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In the first world war he volunteered and found himself
parading with a thousand or so before Lord Kitchener. Kitchener walked the ranks
inspecting each man and when my fathers turn came, Frank returned Kitchener's
strong glare; this resulted in the order to step forward a pace. Frank thought
he would be charged with dumb insulance in fact this gave him his first strip
and he moved on to become regimental sergeant major. He served at Gallipoli
and had a couple of very close shaves. In each instance he heard the shell coming,
threw himself to the ground and was all but buried in the soil thrown up. Not
good for the ears! On one occasion a Turkish shell went straight through the
entrance to a dug out, but failed to explode. On removing the shell it was found
to be made in Sheffield.
An accolade about my father always sticks in my mind. It was from George Simms, farmer and cattle dealer. On meeting George he said "boy, if you are half the man your father is you will be great".
Aylesbury cattle market was an experience. Glory the cattle drover lived in a hovel at Oving and talked endlessly about the wife although no woman would ever put up with him. Glory's job was to hold open the gate for animals to enter the appropriate pen after being sold. On one occasion he put four huge Gallaway steers in with one little Jersey cow. Brow Pratt, cattle dealer, told him he should have more gumption than to put four huge steers in with one little cow. Another dealer commented that Glory didn't understand the word gumption, to which Glory retorted "Course I do that's the stuff you put on cows tits".