FRANCIS CYRIL ASTON
Regimental No. 4/1028
3 September 1893 – 11 November 1915
Francis Cyril Aston was the second child/first son of Bessie Elfreda DUMBELL who married Frank ASTON on 2nd September 1891. One year later their first child, Lily was born, followed shortly after by Francis, on 3rd September 1893. Their next child, a son, died as an infant and was buried at Karori Cemetery. Their last child, Phillis Doreen, was an “autumn leaf” – born 10 years after her older siblings.
The ASTON Family
1892 Lily
1893 Francis Cyril
1896 Norman Percy died 1900
1897 Constance Hilda
1900 Gordon Percy
1910 Phillis Doreen
Frank was in regular employment as a telegraph operator with the Post and Telegraph Department.
Initially the young family lived in Wordsworth Street, now called Aro Street. In the early 1900’s they lived at several different addresses around the foothills of Mt Victoria/Te Aro, and Francis Cyril must have attended Roseneath School for some time. He apparently was also enrolled at Kilbirnie School at some stage, but his name is not on the Memorial Gates which still stand in front of the school in Moxham Avenue, Haitaitai.
On leaving school Francis too joined the Post and Telegraph Department, as a PO Cadet, and became a telegraph operator.
In 1914 Frank and Francis are both registered on the Electoral Roll as resident in Karaka Bay, which is some distance from their previous addresses. Perhaps Frank had been deployed to a signal station along the coast.
Francis signed up on 3rd August 1915, in Palmerston North. His date of birth was recorded as 3rd September 1894, making him appear to be one year younger than he actually was - 21, not 22, so above the minimum age for military service. He stated that he had 1 years’ service with the Post & Telegraph Corps, No. 7 Company prior to signing up.
His medical examination had already taken place, on 25th June 1915. This recorded that Francis was 5ft 101/2 inches tall, weighed 10 stone 2lbs, that his chest expansion was from 33 to 36 inches, and that he had a fair complexion, blue eyes and brown hair. His health was entirely normal, and he was free of hernia, varicose veins, haemorrhoids, etc. His dental condition was “sufficient”. Francis stated his religion to be Methodist.
On joining up Francis was posted to the Divisional Signal Company.
“The Signal Troop, being a specialist unit, was not enrolled in any particular district, its members being drawn mainly from the Signal Units of the four Territorial Mounted Brigades, the balance being motor cyclist despatch riders, tradesmen, and telegraphists from the Post and Telegraph Department. The strength was one officer, one staff sergeant-major, and thirty-six N.C.O.'s and men main body and first line reinforcements.”[1]
11 days after signing up Francis left New Zealand, as one of 2,363 troops making up the 6th Reinforcements on HMNZT No. 27, comprising the Willochra and the Tofua. They sailed on 14th August and arrived in Egypt on the 9th of September 1915. After training in Egypt Francis was dispatched to Gallipoli, arriving there and joining his Unit on 26th October 1915 as a Sapper.
A mere 16 days later, on 11 November 1915, Francis was killed, one of the 2,779 soldiers from New Zealand who died on Gallipoli. Francis was only just 22. He is memorialised at the Embarkation Pier Cemetery, on Special Memorial A30. A Commonwealth War Graves Commission form for this Cemetery lists Francis amongst “Names of Soldiers Presumed To Be Buried In This Cemetery But Whose Graves Have Not Been Identified”.
Embarkation Pier Cemetery is in the main ANZAC area on Gallipoli, a little way inland, between the beach and the road from Anzac to Suvla.
“Early in August 1915, the Embarkation Pier area was occupied by the headquarters of two divisions, and later by the 16th (British) Casualty Clearing Station. The pier was made for the purpose of evacuating wounded from the Battle of Sari Bair, but it came under heavy rifle and shell fire and was abandoned after just two days.
Apart from five original burials, the cemetery is made up of burials brought in after the Armistice from the cemeteries known as Chailak Dere Nos 1 and 2, Mulberry Tree, and Apex, and from isolated graves.
There are now 944 Commonwealth servicemen buried or commemorated in the cemetery. There are special memorials to 262 casualties known or believed to be buried among them but 662 of the burials are unidentified.”[2]
Francis’s family inserted In Memoriam notices in the Evening Post several times after being notified of his death. When the Memorial at Roseneath School was unveiled in November 1917 Francis was one of the five names listed, along with the other two lads killed at Gallipoli who had also attended Roseneath School – Lance Bridges and Percy Harlen.
On 9 February 1917 Bessie Aston died at her residence in Karaka Bay, the cause of death being reported as heart failure. She was buried at Karori Cemetery on the 10th of February. Just over one year later, Frank Aston remarried in Greymouth where he was Superintendent of the Telegraph Office. His bride was Mary Elizabeth TASKER, fourth daughter of the late John Tasker, Chief Clerk of the Police Department, and the late Mrs Tasker of Brooklyn, according to the Marriage Notice which appeared in the Evening Post on 16 February 1918. Mary was born in 1884 so was 33 or 34 when she married Frank, who was by then 50 years old.
Frank’s career with the Telegraph Department continued until he retired in Auckland from his last position of Superintendent of Telegraph in March 1925. He had served 41 years, and his retirement notice in the Auckland Star summarised his career:
He joined the Department in Blenheim in 1884 and was transferred to Wellington in 1890. There he rose to the position of senior supervisor in 1913. He was then appointed supervisor at Greymouth in 1917, Invercargill in 1919, Napier in 1921, and Auckland in 1923. Mr Aston was regarded as a most capable officer, as his quick promotions show”.
Francis’s medals – the Scroll and Plaque, were sent to Frank in Napier in 1922. The 1914-15 Star, the British War Medal and the Victory Medal were also sent to Frank in Napier in 1922. Frank died in April 1946, aged 78, and was buried in St Andrew’s Churchyard, in Howick.
REFERENCES
[1] http://nzetc.victoria.ac.nz//tm/scholarly/tei-WH1-Engi-t1-body-d15.html
Official History of the New Zealand Engineers During the Great War 1914-1919.Signal Troop — Chapter XV. — Signal Troop, N.Z.E. — Served with N.Z. Mounted Rifle Brigade, 1914-19
[2] http://www.cwgc.org/find-a-cemetery/cemetery/66802/EMBARKATION%20PIER%20CEMETERY
Regimental No. 4/1028
3 September 1893 – 11 November 1915
Francis Cyril Aston was the second child/first son of Bessie Elfreda DUMBELL who married Frank ASTON on 2nd September 1891. One year later their first child, Lily was born, followed shortly after by Francis, on 3rd September 1893. Their next child, a son, died as an infant and was buried at Karori Cemetery. Their last child, Phillis Doreen, was an “autumn leaf” – born 10 years after her older siblings.
The ASTON Family
1892 Lily
1893 Francis Cyril
1896 Norman Percy died 1900
1897 Constance Hilda
1900 Gordon Percy
1910 Phillis Doreen
Frank was in regular employment as a telegraph operator with the Post and Telegraph Department.
Initially the young family lived in Wordsworth Street, now called Aro Street. In the early 1900’s they lived at several different addresses around the foothills of Mt Victoria/Te Aro, and Francis Cyril must have attended Roseneath School for some time. He apparently was also enrolled at Kilbirnie School at some stage, but his name is not on the Memorial Gates which still stand in front of the school in Moxham Avenue, Haitaitai.
On leaving school Francis too joined the Post and Telegraph Department, as a PO Cadet, and became a telegraph operator.
In 1914 Frank and Francis are both registered on the Electoral Roll as resident in Karaka Bay, which is some distance from their previous addresses. Perhaps Frank had been deployed to a signal station along the coast.
Francis signed up on 3rd August 1915, in Palmerston North. His date of birth was recorded as 3rd September 1894, making him appear to be one year younger than he actually was - 21, not 22, so above the minimum age for military service. He stated that he had 1 years’ service with the Post & Telegraph Corps, No. 7 Company prior to signing up.
His medical examination had already taken place, on 25th June 1915. This recorded that Francis was 5ft 101/2 inches tall, weighed 10 stone 2lbs, that his chest expansion was from 33 to 36 inches, and that he had a fair complexion, blue eyes and brown hair. His health was entirely normal, and he was free of hernia, varicose veins, haemorrhoids, etc. His dental condition was “sufficient”. Francis stated his religion to be Methodist.
On joining up Francis was posted to the Divisional Signal Company.
“The Signal Troop, being a specialist unit, was not enrolled in any particular district, its members being drawn mainly from the Signal Units of the four Territorial Mounted Brigades, the balance being motor cyclist despatch riders, tradesmen, and telegraphists from the Post and Telegraph Department. The strength was one officer, one staff sergeant-major, and thirty-six N.C.O.'s and men main body and first line reinforcements.”[1]
11 days after signing up Francis left New Zealand, as one of 2,363 troops making up the 6th Reinforcements on HMNZT No. 27, comprising the Willochra and the Tofua. They sailed on 14th August and arrived in Egypt on the 9th of September 1915. After training in Egypt Francis was dispatched to Gallipoli, arriving there and joining his Unit on 26th October 1915 as a Sapper.
A mere 16 days later, on 11 November 1915, Francis was killed, one of the 2,779 soldiers from New Zealand who died on Gallipoli. Francis was only just 22. He is memorialised at the Embarkation Pier Cemetery, on Special Memorial A30. A Commonwealth War Graves Commission form for this Cemetery lists Francis amongst “Names of Soldiers Presumed To Be Buried In This Cemetery But Whose Graves Have Not Been Identified”.
Embarkation Pier Cemetery is in the main ANZAC area on Gallipoli, a little way inland, between the beach and the road from Anzac to Suvla.
“Early in August 1915, the Embarkation Pier area was occupied by the headquarters of two divisions, and later by the 16th (British) Casualty Clearing Station. The pier was made for the purpose of evacuating wounded from the Battle of Sari Bair, but it came under heavy rifle and shell fire and was abandoned after just two days.
Apart from five original burials, the cemetery is made up of burials brought in after the Armistice from the cemeteries known as Chailak Dere Nos 1 and 2, Mulberry Tree, and Apex, and from isolated graves.
There are now 944 Commonwealth servicemen buried or commemorated in the cemetery. There are special memorials to 262 casualties known or believed to be buried among them but 662 of the burials are unidentified.”[2]
Francis’s family inserted In Memoriam notices in the Evening Post several times after being notified of his death. When the Memorial at Roseneath School was unveiled in November 1917 Francis was one of the five names listed, along with the other two lads killed at Gallipoli who had also attended Roseneath School – Lance Bridges and Percy Harlen.
On 9 February 1917 Bessie Aston died at her residence in Karaka Bay, the cause of death being reported as heart failure. She was buried at Karori Cemetery on the 10th of February. Just over one year later, Frank Aston remarried in Greymouth where he was Superintendent of the Telegraph Office. His bride was Mary Elizabeth TASKER, fourth daughter of the late John Tasker, Chief Clerk of the Police Department, and the late Mrs Tasker of Brooklyn, according to the Marriage Notice which appeared in the Evening Post on 16 February 1918. Mary was born in 1884 so was 33 or 34 when she married Frank, who was by then 50 years old.
Frank’s career with the Telegraph Department continued until he retired in Auckland from his last position of Superintendent of Telegraph in March 1925. He had served 41 years, and his retirement notice in the Auckland Star summarised his career:
He joined the Department in Blenheim in 1884 and was transferred to Wellington in 1890. There he rose to the position of senior supervisor in 1913. He was then appointed supervisor at Greymouth in 1917, Invercargill in 1919, Napier in 1921, and Auckland in 1923. Mr Aston was regarded as a most capable officer, as his quick promotions show”.
Francis’s medals – the Scroll and Plaque, were sent to Frank in Napier in 1922. The 1914-15 Star, the British War Medal and the Victory Medal were also sent to Frank in Napier in 1922. Frank died in April 1946, aged 78, and was buried in St Andrew’s Churchyard, in Howick.
REFERENCES
[1] http://nzetc.victoria.ac.nz//tm/scholarly/tei-WH1-Engi-t1-body-d15.html
Official History of the New Zealand Engineers During the Great War 1914-1919.Signal Troop — Chapter XV. — Signal Troop, N.Z.E. — Served with N.Z. Mounted Rifle Brigade, 1914-19
[2] http://www.cwgc.org/find-a-cemetery/cemetery/66802/EMBARKATION%20PIER%20CEMETERY