Frank (Francis Herbert) Vaughan was born in April 1888 at Llandrinio and was brought up near to Gwern y Brenin, Maesbury. Frank was the youngest of 4 children; he had 2 brothers and a sister. Their mother, Frances, died in 1898, their father, Lewis, in 1910. The Vaughans were a well established local family, having lived around Llandrinio for many generations. The family seat was Trederwyn Hall near to Arddleen.

In 1899 Frank went to boarding school at King’s School, Canterbury, Kent. After school, in 1905 he went on to Wye Agricultural College.

There was a tradition of emigrating in his family, mainly to Australia and New Zealand. In April 1910 Frank continued the tradition but chose Canada. He travelled RMS Empress of Britain departing Liverpool for Quebec. His travelling companion was a John Reginald Cheesman. He was from Kent and it is very likely he was a school friend. He was also the sole beneficiary of Frank’s will receiving £1841.11. 8d. The two took up ranching, possibly raising horses, at Nahun in British Columbia (not far from Chilliwack – see Private 17094 Warren A Ash). At this time Frank also became engaged to Edith Isobel Somerset.

Frank enlisted at Victoria joining British Columbia Light Horse, 2 Bn Canadian Mounted Rifles in December 1914. The battalion sailed for England in June 1915 and arrived in France that September. It was originally, as the name suggests, a mounted battalion but was dismounted in January 1916 and fought as an infantry unit.

At the time of Frank’s death the 2 Bn was in trenches in the Ypres Salient at Hooge near to Halfway House. On 25 March the unit War Diary had the weather as clear and cold with thick snow  – 11 men were wounded and 5 killed. Frank was killed when he picked up a German grenade that had landed in the trench. He attempted to throw it but the grenade hit the parapet and fell back into the trench. Frank then dropped on to the grenade which exploded. He had saved the lives of his comrades but was himself mortally wounded. In a letter to Frank’s brother, Charles, Sergeant 442024 Harold Wreford Birkett wrote ’Although he was not in my battalion, I knew him well and I met two (2 Bn Canadian Mounted Rifles) men the other day on leave in Folkestone, who told me Vaughan was not killed instantly, but died in an hour or two, and when being taken into the clearing station, asked them to attend to men first who were worse than he was, although he was in a dying condition. I am sure his many friends in the Okanagan Valley will be proud to think they had the privilege of once knowing him’. Sergeant Birkett (CWGC)

Frank was buried in Lijssenthoek Military Cemetery, Poperinghe – his gravestone has the inscription ‘A fellow citizen with the saints and household of God’ – chosen by his elder brother Charles who, as with his brother, was an émigré, in his case to Zawnfontein, Transvaal South Africa. Frank is also commemorated on war memorials at St Oswald’s Church, Oswestry, King’s School Canterbury, Wye Agricutural College, Kent and in Canada on Kelowna Cenotaph and the Canadian National War Memorial, Ottawa.

Acknowledgements. King’s School Roll of Honour

References / sources

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