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Cenotaph record

Frank Mullen Cranston

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Portrait, Auckland Weekly News 1917 - No known copyright restrictions

Portrait, Auckland Weekly News 1917 - No known copyright restrictions

Identity

About

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  • Title
  • Forenames
    Frank Mullen AWMM
  • Surname
    Cranston AWMM
  • Ingoa
  • Also known as
  • Service number
    WWI 22947 AWMM
  • Gender
    Male AWMM
  • Iwi / Hapū / Waka / Rohe
  • Religion
    Catholic, Christian AWMM

Civilian life

About birth

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  • Birth
    25 July 1895 Military personnel file Military personnel file
  • Date of birth
  • Place of birth
  • Birth notes
  • Address before enlistment
    WW1 Box 86, Hastings, Hawkes Bay, New Zealand AWMM
  • Post war occupation
  • Next of kin on embarkation
    WW1 Mrs E.H. Blake (aunt), Box 89, Hastings, New Zealand AWMM
  • Relationship status
    Single/WWI AWMM

Service

Wars and conflicts

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  • War
    World War I, 1914-1918 AWMM
  • Campaign
    1914-1919 Western Front AWMM
  • Armed force / branch
    Army AWMM
  • Service number
    WWI 22947 AWMM
  • Military service
  • Promotions/ Postings/ Transfers

Military decorations

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Training and Enlistment

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  • Military training
  • Branch Trade Proficiency
  • Enlistment
    WW1 22 December 1915 Military personnel file
    Age 20 AWMM
    Law Clerk/Civilian Military personnel file
  • Occupation before enlistment
  • Age on enlistment

Embarkations

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Prisoner of war

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  • Capture details
  • Days interned
  • Liberation date
  • Liberation Repatriation
  • POW liberation details
  • POW serial number

Medical history

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  • Medical notes
    Killed in Action, Cause of Death AWMM

Last known rank

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Biographical information

Biographical information

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    • Frank Cranston was the son of James and Ellen Cranston AWMM
    • Frank Mullen Cranston enlisted on 22 December 1915 at the age of 18 years and 4 months. His date of birth on his enlistment paper, however, has him recorded as being two years older. He was assigned to the 11th Reinforcements. Before sailing however he attained a furlough to travel to Fiji to visit his mother. Upon his return he was transferred initially to the 12th Reinforcements in early March 1916, before being assigned to the 13th Reinforcements (the 11th having sailed prior to his return from Fiji) and embarked in Wellington on the Willochra (HMNZT 54) on 31 May 1916. He arrived in Devonport on 26 July 1916.

      He was initially posted to Sling Camp with the NZ Rifle Brigade (NZRB) but was later transferred to the NZ Machine Gun Corps (NZMGC) training school located at Grantham (Lincolnshire) on 19 September 1916. He was then transported to Rouen (France) arriving 3 October before travelling to Etaples which was the principal depot and transit camp for the British Expeditionary Force in France. He was subsequently killed in action near the town of Messines (Belgium) on 15 June 1917 at the age of 19 years and 10 months.

      There is no information on the following
      Date of birth – It is 25 July 1897
      Date of enlistment – It is 22 December 1916
      Embarking Ship – Willochra (HMZT54)
      Destination – Devonport

      I have attached his Statement of Service record to confirm the dates for the ship movements. Public - Laurie - 7 May 2020 - Statement of Service record
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Death

About death

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  • Death
    15 June 1917 Military personnel file
    Belgium, Europe Military personnel file
  • Date of death
  • Age at death
  • Place of death
  • Cause of death
    Killed in Action AWMM
  • Death notes
  • Cemetery
    Messines Ridge British Cemetery, Mesen, West-Vlaanderen, Belgium AWMM IV. F. 48. AWMM
  • Cemetery name
  • Grave reference
  • Obituary
  • Memorial name
  • Memorial reference

Memorials

Memorial

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  • Memorial name

Roll of Honour

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Sources

Sources

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Contributors

Command item
Command item
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DateFirst namesLocationRelationshipContact
07 May 2020LaurieKensington, Western AustraliaOther

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