Christopher Frank was a Yorkshireman who married a Chelmsford woman in Springfield om 1940. He was then a sawyer, his bride a cook, working for the same family. Later he joined the army and died in north Africa in June 1943. His widow lived in Railway Street, Chelmsford.

Christopher was born in the Helmsley registration district in Yorkshire in 1918, the son of Herbert Frank (1878-1950) and Margaret Ann Frank (nee Swales) (1885-1973). His parents had married in Yorkshire in 1908.

Christopher's siblings included Leonard Frank (1908-1992), Raymond Frank (1910-2004), Bertram Frank (1913-1996), Harold Frank (1915-2002), and Annie D. Frank (born in 1921).

On 20th November 1940 Christopher marred Winifred Enid Last at All Saints’ Church in Springfield. At the time he was a 22 year-old sawyer living at Gernons in Springfield.  His bride was the same age and also lived at Gernons. She was a cook. A Chelmsford newspaper reported:

"Frank-Last - At All Saints' Springfield on Wednesday, November 20th, Gunner Christopher, son of Mr. and Mrs. Frank , of Hutton-le-Hole, Yorks., to Winifred Endi, daughter of Mr. and the late Mrs. F. Last, of 4 Railway Street, Chelmsford."

Subsequently Christopher joined the army and served as Gunner 932156 in 5 Regiment, Royal Horse Artillery.

He died on active service on 14th June 1943, aged 24. Today he lies in Tripoli War Cemetery in Libya (grave: 11. F. 23.).

During the North African campaign, Tripoli was an important Axis base until taken by General Montgomery's forces on 23rd January 1943. It then became a hospital centre, and the burials in the war cemetery were almost entirely from the hospitals, which included Nos 2, 48 and 133 General Hospitals from March 1943.

At the time of his death Christopher's wife was living at 4 Railway Street in Chelmsford. A newspaper report of his death suggests he died in Tunisia; his place of burial suggests Libya.

He is commemorated by the Hutton-le-Hole war memorial in Yorkshire.

Christopher's widow remarried in 1946 and died in 1960.

140629