Pte Frank Weaving WW1 1918

Cinderford 2

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Pte Frank Weaving WW1 1918

Photo supplied by Kevin Marsh who writes:
Frank Weaving, (1896-1979) grew up in Cinderford. He joined the war late, in 1918, when he was 22. He had been a collier, and a good one by all accounts, since the age of 13.

The miners worked in an industry, essential for the war effort, but as the war went on even they were at risk of being called up.

Each week, they had to put their names into a hat and so many were taken out each time to go off and fight. This became so stressful that eventually Frank decided to volunteer, as he knew that if you did that you could choose more or less where you would go, and wouldn’t necessarily be sent just anywhere, as potential ‘cannon fodder’!

As he had experience of working with horses, Frank joined the Artillery section, looking after the horses that pulled the guns.

He went in as an ordinary ‘Private’, but was eventually accorded the rank of ‘Corporal’ and at one stage even ‘acting Sergeant’, in the Home Guard in World War II.

*This photo was taken of him holding a riding crop, used with the horses no doubt.

He went over to France with his regiment, but he didn’t get to the Front itself (fortunately for his family) since the war ended in November 1918.

After Armistice, he helped get the horses back to England, as the farmers needed them to get the harvest in. Rather like in the book and film, ‘War Horse’.

Even in that short time, he saw many horrors and always swore that none of his sons would ever join up.

Eventually Frank went back to his work in the pit. It was a hard life, but one which he loved, especially the comradeship. He was a man with a big personality, a true Forester.

He married twice. In 1919 he wed Dorothy Thomas of Steam Mills (1897-1921). Sadly she died young and left him with an infant son. He later married Ethel Morse (1901-80) from Ruspidge in 1932 and they had 5 children together.

A greatly loved father and grandfather, Frank Weaving passed away in 1979 at 83.