Francis Hubert Freeman

Francis was born in St Mary’s, Warwick in 1889, the son of Joseph and Frances of 8 High Street, Barford.

In 1911 he was a domestic gardener, living with his parents in High Street and in 1915 he married Sarah Louise Beckingham of Alderham Cottages, Barford.  Francis and Sarah had a daughter Margaret in 1916.

Francis enlisted in Warwick and served as 24326, Private, ‘C’ Company, 2nd/6th Battalion, Warwickshire Regiment, (T.F.), 182nd (2nd Warwickshire) Brigade, 61st (2nd South Midland) Division.  He served overseas at some time after 1st January 1916, and was killed in action on Sunday 26th August 1917 during the attack on the Schuler Galleries, aged 28.  He is commemorated on the Tyne Cot Memorial, Zonnebeke, West-Vlaaderen, Belgium and on the memorial screen at St Peter’s Church, Barford.  He was awarded the British War medal and the Victory Medal.

His widow Sarah Louise subsequently married a Mr Rudman.

Francis had an older brother Herbert, who died in 1959, and a younger sister Rose.  Rose married Leonard Beckingham and they had daughters Ellen Edith and Francis.  She lived in Barford and died in 1981.  Ellen died in 2012, but no record of Francis has been found (is she still alive?).