frank returned home to England. It was sometime during this period that the Schenkel family moved across the River Mersey to 1, Oakbank Road, Sefton Park.

Service Life:

Campaigns:

• The First World War 1914-1918, World-wide.

The East African Campaign was a series of battles and guerrilla actions which started in German East Africa (now Tanzania) and ultimately impacted portions of Mozambique, Northern Rhodesia, British East Africa, Uganda, and the Belgian Congo. The German colonial forces, led by Lieutenant Colonel Paul Emil von Lettow-Vorbeck, skillfully fought for the duration of World War I and surrendered only after that war had ended. Other campaigns were conducted in West and South West Africa.

Detail :

Lieutenant Francis Jacob SCHENKEL, East Africa Intelligence Department, formerly 12880- Private/ Lance Corporal - Royal Fusiliers 25th Battalion.

Frank went out with the rest of his comrades to East Africa as a member of the Expeditionary Force, departing from Devonport Dockyard on 10th April, 1915 aboard H.M. Transport Ship “Neuralia”, arriving at Kilindi, near Mombassa, British East Africa (now Kenya) on 4th May, 1915.

Exactly one month later, to the day, Frank was promoted to Lance Corporal (un-paid) at Kajiadb, and he waited until 1st November, while at Maktaul, before this promotion was appointed to paid. The card illustrated was printed in East Africa for the men of the Legion of Frontiersmen to send back home to friends and loved ones for the Christmas of 1915.

The Frontiersmen, alongside the Loyal North Lancs Reg, guarded the lines of the Uganda Railway, which was being frequently attacked by the enemy. This became easier when in the spring of the following year General Smuts brought a force up from South Africa.

In a letter home, another Port Sunlight employee, 14919 Fred R. Chapman, (A Company, 25th Royal Fusiliers, Frontiersmen) writes,

"I joined the Frontiersmen (Driscoll’s Scouts),and have been out here five months doing duty at various times between Mombassa and the northern part of that great lake-the Victoria Nana-amid some of the wildest and grandest scenery in this vast continent. Our regiment has been in action on the Lake, and took a German town after a two day battle. Owing to the Censor, I must not mention places or dates, but if you have a glance at the map, you will see the large area we are operating in. We have lost several men killed, and a few from disease; but, on the whole, our regiment has been fortunate. We get very little news of the war in Europe- conflicting report from time to time, about two months old by the time it reaches here. . . I have only come across one man from Port Sunlight-a son of Mr. Schenkel. He is in C Company of our regiment, further down the country. . . "

Frank Schenkel had, by now, shown great ability in carrying out his dangerous duties and had been promoted in the field to a Lieutenant, and was recommended by his C.O., Col Driscoll, DSO, for intelligence duties. Colonel Driscoll was a much admired leader and had been extremely successful leading his “Scouts” in the earlier South African War’s. This promotion duly took place while he was at Korogwe, the official wording being “Sanction is given to employment in the Intelligence Dept. in accordance with Para 322 King’s Regulations at Rs.300/ per mensem and ration with effect from 4.7.16. and to be posted to the 1st Division. On 4th November, 1916 while at Dar-es-salaam his appointment was confirmed as, Attached Intell. Dept. to be Hon. Lieut. I.D.

A flavour of the campaign in which he served and died is given by an extract from ‘Sketches of the East Africa Campaign’, by Robert Valentine Dolbey (2004) Kessinger Publishing: “INTELLIGENCE” Of all the departments of War in German East Africa probably the most romantic and interesting is the Intelligence Department. Far away ahead of the fighting troops are the Intelligence officers with their native scouts. These officers, for the most part, are men who have lived long in the country, who know the native languages, and are familiar with the lie of the land from experience gained in past hunting trips. Often behind the enemy, creeping along the lines of communication, these officers carry their lives in their hands, and run the risk of betrayal by any native who happens across them. Sleeping in the bush at night, unable to light fires to cook their food, lest the light should attract the questing patrol that, learning of their presence in the country, has been out after them for days. Hiding in the bush, short of rations, the little luxuries of civilization long since finished, forced to smoke the reeking pungent native tobacco, living off wild game (that must be trapped, not shot), and native meal, at the mercy of the natives whom both sides employ to get information of the other, these men are in constant danger”.

Lt Schenkel was continuously on active service for over two years before taking a short leave just once in British East Africa. He then returned to continuous duty and it was on the battlefield of Mahiva between 15th and 17th October, 1917 that Frank was wounded by severe gun shot wounds to his pelvis and thigh.

Frank had been rushed to the 52nd Casualty Clearing Station at Mingoyo, and forwarded on to the Field Ambulance at Nyangoa. To complicate his injuries even further, Frank, had started to suffer with dysentery, and was rushed through Ebani onto the No. 2 South African General Hospital at Dar-es-salaam on 21 October, dangerously ill, and clung to life until finally expiring on Monday 19 November 1917.

Frank was buried at Dar-es-salaam Ocean Road Cemetery, Tanganyika, which is now known as Tanzania, in grave 141, which later became known as plot 5, row B, grave 8, but in now rests in peace in Grave 3.G.9 at Dar-es-salaam War Cemetery, having being moved with another 659 Great War casualties from his original resting place in 1968.

Dar-es-salaam, until its capture in the September of 1916, was the capital of German East Africa, and holds its place in history as the place of the first recorded British action of the Great War, when on 8 August 1914 HMS Astraea shelled the German wireless station and disabled two of Germany’s merchant ships which were in the harbour.

Frank’s father had had news of his son’s injury and wrote the following poignant letter to the Under Secretary of State, at the War Office, London, S.W.1.

Holme Lea”
Oakbank Rd,
Sefton Park,
Liverpool,
5/11/17.
………………………

Sir,

I thank you for your kind notification informing me that our dear Son, Lieutenant F.J.Schenkel, Intelligence Dept., G.E.A., has been seriously wounded on the 15th October and was reported dangerously ill with dysentry on the 21st October. As your report came from A.G.Base, Dar-es-Salaam, am I justified in assuming that they succeeded in bringing him down to the Base Hospital at Dar-es-Salaam by the 21st October, as I understand that good nursing is everything in dystentry and that he is sure of getting that at the Base Hospital? We are naturally most anxious and sorry for the poor boy to be struck down on the eve of victory, as we have reason to believe that he served his King and Country with great devotion and some distinction in East Africa for 2½ years continuously and earned his Commission on the field.
As it is now 15 days ago that he was reported dangerously ill and no further news have come to hand since then, we take heart and hope that he is on the mend or at least not worse. I shall feel most grateful for any further news you may be able to give me.
The absence of registration of next of kin is probably due to his transfer from the 25th Batt Royal Fusiliers (Frontiersmen) to the E.A. Intelligence Dept.
I am,
Sir,
Most respectfully yours,
(F J Schenkel)

He must have received the news he dreaded for on Friday 7 December 1917 the following appeared in the Liverpool Echo; Mr & Mrs Schenkel of Holme Lea, Oakbank Road, Sefton Park wish to thank all their numerous friends for kind sympathy in the irreparable loss of their dearly beloved son Lieut F J Schenkel East African Intelligence department who died at the hospital in Dar-es-Salaam East Africa of wounds received in battle. (“He fought the good fight and gave up his life that humanity might live.”)

A later article from the same newspaper has under the sub-title A SEFTON PARK OFFICER, Hon. Lieut. F. J. Schenkel, son of Mr. F. J. Schenkel, of 1, Oakbank-road, Sefton Park, has died in hospital at Dar-es-Salaam of wounds received while trying to save machine-guns, whose crews had been killed. On his death-bed he dictated a letter, mentioning that just after being wounded he obtained his captaincy and was appointed general staff officer to General Cunliffe.

Probate of his estate was obtained by his father at Liverpool on the 28th August 1918.His effects were valued at £535:

Probate SCHENKEL Frank Jacob (the younger) of Holmlea Oakbank-road Sefton Park Liverpool temporary honorary lieutenant East African Local Forces died 19 November 1917 at No.2 South African General Hospital East Africa Administration Liverpool 28 August to Frank Jacob Schenkel translator of foreign languages.

As well as those listed on this page above, Frank is commemorated on:

The Birkenhead Institute Memorial, now at Birkenhead Library, Borough Road, Birkenhead.
Lever Brothers Memorial, Port Sunlight Village, Wirral.
Golden Book Roll of Honour published by Levers, kept in Christ Church, Port Sunlight.
1st Port Sunlight Boys Brigade Memorial, The Lever Club, Greendale Rd, Port Sunlight.
Memorial in St Andrews Church, Lower Bebington.
Memorial in Lower Bebington Methodist Church, Bromborough Road, Bebington.
Memorial in St Mathew and St. James Parish Church, Rose Lane, Mossley Hill, Liverpool.
Garston Civic war memorial

Masonic :

FRANCIS JACOB SCHENKEL named as Francis J Shenkel on the memorial in Hope Street, was initiated into Lodge of Israel, No.1502, on 19 October, 1914 as a 25 year old engineer. He was passed to the second, or fellow craft degree on 4 December of that year, and raised to the third, or master mason degree on 18 January 1915. His Grand Lodge certificate was issued on 12 June 1916.

Listed as a Lieutenant in the 1921 Book - The Masonic Roll of Honour. Other sources quote him as Lance Corporal.

Source :

The project globally acknowledges the following as sources of information for research across the whole database:

• The Commonwealth War Graves Commission
• The (UK) National Archives
• Ancestry.co.uk - Genealogy, Family Trees & Family History online
• ugle.org.uk - The records of the United Grand Lodge of England including the Library and Museum of Freemasonry

Additional Source:

• Founder Researchers : Paul Masters & Mike McCarthy
• Researcher : Bruce Littley