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know from a letter to the Stamford & Rutland News of
18th September 1918 that one of his school friends, Charles
Longbottom, met him in Cairo some time before that date. The
25th Battalion of the Royal Welsh Fusiliers served in Egypt in
1917/18.
There are very few James Kerfoot’s in the medal cards and the
only likely one is identified above.
His death is registered in Oundle in September 1968, aged 77.
KINGSTON Frank Donald
Private 5176 Suffolk Regiment
Private 201987 1/4th Battalion, Suffolk Regiment
Frank was born in 1897 in Kings Cliffe and was the second son
of James and Clara Kingston.
His elder brother, Harold, unfortunately, died when he was just
five years old, leaving Frank the eldest of the four remaining
children.
James, the father, was a baker and farmer, and in 1901 was living
on West Street, Kings Cliffe. He had served an apprenticeship
with a miller in Spalding, as a young man. This seems a long
way to travel in 1900, but the miller’s wife, Esther Hopkins (nee
Little), was a Kings Cliffe girl so no doubt it wasn’t a chance
choice.
By 1911 James just describes himself as a farmer, so presumably
had disposed of the bakery business. By this time they were
living at The Mill House in Hall Yard, and 14-year-old Frank is
still at school.
Frank volunteered for Kitchener’s New Army in Peterborough
sometime around May 1915 when he was 18 years old. He
joined the Suffolk Regiment, probably in a training battalion.
By this time the military were just about getting their act together
and volunteers for the New Army did not have to wait around so
long for equipment and weapons.
Around the beginning of 1916 he would have completed his
training and was sent off to France to join his new battalion, the
1/4th, who were already in France.
107
18th September 1918 that one of his school friends, Charles
Longbottom, met him in Cairo some time before that date. The
25th Battalion of the Royal Welsh Fusiliers served in Egypt in
1917/18.
There are very few James Kerfoot’s in the medal cards and the
only likely one is identified above.
His death is registered in Oundle in September 1968, aged 77.
KINGSTON Frank Donald
Private 5176 Suffolk Regiment
Private 201987 1/4th Battalion, Suffolk Regiment
Frank was born in 1897 in Kings Cliffe and was the second son
of James and Clara Kingston.
His elder brother, Harold, unfortunately, died when he was just
five years old, leaving Frank the eldest of the four remaining
children.
James, the father, was a baker and farmer, and in 1901 was living
on West Street, Kings Cliffe. He had served an apprenticeship
with a miller in Spalding, as a young man. This seems a long
way to travel in 1900, but the miller’s wife, Esther Hopkins (nee
Little), was a Kings Cliffe girl so no doubt it wasn’t a chance
choice.
By 1911 James just describes himself as a farmer, so presumably
had disposed of the bakery business. By this time they were
living at The Mill House in Hall Yard, and 14-year-old Frank is
still at school.
Frank volunteered for Kitchener’s New Army in Peterborough
sometime around May 1915 when he was 18 years old. He
joined the Suffolk Regiment, probably in a training battalion.
By this time the military were just about getting their act together
and volunteers for the New Army did not have to wait around so
long for equipment and weapons.
Around the beginning of 1916 he would have completed his
training and was sent off to France to join his new battalion, the
1/4th, who were already in France.
107
