Francis William Alexander Faithfull was killed in action on this day in 1915

Francis William Alexander Faithfull was born on 30 December 1896 at Glinton Rectory near Peterborough. His father was the Reverend Robert Colquhoun Faithfull; his mother Felicia Amy née Johnson.

Francis had an older sister, Lilias Margaret, born in 1895. An older brother, Edmund, born ten years earlier, had died aged less than a year old.

In 1901, the family was living at The Rectory in Glinton with 4 domestic servants - a Governess, a cook, a housemaid and a tablemaid. Sister Lilias, aged 6, was visiting a family in Scotland.

Francis was educated at Stoneygate School in Leicester, 40 miles away from home. He subsequently attended Trinity College, another boarding school near Perth.

He volunteered for foreign service at the outbreak of war and, on 22 December 1914, he was gazetted 2nd Lieutenant 11th (Service) Battalion Alexandra, Princess of Wales's Own (Yorkshire Regiment).

On 13 February 1915, he transferred to the 3rd Seaforth Highlanders and, on 03 June 1915, went to France with the battalion. At some point he was attached to the Seaforths' 2nd Battalion.

At the beginning of July, the battalion was in trenches to the east of South Zwaanhof Farm, north of Ypres.

The Battalion Ward Diary describes events on 03 July.

"Very hot and oppressive. Heavy shelling of 2nd line (unoccupied) about 3pm, and of N end of canal about 6.45pm. Very heavy shelling everywhere in rear of front trenches about 7.30 pm with all sorts of shells, and a lot of gas shells. Very little damage.

2nd Lieutenent FAITHFULL killed by chance bullet after dark. Quiet night."

2nd Lieutenant Francis William Alexander Faithfull was killed in action in a communication trench on 03 July 1915. He was 18 years old. He was buried in Bard Cottage Cemetery

2nd Lieutenant Francis William Alexander Faithfull  3rd Battalion, attached 2nd Battalion, Seaforth Highlanders