Family :

Service Life:

Campaigns:

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

The Battle of the Somme 1st July - 18th November 1916 is inevitably characterised by the appalling casualties (60,000) on the first day, July 1st 1916. Having failed to break through the German lines in force, and also failed to maximise opportunities where success was achieved, the battle became a series of attritional assaults on well defended defence in depth. The battle continued officially until 18th November 1916 costing almost 500,000 British casualties. German casualties were about the same, and French about 200,000. The Somme could not be counted a success in terms of ground gained or the cost, but it had a strategic impact as it marked the start of the decline of the German Army. Never again would it be as effective whilst the British Army, learning from its experience eventually grew stronger to become a war winning army. The German High Command recognised that it could never again fight another Somme, a view that advanced the decision to invoke unrestricted submarine warfare in an attempt to starve Britain of food and material, and in doing so accelerated the United States declaration of war thus guaranteeing the eventual outcome. 287 Brethren were killed on the Somme in 1916.

Detail :

PS/5967, Corporal Frank Wilkinson, 20th (3rd Public Schools) Battalion, Royal Fusiliers.

Masonic :

Frank’s grandfather, Peter Richard Wilkinson, had been initiated into Old Union Lodge No 54 (meeting at Radley’s Hotel, Bridge Street, Blackfriars) in February 1838, but resigned in 1841 following his move to Brighton. After a gap of seven years, in May 1848 he was a joining member at Royal Clarence Lodge (then No 338, meeting at the Old Ship Inn, King’s Road, Brighton), where he remained until his death in 1882.

Peter was also a founder member of Royal Brunswick Lodge No 1034 in December 1857 (although he resigned in 1861) and joined South Saxon Lodge No 390 in December 1856, but again resigned, after less than two years in the lodge.

Thomas Wilkinson followed his father into Royal Clarence Lodge, where he was initiated on 21 May 1869, and remained in the lodge until his death in 1930.

Frank (aged 22) was the third generation of his family to become a freemason, when he was initiated into Royal Clarence Lodge (now renumbered as No 271 and meeting at the Royal Pavilion) in 1898. He served the lodge as Worshipful Master in 1908 and obtained the rank of Past Grand Steward.

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
• Website : Sussex People - Masonic Roll