Military History

Francis is listed as being killed in action on 27th September 1918 during the Battle of Canal du Nord. The 16th Battalion war diary entries for the 26th & 27th September 1918 are transcribed below.

Trenches near Ytres - 26 Sep 1918: 9pm: Bn moved forward to assembly positions

Trenches near Ytres - 27 Sep 1918: 1am: Bn in position

7.52am: 1 Beford R moved forward towards their objective under heavy barrage to which the enemy replied immediately.

8.00am: Bn went over, & despite hostile barrage, advanced in perfect order. No definite news was received as to 1^st Bedford R being on objective but reports from wounded pointed to their having got there & at 10.15am B.H.Q moved forward to sunken road in Q.17.d.

The position was found to be very obscure; it appeared that only the Red Line had been obtained with the exception of B Coy who were further forward on the right. The left of the Bn had almost reached objective on left, but had to fall back on Red Line as 42^nd Div on left had failed to come up. Reported position to Bde.

4.45pm: Large enemy bombing party broke through 13^th Infantry Brigade front on our right & worked round our right flank leaving B Coy encircled & working up trenches towards B.H.Q. Bn HQ stood to & with rifle and machine gun fire drove enemy back. C.S.M of 15^th T.M.B. [Trench Mortar Battery] did particularly good work in making bomb stops in trenches.

6.30pm: Captain Sewell MC commanding B Coy still holding out

6.45pm: 1^st Cheshire R attacked with barrage & Red Line was re-established. OC B Coy skillfully withdrew his troops & conformed to general line, unfortunately being seriously wounded in the operation.

Major F.A. Parry MC was killed whilst leading C Coy with great gallantry in the morning attack.

10.30pm: A supply tank was hit by a shell & burnt to pieces with 3 of its crew. Supply of bombs and S A A (small arms ammunition) very low.