NOT all soldiers died in combat or of wounds during the First World War, with huge numbers also succumbing to the effects of war.
One such was Frank Owen, who was born in Feckenham in early 1894. His father Alfred John was an agricultural labourer and his mother Eva a needle box paperer. He had two brothers Alfred William and Clifford and a sister, Ida.
Prior to enlistment Frank worked in Astwood Bank for needlemaker Messrs James Smith & Sons. He attempted to join the Army three times before eventually being accepted into the Worcestershire Regiment on September 14, 1914 at Birmingham town hall.
17323 Private Frank Owen was 20 years old, 5’ 5 ½” tall and weighed 115 lbs. He had blue eyes and brown hair.
His brother William enlisted at the same time and joined the 9th Worcesters, serving in Gallipoli and Mesopotamia. Frank was eventually called up and joined the 11th Worcesters. During his training he became ill and was discharged on December 7, 1914, after serving a total of 84 days.
After his recovery on October 21, 1915, he joined the 10th battalion the Royal Highlanders (Black Watch), in Salonika, Greece.
The battalion was part of an Anglo-French force sent to the Balkans to help Serbian forces which had been attacked by the Axis powers.
Unfortunately the help came too late to save Serbia, and after a campaign in severe winter weather the Allies found themselves back in Salonika.
Weeks were spent repairing the trenches and roads and due to all this digging and no major battles, compared to the Western Front, the soldiers gained the nickname ‘The gardeners of Salonika’.
However many succumbed to illness and Frank was admitted to 28th General Hospital in Salonika suffering from dysentery, and died there on November 5, 1916. He is buried in the city’s Lembet Road cemetery.
• With grateful thanks to Richard Pearce.
