Frank Hughes
Born 11 Jun 1888 - Died 28 Aug 1916
- Service number
- WWI 24/2008 AWMM
- Also known as
- —
- Armed force / branch
- Army AWMM
- Last rank
- WW1 Private AWMM Canterbury Infantry Regiment, 2nd Battalion AWMM
- War
- World War I, 1914-1918 AWMM
Images
Documents
About birth
- Birth
- 11 Jun 1888 AWMM
- Date of birth
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- Place of birth
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- Birth notes
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- Address before enlistment
- Pre 16 Nov 1915 AWMM Wellington, New Zealand AWMM
- Post war occupation
- —
- Next of kin
- Mrs M. Hughes (mother), Peter Street, Wellington, New Zealand AWMM
- Relationship status
- Pre 04 Mar 1916 AWMM Single AWMM
Wars and conflicts
- War
- World War I, 1914-1918 AWMM
- Campaign
- —
- Armed force / branch
- Army AWMM
- Service number
- WWI 24/2008 AWMM
- Military service
- —
- Promotions/ Postings/ Transfers
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Military decorations
- Medals and Awards
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Training and Enlistment
- Military training
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- Branch Trade Proficiency
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- Enlistment
- WW1 16 Nov 1915 AWMM
Age 27 AWMM
Labourer/Civilian AWMM - Age on enlistment
- —
- Occupation before enlistment
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Embarkations
- Embarkation details
- WW1 04 Mar 1916-08 Apr 1916 AWMM
HMNZT 47 AWMM Vessel was Willochra AWMM Rifleman AWMM 4th Reinforcements, 2nd Battalion, F Company AWMM New Zealand Rifle Brigade AWMM
Prisoner of war
- Capture details
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- Days interned
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- Liberation date
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- POW liberation details
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- Liberation Repatriation
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- POW serial number
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Medical history
- Medical notes
- Height, Unknown Period AWMM
5 foot 2.5 inches AWMM - Weight, Unknown Period AWMM
154 pounds AWMM - Eye colour, Unknown Period AWMM
Blue AWMM - Hair colour, Unknown Period AWMM
Brown AWMM - Court Martialled, Executed, Pardoned, Cause of Death AWMM
Executed AWMM - Killed on Active Service, Cause of Death AWMM
- Height, Unknown Period AWMM
Last known rank
- Last rank
- WW1 Private AWMM
Canterbury Infantry Regiment, 2nd Battalion AWMM - Last rank
- —
Biographical information
- Son of Mr. John Hughes, of 209 Crinan Street, Invercargill, New Zealand.
Frank Hughes was one of 28 New Zealand servicemen who were court-martialled and sentenced to death during the First World War.
Private Frank Hughes was the first New Zealander executed during World War 1 for crimes against military laws. The charge was 'A.A. Sec.12 (1A) When on active service deserting His Majesty's Service in that he in the field between 3.30pm & 9.30pm on 29/7/16 did absent himself without leave from his unit in the front line trenches (T82) & was absent until apprehended by the Military Foot Police at 6am on 9/8/16.
His plea - Not Guilty; the Finding - Guilty Sentence : To suffer death by being shot.
He was shot at 5 am on 25 August 1916 and buried in a commoners grave.
A Private Member's Bill was put before the New Zealand Parliament in September 1998 by the MP for Invercargill, Mark Peck, to pardon the soldiers executed. This became the Pardon for Soldiers of the Great War Act 2000 which pardoned the five soldiers. The purpose of the act was 'to remove so far as practicable, the dishonour that the execution of those five soldiers brought to those soldiers and their families. AWMM
About death
- Death
- 28 Aug 1916 AWMM
Age 28 AWMM - Date of death
- 25 August 1916Public - Glenn - Researcher - 5 March 2026 - CWGC headstone is engraved 25th August not 28th.
- Age at death
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- Place of death
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- Cause of death
- Death notes
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- Cemetery
- Hallencourt Communal Cemetery, Somme, France AWMM On south side, near south-west corner. AWMM
- Cemetery name
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- Grave reference
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- Obituary
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- Memorial name
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- Memorial reference
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Memorial
- Memorial name
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Sources
- External links
- Commonwealth War Graves Commission.
http://www.cwgc.org
Sources Used - Military personnel file
https://collections.archives.govt.nz/web/arena/search/#/entity/aims-archive/R18050651
Further Reference - Inwards letters files re Court Martial 1916
https://collections.archives.govt.nz/web/arena/search/#/entity/aims-archive/R22430428
Further Reference - Inwards letters files re Court Martial 1916
https://collections.archives.govt.nz/web/arena/search/#/entity/aims-archive/R22430428
Further Reference - Clark, H. (2005, August 31). World War One medal presentation ceremony, Parliament.
http://medals.nzdf.mil.nz/news/articles/1999-2003/20053108speech.html
Further Reference - Pardon for Soldiers of the Great War Act 2000.
http://www.legislation.govt.nz/act/public/2000/0029/latest/whole.html
Further Reference - New Zealand Government. Ministerial statement. Burton, M. (2005). World War One pardoned soldiers to be recognised with awards. Wellington, N.Z. beehive.govt.net
http://beehive.govt.nz/release/world+war+one+pardoned+soldiers+be+recognised+awards
Further Reference - New Zealand War Graves Trust
https://www.nzwargraves.org.nz/
Further Reference
- Commonwealth War Graves Commission.
- References
- Pugsley, C. (1991). On the Fringe of Hell: New Zealanders and Military Discipline in the First World War. Auckland, N.Z.: Hodder & Stoughton.
- New Zealand Army Expeditionary Force. (1917). Nominal Rolls of New Zealand Expeditionary Force Volume II. Wellington, N.Z.: Govt. Printer.
26: 32 - RSA review: the official journal of the N.Z. Returned Services' Association
RSA Review September 2005, p10 - Pugsley, C. (1991). On the Fringe of Hell: New Zealanders and Military Discipline in the First World War. Auckland, N.Z.: Hodder & Stoughton.
Pugsley, C. (1991). p. 350 - Ferguson, David (1921). The history of the Canterbury Regiment, N.Z.E.F. 1914-1919. Whitcombe and Tombs Ltd: Auckland, N.Z.
- Austin, W. (1924). The official history of the New Zealand Rifle Brigade (The Earl of Liverpool's Own). Wellington, N.Z.: L T Watkins.
- HMNZT 47. The Willochra tatler, or, The unvarished truth of some companies of the 10th Reinforcements, N.Z.E.F. (1916). Christchurch, New Zealand: Christchurch Press Company Limited, printers.
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