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16073 Sergeant
GERALD FRANKENBERG, M.M.
(Later Temporary 2^nd Lieutenant)
Royal Engineers

by
Lieutenant Colonel Edward De Santis
Ó 2003. All Rights Reserved.

1. INTRODUCTION

An unsuccessful initial search was made for the service papers of Sergeant Gerald Frankenberg at the Public Record Office (PRO) at Kew, Richmond, Surrey in the WO364 records ^[1]. It was not until a fortunate discovery was made in the June 1919 Army List that indicated that Frankenberg had been commissioned in 1918 that the research on this man's military service could be pursued in detail. A search of the Public Record Office Catalogue (PROCAT) on the Internet then showed that the records of one Lieutenant G. Frankenberg, covering the period 1906 to 1955, were available at the PRO under WO 374/25509. A check of this file indicated that approximately 80 pages of documents pertaining to Frankenberg were available ^[2].

The papers of his father, 14060 Superintending Clerk Rudolph Frankenberg, R.E. also were located at the PRO under WO 97/4877. These records provided a good deal of information about Gerald Frankenberg's early life and family information. The majority of the details presented in this narrative have been taken from these service papers as well as other sources such as the campaign histories of the unit in which he served during the Great War of 1914-1918.

The reader should note that in the narrative portion of this work describing Frankenberg's assignments and campaign service, his rank at the time under discussion is given. To assist the reader and to avoid confusion, the dates of his various promotions are presented in Section 6 for easy reference.

2. EARLY LIFE AND FAMILY INFORMATION

Gerald Frankenberg was born at Sliema in east Malta, a town located to the northwest of the city of Valletta, on the 20^th of July 1888. He was baptized on the island of Malta on the 4^th of November 1888 ^[3]. Gerald was the son of Company Sergeant Major (Engineer Clerk) Rudolph Frankenberg of the Supernumerary Staff of the Royal Engineers and his wife Jane Frankenberg (nee Parker). The Frankenbergs had married at Malta on the 30^th of June 1887 and Gerald was their first child. Their second child, Reginald, was born on the 7^th of December 1890 while the Frankenbergs were still at Malta.

Gerald's father was posted home from Malta in January of 1891. The family arrived in Dublin on the 22^nd of January and remained there for just over four years. Gerald's father was assigned abroad at the end of his tour of duty in Ireland and on the 11^th of March 1895 the family sailed for Bermuda. The Frankenbergs returned to Ireland on the 2^nd of December 1901 and lived at 14 Sandford Avenue, S.C. Road in Dublin. Gerald was 13½ years old when his father was posted to Dublin for the second time.

Gerald would have three additional siblings born to his parents after the Frankenbergs left Malta and while his father was still in the Army. His sister Patricia was born in Dublin on the 17^th of March 1892 and his second sister, Rhoda Janetta, was born in Bermuda on the 22^nd of October 1897. His second brother, Ronald Evelyn, was born on the 29^th of October 1899, also in Bermuda. Gerald had another brother by the name of Maurice who appears to have been born after his father left the Army, since Maurice's name appears in Gerald's military service papers but not in his father's.

3. PHYSICAL DESCRIPTION

The following is a description of Gerald Frankenberg at the time he enlisted in the Army in 1906:

4. ENLISTMENT AND TRAINING

When he was of age, Gerald Frankenberg followed his father into the Royal Engineers. He was recruited for enlistment on the 21^st of August 1906 by Conductor G. Stearns of the Recruiting Staff in Dublin. On that date he was issued his Certificate of Medical Examination and was declared fit for service in the Army ^[4].

Gerald attested for service in the Regular Army at Dublin on the 25^th of August 1906 while his father was serving as a Superintending Clerk in the office of the Commander Royal Engineers (CRE) for the Dublin Sub-District in Ireland. His was a Short Service Attestation for three years with the Colours and nine years in the Reserve ^[5].

Gerald was 18 years of age at the time of his enlistment and was living at 14 Sandford Avenue in Dublin. He was a "skilled" Architectural Draughtsman, one of the skills particularly sought after by the Corps of Royal Engineers. He was not an Apprentice and was not married when he enlisted. At the time of his attestation he stated that he had never been imprisoned by civil power, he had no prior naval or military service and he had never previously been rejected for service. He also indicated that his religion was Church of England as his father had done when he originally enlisted in the Royal Engineers in 1877 ^[6].

Gerald Frankenberg's attestation was certified by Major E.W. Luard, the Recruiting Staff Officer in Dublin, on the 25^th of August 1906. Major Luard also issued Gerald's Certificate of Primary Military Examination on this date and he was declared fit for service in the Royal Engineers. On the 29^th of August Major Luard also issued the Certificate of Approving Officer and Gerald became 16073 Sapper Gerald Frankenberg, Royal Engineers. The speed with which Gerald's attestation was processed was no doubt due to his father's rank and the position he held in the office of the CRE Dublin.

Sapper Frankenberg arrived at Brompton Barracks in Chatham, Kent on the 30^th of August 1906, where he was assigned to the Royal Engineers Training Battalion at the School of Military Engineering for engineer recruit training ^[7]. His attestation papers were received from Dublin by the R.E. Record Office at Old Brompton in Chatham on the 5^th of September 1906.

While in training at Chatham, Sapper Frankenberg earned a 2^nd Class Certificate of Education. On the 15^th of October 1906 he passed the class of instruction in swimming (60 yards). He also appears to have benefited greatly from the physical training received at Chatham. In February of 1907, after six months of service and completion of the gymnastics course, Sapper Frankenberg had grown a half-inch in height and had gained 13 pounds. He also added one half inch to his chest measurement.

5. ASSIGNMENTS AND CAMPAIGN SERVICE

Chatham (1906-1915)

Sapper Frankenberg completed his seven months of recruit training at Chatham in March of 1907. He was then posted to "D" Company of the Royal Engineers Training Battalion (RETB) ^[8] where he was appointed an Unpaid Lance Corporal and assigned to duties as a Clerk in the Field Works office. On the 7^th of June 1908 he was appointed a Paid Lance Corporal. His employment sheet, prepared by his company commander during this period, indicates that he was an "intelligent and hard working" soldier.

On the 31^st of July 1908 Lance Corporal Frankenberg received an internal transfer within the R.E. Training Battalion and was posted to "F" Company. On the 5^th of August 1909, while still serving with "F" Company, he extended his service to complete 7 years with the Colours ^[9].

Frankenberg was promoted to the rank of 2^nd Corporal on the 1^st of May 1911 while he was still assigned to "F" Company of the RETB ^[10]. At that time he was serving as an Assistant Drill Instructor and his company commander indicated on his Employment Sheet that he was a "hard working, very keen and reliable" junior non-commissioned officer.

Gerald Frankenberg, as his father before him, had both an aptitude and a liking for military service. On the 8^th of August 1913 he again volunteered to extend his service, this time to complete 12 years with the Colours. In October of that year, while he was still performing duties as an Assistant Drill Instructor, his company commander wrote that he was "hard working, keen and reliable" and that he "has been very successful as an Instructor of recruits." One can assume that Gerald Frankenberg learned much about the Army and about military discipline from his father. His military bearing and appearance must have been such as to be most impressive to new recruits reporting to Chatham for training. For a 2^nd Corporal to be made an Assistant Drill Instructor with only five years of service himself is certainly a testimonial to his prowess as a soldier.

Early in 1914 Frankenberg was promoted to the rank of Corporal and appointed an Acting Sergeant. His company commander classified him as "a first class man" on his Employment Sheet dated 1 April 1914. When war broke out in France and Flanders in August of 1914, Acting Sergeant Frankenberg was still with "F" Company. On the 6^th of July 1915 he was posted to the 7^th Field Company, Royal Engineers in France ^[11]. Upon his arrival in France Frankenberg first reported to the Base Depot where he remained for over a month. It was not until the 9^th of August 1915 that he actually joined his new company.

France (1915-1916)

The 7^th Field Company, which originally went to France with the 4^th Division of the British III Corps, had been in France since the 6^th of October 1914. By the time Frankenberg was posted to the 7^th Field Company, the unit had been reassigned to the 50^th Division. When he arrived at the company it was located in an area near Kemmel.

Upon his arrival in the unit, Frankenberg was assigned to No. 1 Section. He had been with the company for less than a month when his performance of duty came to the attention of his company commander. In September Frankenberg was recommended for a commission "In the Field" by Major C.B.O. Symons, D.S.O., R.E. No action was taken on this recommendation. In December of 1915 Major Symons again recommended Frankenberg for a commission "In the Field" and again this recommendation went without any action. No reason is given in Frankenberg's military records to indicate why he was not granted a temporary commission after being recommended twice in such a short period of time. It may be that he declined to accept the commission.

On the 27^th of November 1915 a brand new 2^nd Lieutenant by the name of John Bagot Glubb arrived at the 7^th Field Company and was posted as commander of No. 1 Section. Gerald Frankenberg came to work closely with Lieutenant Glubb and had the distinction of serving for a while under one of the most famous Sapper officers in the history of the Corps of Royal Engineers ^[12]. Frankenberg is specifically mentioned in Lieutenant General Sir John Glubb's book entitled "Into Battle: A Soldier's Diary of the Great War." The following is an excerpt from that book where Lieutenant General Glubb describes the operations of the 7^th Field Company in the environs of Zillebeke during December of 1915:

"Sanctuary Wood is connected to Zillebeke village by a long communication trench called Zillebeke Street. When we knocked off work, and came out of Maple Copse, a lot of heavy krumps were falling on Zillebeke Street. I accordingly sent the sappers back to Dormy House Lane. I went on down Zillebeke Street. I found a man of the D.L.I. lying in the trench with a broken thigh.

I and Sergeant Frankenburg [sic], two sappers and a D.L.I. sergeant carried the man to the dressing station in Maple Copse…"

The further movements and the activities of the 7^th Field Company during the Great War are covered in great detail in The Royal Engineers Journal of June, September and December of 1932 ^[13] and are too numerous to be included here, especially since Frankenberg's time with the company was relatively short. Copies of these journals should be consulted if such details are required. An outline of the company's movements and major campaign service are provided below in tabular form from the date of Frankenberg's arrival at the company until the 22^nd of February 1916, the date that he was wounded and evacuated from the front lines.

The following excerpt from the Royal Engineers Journal of June 1932 provides a description of the 7^th Field Company's activities during the time that Sergeant Frankenberg was wounded:

"With 1916 opened the second year of trench warfare. The works on both sides were becoming yet more extensive and thoroughly organised. The struggle became more and more one of attrition, both sides endeavoring by constant harassing fire, bombardments of localities, etc., to wear down their opponents until such time as mobile warfare should ensue. The introduction of heavy and light trench-mortars, increasingly accurate and concentrated artillery fire, controlled machine-gun fire, etc., rendered it possible for effective minor operations to be planned by either side and these gave rise to constant retaliation in kind. Such operations led to much destruction of trench works and of communications, and to active endeavor to interfere with working parties. Under the circumstances the casualties amongst the Engineers and working parties steadily increased, the work at times imposing a heavy strain on the sapper sections."

It was during this period when the 7^th Field Company was in the Sanctuary Wood - Armagh Wood area that Sergeant Frankenberg was severely shell-shocked by German artillery and was classified as a casualty. The shelling that wounded Frankenberg occurred on the 22^nd of February 1916 causing him to be evacuated to the 1^st Canadian General Hospital. He was transferred to England on the 29^th of February 1916.

It was during the period just prior to receiving his wound, when the 7^th Field Company was in the Ypres Salient, that Sergeant Gerald Frankenberg distinguished himself in the field and was awarded the Military Medal ^[14]. His award of the medal was published on page 9831 of the Second Supplement to the London Gazette dated 11 October 1916. His is a general citation reading as follows:

His Majesty the KING has been graciously
pleased to award the Military Medal for
bravery in the field to the undermentioned:-

16073 Sjt. G. Frankenberg, R.E.

Although Frankenberg only served in the unit for about six and a half months, the 7^th Field Company fought in France and Flanders for a total of four years and three months. A summary of casualties, from causes other than sickness is shown in the table below and is testimony to the outstanding war service of the unit.

The total of Missing includes 1 Officer and 82 Other Ranks who fell into enemy hands on the 27^th of May 1918 during the Battle of the Aisne, of whom a high proportion were known to have been killed or wounded, but whose numbers were not ascertainable.

Fatalities in the 7^th Field Company (1914-1918)

The following table lists the names of the fatalities suffered by the 7^th Field Company, Royal Engineers in France and Flanders during the Great War ^[15]. The notations under cause of death are KIA = killed in action; Died = died of disease or killed in an accident; DOW = died of wounds. Where the cause of death is marked with an asterisk (*), the man died at home and not in the theatre of the war.

The following is a statistical analysis of fatalities in the 7^th Field Company by rank, cause of death and year of death:

Fatalities by Rank

Fatalities by Cause of Death

Fatalities by Year

Home Service (1916-1918)

After recovering from his wounds, Sergeant Frankenberg was posted to No. 3 Cadet Company in Newark, Nottinghamshire where he was eventually appointed as the Acting Company Quartermaster Sergeant in August of 1917. While serving with No. 3 Cadet Company he was mentioned in battalion orders and was awarded the Prize for Best in all Military Subjects.

On the 12^th of July 1918 Company Quartermaster Sergeant Frankenberg was posted to the 1^st Reserve Battalion Royal Engineers at Brompton Barracks and while serving there he lived at Lyndhurst, 37 Maidstone Road in Chatham.

Commissioned Service (1918-1920)

Gerald Frankenberg was granted a commission as a Temporary 2^nd Lieutenant, Royal Engineers on the 13^th of July 1918. On the 4^th of March 1919 he was attached for duty to the Royal Army Ordnance Corps at Hilsea Lines, Cosham, in Portsmouth, Hampshire.

On the 19^th of June 1919 Frankenberg applied for a permanent commission in the Regular Army. He requested that he be commissioned in the Royal Army Ordnance Corps (RAOC), Tank Corps (Equipment Branch), Royal Army Service Corps (RASC) or any unit in which a knowledge of stores was required. Apparently his application met with considerable resistance from the War Office, thus causing him to seek assistance from some influential person on his behalf. On the 3^rd of July 1919 Frankenberg wrote to Lieutenant Colonel J.T.C. Moore-Brabazon, M.C., the M.P. for Maidstone. In his letter to Moore-Brabazon he made a plea for a permanent commission so that he would not lose all the years of service towards a pension if he were demobilized. On the 11^th of July Moore-Brabazon wrote to the War Office requesting favorable consideration of Frankenberg's application. Frankenberg's application was forwarded from the Portsmouth Garrison to the Deputy Assistant Adjutant General (DAAG) at the War Office on the 30^th of July 1919. From that point on until he was ultimately demobilized from the Army there followed a bureaucratic chain of correspondence that must have made Frankenberg wonder whether it was all worth it. A summary of this chain of correspondence is provided below.

Between the 13^th of January and the 31^st of May 1920 Frankenberg continued to pursue the possibility of obtaining a permanent commission in the RAOC, RASC or Supplementary List of the Royal Engineers. In all cases his applications were not favorably considered. On the 30^th of April 1920 he wrote one final letter to the War Office. In that letter he stated that at the time he elected to take a temporary commission in the Royal Engineers he had been informed by Brigadier-General T.A.H. Bigge the if he accepted the temporary commission he would receive a permanent commission in due course. Apparently Frankenberg took Brigadier-General Bigge at his word, but when Bigge's help was needed he was nowhere to be found.

On the 13^th of May 1920 Gerald Frankenberg saw the futility of trying any further to obtain a permanent commission and complete a military career. On that date he elected not to reenlist in the Royal Engineers under the conditions specified. Had he reenlisted it would have been in the rank of Sapper if a vacancy for a Sergeant did not exist at the time. For a man of his experience and demonstrated ability as a non-commissioned officer, it is easy to understand why this option did not appeal to him. He was demobilized from the Army on the 30^th of May 1920.

6. PROMOTIONS AND CONDUCT

Promotions: Gerald Frankenberg received the following promotions during his time in service:

NOTES:

(*) During these periods Frankenberg was serving as an Assistant Drill Instructor in "F" Company of the Royal Engineers Training Battalion. It appears that after the outbreak of the Great War in August of 1914 the RETB was short of qualified non-commissioned officers in the rank of Sergeant. It also appears that it was necessary to appoint Frankenberg an Acting Sergeant to provide him with the rank and status required to perform his training duties during this period of rapid mobilization. The fact that he reverted to Corporal and then was appointed an Acting Sergeant a second time is probably a testimonial to the turmoil and turnover being experienced in the Royal Engineers training establishments at the time.

(+) Acting Sergeant Frankenberg reverted to his permanent rank of Corporal when he was posted from the RETB to the 7^th Field Company, probably because the 7^th Field Company had its full complement of Sergeants at the time. That situation changed shortly after he joined the unit in France.

Conduct: Gerald Frankenberg received numerous accolades for his conduct during his time in the ranks, as noted in the following table:

7. EDUCATION AND QUALIFICATIONS

Education: Gerald Frankenberg earned the following Certificates of Education during his time in service:^[19]

Qualifications: Gerald Frankenberg earned the following qualifications during his time in service.

8. MEDICAL INFORMATION

The following medical information was taken from Gerald Frankenberg's service records during his time in service:

9. MARRIAGE AND PERSONAL INFORMATION

When Gerald Frankenberg enlisted in the Army in 1906 his father Rudolph was listed as his next of kin. By the time of his discharge from the Army in 1918 his mother Jane Frankenberg was listed as his next of kin. Her address is shown in his military records as 104 Sinclair Road, West Kensington, London.

Rudolph Frankenberg's second son, Reginald, was 24 years old when the Great War broke out; however no direct evidence has turned up to indicate that he served during the war. It is probable that he did serve, unless he had some physical defect that would have precluded him joining the forces. The April 1915 Army List indicates that a 2^nd Lieutenant R.H. Frankenberg had been commissioned in the 3^rd (Special Reserve) Battalion of the Royal Irish Regiment and was serving in the 2^nd Battalion at the time. His date of commissioning was the 15^th of August 1914. There is no indication that Reginald had a middle name; hence, it is uncertain whether R.H. Frankenberg is Reginald Frankenberg.

The youngest Frankenberg boy, Ronald, would have only been 15 years old in October of 1914, but he would have been eligible for service in the Great War by October of 1917. Again, there is no evidence that he served in the war, but it is likely that he did join up given his family history. Neither Reginald nor Ronald is listed in Adler's British Jewry Book of Honour, although this is no guarantee that they did not serve. Like their father, they may have professed to be Christians when they enlisted; hence, they would not have been included in the book ^[24].

10. DISCHARGE

Gerald Frankenberg was discharged from the ranks at Newark, Nottinghamshire on the 12^th of July 1918 in order to accept a temporary commission ^[25]. On the 13^th of July 1918 he was appointed a Temporary 2^nd Lieutenant in the Royal Engineers at Newark after serving a total of 11 years and 322 days in the ranks. He then went on to serve as a commissioned officer until his demobilization on the 30^th of May 1920 when he relinquished his commission ^[26]. His total military service was reckoned as shown in the tables below:

Gerald Frankenberg's Protection Certificate, issued at the Officers' Dispersal Unit London, shows that at the time of his demobilization he was serving in the rank of Temporary 2^nd Lieutenant (Acting Lieutenant) in the Royal Engineers. He was assigned for duty with the Royal Army Ordnance Corps in the Southern Command at Portsmouth. The Protection Certificate indicates that in case of emergency, Gerald Frankenberg was to rejoin the Colours at Chatham, Kent. His medical category is not indicated nor is his occupation in civil life. The certificate does indicate that he was married and that he had been granted a temporary pension.

On the 12^th of October 1920 a duplicate copy of his service papers was prepared by the R.E. Record Office at Chatham. In these papers his name is erroneously spelled Frankenburg in some places, this being a clear indication of the lack of care taken with officers and soldiers records immediately following the Great War of 1914-1918. In this duplicate set of records his next of kin is listed as his mother Jane Frankenberg who at the time still was living at 104 Sinclair Road in West Kensington, London. Apparently his father was deceased at this time. The papers make no mention of Frankenberg's wife.

11. POST SERVICE LIFE

At the time of his demobilization from the Army, Gerald Frankenberg was living at Lyndhurst, 37 Maidstone Road, in Chatham, Kent. This was the same address where he was residing when he was discharged from the ranks to take his temporary commission.

Even after his demobilization, Frankenberg continued his bickering with the War Office. Between the 11^th of November 1920 and the 15^th of January 1921 he continued to do battle regarding a gratuity that he considered was due him. On the latter date he was told by the War Office that any further gratuity was denied. On the 27^th of February 1921 his temporary pension also ceased. As late as the 20^th of January 1922 he was still arguing with the War Office over the matter of arrears Engineer Pay that presumably he felt he was entitled to during the time he spent in the ranks.

Frankenberg's service records indicate that his address in January of 1921 was 53 St. Stephen Road in Snienton, Nottingham and in January of 1922 he was residing at 351 Berridge Road Central in Nottingham. He changed his name by deed poll to Gerald Franklin in 1922. His name change was published in the London Gazette dated the 28^th of March 1922. This change of name may have come about due to the animus displayed by the British people to all things German after the Great War. Frankenberg was a German name and although he had served his country faithfully, had been wounded and decorated with the Military Medal, his German surname might still have been a source of considerable discomfort for him after the war.

No information has come to the attention of the author regarding Gerald Frankenberg's occupation in civil life. His date of death also has not been discovered.

11. THE FRANKENBERG SURNAME

The name Frankenberg is not a common name in the United Kingdom. In addition to those men listed in this narrative, two other men named Frankenberg appear in the Army Lists during the period of the Great War. An I. Frankenberg, Esquire is listed in the April 1915 Monthly Army List as the Representative Member of the Territorial Association from Salford, East Lancashire. The June 1919 Monthly Army List indicates that a Captain S.S. Frankenberg was serving in the 8^th Battalion of the Manchester Regiment during the period. There is no known relationship between these men and the main characters of this narrative.

A well-known lady of today, whose name is Joyce Penelope Wilhelmina Frankenberg, is better known to the world as Jane Seymour, the movie actress. She was born on the 15^th of February 1951 in Hillingdon in the Greater London area, the oldest child of John Frankenberg and Mieke Frankenberg - van Trigt. Again, there is no known relationship between "Jane Seymour" and Gerald Frankenberg.

ADDENDUM NO. 1

REFERENCES

Books

1. DREW, R. Commissioned Officers in the Medical Services of the British Army, 1660-1960. Volume II. Roll of Officers in the Royal Army Medical Corps, 1898-1960. The Wellcome Historical Society Medical Library, London, 1968.

2. GLUBB, J. Into Battle: A Soldier's Diary of the Great War. Cassell, Ltd., London, 1977.

3. GRIERSON, J.M. Scarlet Into Khaki: The British Army on the Eve of the Boer War. Greenhill Books, London, 1988.

4. JONES, H.W., HOERR, N.L. and OSOL, A. (editors). Blakiston’s New Gould Medical Dictionary. McGraw-Hill Book Company, Inc., New York, 1941.

5. MERRIAM WEBSTER. Geographical Dictionary, Springfield, MA, 1997.

6. SKELLEY, A.R. The Victorian Army at Home: The Recruitment and Terms and Conditions of the British Regular, 1859-1899. McGill-Queen’s University Press, Montreal, 1977.

Documents

1. Medal Index Card of Sergeant Gerald Frankenberg, M.M., R.E.

2. Soldier's Service Papers, WO 374/25509, consisting of the following documents:

a. Short Service Attestation (Army Form B.217).
b. Description on Enlistment.
c. Statement of Services.
d. Military History Sheet.
e. Casualty Form - Active Service (Army Form B.103).
f. Medical History (Army Form B.178).
g. Records of Medical Boards.
h. Employment Sheet (Army Form B.2066).
i. Regimental Conduct Sheet.
j. Protection Certificate (Officer) (Army Form Z.3).

3. Correspondence from the Military Files of Gerald Frankenberg, WO 374/25509, consisting of the following documents:

a. Declaration to the Justice of the Peace in the Borough of Portsmouth.
b. Application for Permanent Commission in the Regular Army.
c. Letter from G. Frankenberg to Colonel J.T.C. Moore-Brabazon dated 3 July 1919.
d. Letter from Colonel J.T.C. Moore-Brabazon to the War Office dated 11 July 1919.
e. Letter from G. Frankenberg to DADOS, Portsmouth Garrison, dated 30 July 1919, with 15 endorsements.
f. Letter from Colonel J.T.C. Moore-Brabazon to the War Office dated 3 September 1919.
g. Letter from the War Office to Colonel J.T.C. Moore-Brabazon to the War Office dated 15 September 1919.
h. Letter from Gerald Frankenberg to Major A. Douglas White, Portsmouth Garrison, dated 16 December 1919, with 16 endorsements.
i. Letter from the War Office to DADOS Portsmouth Garrison dated 27 January 1920.
j. Letter from DADOS to Headquarters No. 2 Area, Southern Command dated 30 April 1920.
k. Letter from Commander No. 2 Area Southern Command to the War Office dated 5 May 1920.
l. Letter from Commander No. 2 Area Southern Command to the War Office dated 18 May 1920.
m. Letter from the War Office to Cox & Co., Army Agents, dated 15 October 1920, with 7 endorsements.
n. Letter from the War Office to Lieutenant Gerald Frankenberg dated 28 November 1920.
o. Letter from Gerald Frankenberg to the War Office dated 4 January 1921.
p. Letter from the War Office to Gerald Frankenberg dated 15 January 1921.
q. Letter from the War Office to Cox & Co. dated 20 January 1922.
r. Letter from the War Office to Gerald Franklin, Esq., dated 20 January 1922.

Periodicals

1. BAKER, H.A. History of the 7^th Field Company, R.E. During the War, 1914-1918. The Royal Engineers Journal. The Institution of Royal Engineers, Chatham, Kent, June, September and December 1932.

2. London Gazette, 11 October 1916.

3. London Gazette, 7 August 1918.

4. London Gazette, 16 July 1920.

5. London Gazette, 28 March 1928.

6. Monthly Army List, June 1919.

7. Monthly Army List, December 1920.

Computer Software

Soldiers Died in the Great War. The Naval & Military Press Ltd., Heathfield, East Sussex, 1998.

Internet Web Sites

Commonwealth War Graves Commission.

ENDNOTES

[1] War Office: Soldiers' Documents from Pension Claims, First World War.

[2] This work was accomplished by the author's close associate in England, Mr. Stuart Gase of West Drayton.

[3] There is some confusion concerning his date of birth. His service papers indicate that he was born on the 20^th of July 1888. The service papers of his father also show this as his date of birth; however, it appears that an attempt to erase this date was made on his father's papers and the date 4-11-1888 entered in its place. The Army Chaplains Registers of Births/Baptisms for 1800 to 1900 lists only the year 1888 next to Gerald Frankenberg's name.

[4] See Age and Physical Requirements for Soldiers in the British Army and the Corps of Royal Engineers.

[5] See Periods of Enlistment for the Corps of Royal Engineers.

[6] Indications are clear later on his life that Gerald Frankenberg actually was Jewish, as his name is listed in the British Jewry Book of Honour.

[7] See Engineer Recruit Training.

[8] The Royal Engineers Training Battalion at this time was commanded by Colonel F. Rainsford-Hannay, R.E.

[9] See Extensions of Service of the Regular Army.

[10] The RETB at this time was commanded by Colonel J.L. Irvine, C.B., R.E.

[11] This is known from his Medal Index Card (MIC) and service papers, both of which indicated that he arrived in France on the 6^th of July 1915.

[12] Lieutenant General Sir John Bagot Glubb, K.C.B., C.M.G., D.S.O., O.B.E., M.C., the famous "Glubb Pasha", Commander of the Arab Legion.

[13] BAKER, H.A.

[14] This medal is in the author's collection.

[15] Soldiers Died in the Great War.

[16] In a previous section of this narrative it was reported that 51 of all ranks were known to have been killed in action or to have died at the front and that a high proportion of 83 men of all ranks died while prisoners of war. This table indicates that a total of 92 of all ranks died during the war with one man dying at home; hence, a total of 91 of all ranks were killed in action or died at the front, 40 of these dying while prisoners of war.

[17] The number reported as Died of Wounds seems to be out of proportion with the number of men who died of disease or by accident. It is likely that some of the men reported as Died actually died as a result of wounds received in action.

[18] See Good Conduct Pay.

[19] See Certificates of Education.

[20] At the time Frankenberg entered the Army he was considered to be a "Skilled" Architectural Draughtsman in civilian life. A note to this effect was placed on his attestation papers. Shortly after the completion of his training at the School of Military Engineering he was classified, by military standards, as a "Proficient" Architectural Draughtsman. The classification of "Proficient" is believed to have been lower than "Skilled" at the time, thus indicating that either military standards were stricter than civilian standards or that there was a difference in the terminology used in defining the military and civilian standards.

[21] Examination performed by Captain John James, Royal Army Medical Corps. John James was born on the 24^th of April 1881 at Harrington, Cumberland. He received the degree of Bachelor of Medicine (MB) and was commissioned a Lieutenant in the Royal Army Medical Corps on the 4^th of February 1908. He was promoted Captain on the 4^th of August 1911 and served as an Acting Major from 4 January to 7 March 1918. Captain James served in South Africa from 1910 to 1913 and with the British Expeditionary Force in France and Flanders from 1914 to 1918. He died of wounds received in action on the 8^th of October 1918 while attached to the 18^th (Glasgow Yeomanry) Battalion, Highland Light Infantry. Captain James was 38 years old at the time of his death. He was the husband of Mary S. James of 60, Marlborough Road, Gillingham, Kent. Captain James is buried at Dadizeele New British Cemetery at Moorslede, West Vlaanderen, Belgium.

[22] A group of symptoms formerly ascribed to debility or exhaustion of the nerve centers.

[23] The medical examination was performed by Captain C.R. Crawford, Royal Army Medical Corps.

[24] Volumes I through VII of the National Roll of the Great War was checked with negative results for any other Frankenbergs who may have served.

[25] Notice of Frankenbergs commission as a Temporary Second Lieutenant was published in the London Gazette of 7 August 1918.

[26] Notice of his relinquishing his commissioning was published in the London Gazette of 16 July 1920.