Son of John and Ethel and brother of Gladys, Douglas, Jean, Phyllis, Aileen, Neil and Ian. Source: Death Notice.

2017 Memories/Recollections of Uncle Frank

From Kevin (nephew of Frank - son of Phyllis Gaskill - nee Rossiter)

As a teenager - 12 or 13 years old - Frank lived with his family at Frankton, Hamilton, not far from a railway over-bridge. I can remember the story being told of Frank going on to this over-bridge, taking a pumpkin with him. He waited for a steam engine to pass underneath the bridge, and when one did, he dropped the pumpkin down its steam funnel.

He was prisoner of war in a German POW camp for 5 years and was on what is known as 'the long march'', sometimes called the long walk. He had scars either side of his mouth caused by a German soldier pushing a can into his mouth as he was drinking water from it, cutting both sides. He was very thin on his return from war. I can remember how concerned nana and mum were, and can recall comments being made as to how thin and unrecognizable he was on return.

Uncle Frank was farming when he died at Katikati. He dropped dead suddenly. He was quite young at the time, early forties. We always thought that it was as a result of his treatment as a P.O.W., there was some talk about him being gassed. He worked for the Stewarts who owned a farm adjoining the farm we were share-milking on at Taupiri, maybe 1954, then came and worked for mum and dad on the farm where we were. Then he worked in the Matamata region.

Frank got his license as an adult - he was very hard to teach to drive. He was an extremely fit man and fast - run like the devil - had been seen to outrun a bolting heifer.

He was a very kind, gentle man - never having anyting in the way of assets or finances - happy giving away or sharing what he did have. Had a good sense of humour, although also had a short temper. Was an amazingly hard worker and dad and him got on real well.

I was 16 years old when I went to Frank's funeral. I held a driver's license and owned my first car - so drove mum Phylllis (one of Frank's sisters) and nana (Frank's mother Ethel Myrtle) - from where mum and dad were sharemilking at Pongakawa to the funeral in Tauranga. From memory we entered the cemetery gate on an elevated site from the west heading east - with a row of Cyprus trees and overlooking farmland, then going to the RSA afterwards. Family source as above. AWMM