The son of Arthur and Harriet Shinton, Frank was born in Wolverhampton on 22 December 1887, and baptised at St Luke’s Church on 12 February 1888. In 1891, the family were living at 13 Ranelagh Road in Wolverhampton, and Frank appeared with his parents and siblings Ellen Gertrude, Arthur Ernest and Lily Blanch. By 1901 they were at 18 Wanderers Avenue in Blakenhall, and Frank had an additional three siblings – Claude S., Sydney H. and Evelyn M. The family remained at that address until at least 1911, when Frank was working as a railway clerk.

Frank enlisted as a Private in the Royal Army Service Corps (service number DM2/224141) on 15 November 1915. Frank was initially put on to the Reserve list, and eventually called up on 20 September 1916, and was sent to Africa on 9 March 1917. Frank was able to use his experience of being a clerk into the Army, where he was employed as a ledger clerk for the motor spare parts. He died on 5 June 1918 at the 84th General Hospital in Dar-Es-Salaam, East Africa from Haemorrhagic Smallpox. He is buried in the Dar Es Salaam (Upanga Road) Cemetery in Tanzania, and is commemorated on the London and North Western Railway Memorial Plaque at Wolverhampton Railway Station, as well as the war memorial of St Luke’s Church.

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The research for this blog post was completed by remote virtual volunteer, Jacky de Escofet, with additional details provided by Doug Lewis.