Men of Essex Recruitment Poster © IWM (before June 1916)

From The Times, 13 December 1918: CAPTAIN FRANK WILLIAM BACON, 1/5th Essex Regiment who died on December 4 aged 36 was the youngest son of Mr James Bacon of Olives, Dunmow, Essex.  A good cricketer, Captain Bacon at the outbreak of the war, was a second lieutenant in the Essex Territorials and was promoted captain of the 1/5th Essex Regiment early in 1915.  He went out to the Dardanelles, and was at the Suvla Bay landings, where he was wounded and invalided home.  He rejoined his regiment in Egypt.  He was wounded in the first battle of Gaze in March 1917, and for the third time in the following November; he died from the effects of his wounds.  He was a most popular officer.  He married on August 7 last, Zennil, daughter of Mr G Grimes of Hook, Hamps.

From Essex and Herts Observer, 14 December 1918: DEATH OF A DUNMOW OFFICER The death occurred on 4th December, of wounds received in Palestine, of Captain Frank William Bacon, youngest son of Mr James Bacon of Dunmow.

Above photo from Dorothy Dowsetts book Dumow through the ages (1969)

Captain Frank William Bacon, of the 1/5 Essex Regiment was educated at Felsted School from January 1894 to July 1900 where he played on the Cricket XI from 1899-1900.  Lt Col Tom Gibbons’ book With 1/5 in the East (1921) recounts that Frank served with the 1/5 Essex Regiment from 23 July 1915 to 2 November 1917 and was wounded twice: 26 March 1917 and 2 November 1917.  The latter injury during the 3rd Battle of Gaza was described by Gibbons: ‘As I entered Rafa redoubt I was surprised to meet Frank Bacon being carried out, his foot badly shattered by a bomb.  He was too much knocked about to stop and question as to how he got there, but the situation was gradually cleared up by further enquiry…‘

Captain Bacon returned home to recover from his injuries where, during the final months of the Great War, he became a member  a committee set-up to establish a War Memorial in Great Dunmow.   Sadly, after succumbing to pneumonia, he became one of the men of the town to be commemorated on that very same memorial.

Frank is commemorated on Great Dunmow’s War Memorial.

Their Name Liveth For Evermore

You may also be interested in
– Memorial Tablet – I died in hell
– Memorial Tablet – I died of starvation
– Memorial Tablet – I died of wounds
– The Willett family of Great Dunmow
– Postcard from the Front – To my dear wife and sonny
– War and Remembrance – The Making of a War Memorial
– Great Dunmow’s Roll of Honour

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