No. 12150, Sergeant, Frank Richard BOULDEN
Aged 20
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Frank Richard Boulden was born in Market Harborough on 25th December 1987 (1st qtr 1898 Market Harborough 7a:13), son of Frank and Beatrice
Annie BOULDEN (née PURNELL). Baptised in Foxton, Leicestershire on 27th March 1898. His parents married
in Long Melford.
1901 census...Aged 3, he was at 5 Street, Bermondsey with his grandfather George PURNELL [61] baker born Brentford; his grandmother Connie [60] born Worcester; uncle Frederick PURNELL [31] baker born Brentford; his mother Beatrice BOULDEN [30] born Hampton and his sister Beatrice [1] born Bermondsey. His father was not found but in 1891 he was in the Royal Horse Artillery at Woolwich. His father had served 12 years in the Royal Horse Artillery and then served from 1915 to 1919 in the R.A.S.C. 1911 census...None found in this census, but he joined the Great Eastern Railway (Cockfield Department) in June 1911. The electoral rolls have his father in Long Melford in 1912. The pension card has his mother at Liston Lane, Long Melford. |
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He enlisted in Bury St. Edmunds in the Suffolk Regiment but was attached to the 4th Battalion, King's Own Royal (Lancaster) Regiment when he was killed The 4th Royal Lancaster were around Gamand, Templemars and Peronne en Melantois on 18th October 1918. The war diary has :- "The battalion moved off at 6 a.m. to pass through the 2/5th Lancashire Fusiliers. Companies were outpost Coys with A and B in Support. The patrols pushed on and entered SAINGHIN and PERONNE. The enemy were holding the bank of the RIVER LA MARQUE in considerable strength and there was a great deal of shelling, the fort [?] at SAINGHIN and PERONNE being the chief targets. BAS-SAINGHIN caused D Coy a great deal of trouble. and it was not until the afternoon that it was cleared. A heavy mist hung over the area of operations and greatly assisted us in moving forward. The night was very light with a brilliant moon. By means of a ladder D Coy patrol was able to cross the LA MARQUE and enter BOUVINES. At 10:30 p.m. a machine gun barrage was put down and also the 18 pdr Batteries fired on woods where the enemy were located. This seems to have forced the enemy to retire before he intended to and he finally left the village at 11 p.m. and we entered at 11:15 p.m. Our reception by the villagers was most cordial."
He is also commemorated at Long Melford and on the G.E.R. memorial at Liverpool Street Station. click here to go to the Commonwealth War Graves Commission website for full cemetery/memorial details |
