Francis (Frank) Pritchard

Memorial: Iron Acton - St James the Less Church

Regiment: Gloucestershire Regiment

Medals: British War Medal, Next of Kin Memorial Plaque 1914 - 1921, Victory Medal

Rank and number: Private 266705

Parents: Charles and Elizabeth Pritchard

Home address: North Road, Yate, Bristol

Pre-war occupation: Farm Boy

Date of birth: 1897

Place of birth: Yate, Bristol

Date of death: 23/08/1917

Buried/Commemorated at: New Irish Farm Cemetery (Ref: VI. F. 16.) Belgium

Age: 20

Further information:

Francis (Frank) Pritchard was born in Iron Acton and lived with his mother Elizabeth Pritchard in North Road, Yate, his father was a pit engine stocker who had died in 1901. He was brother to Frederick, Henry, Winnie, Bertie and Oliver and worked as a farm labourer.

Francis enlisted in Bristol and fought with the 2nd/6th Battalion, Gloucestershire Regiment. He was Killed in Action in an attack from trenches at Wieltje when Two Corps requested the support of ‘A’ Company to attack and capture Pond Farm - a significant German strongpoint – on the 23rd August 1917 during Third Battle of Ypres or Passchendale. Francis is buried at the New Irish Farm Cemetery (Ref: VI. F. 16.), Belgium. Francis was just 20 years old when he died.

Francis Pritchard is remembered on the Chipping Sodbury and District War Memorial Cottage Hospital board, which is now at Yate and District Heritage Centre, under Yate.

By kind permission, this information is based on the following source(s):

Yate and District Heritage Centre and Forces War Records