Marchant, Frank

Frank Marchant was born at Chessington, Surrey, England to Sarah Ann and James Sidney Marchant. Frank was employed near Lakeside when he enrolled there in the 168th Canadian Infantry Battalion in 1916. He sailed for England on November 1 and arrived there on November 11. On December 5,  he was posted to the 12th Reserve Battalion at West Sandling and on January 4, 1917 he was posted to the Canadian Machine Gun Depot at Crowborough where he qualified as a trained machine gunner.  Once in England he often invited other soldiers from the Lakeside area to his parents’ home in Farnborough. On March 12, he was transferred to the 8th Machine Gun Company, then serving with the 8th Infantry Brigade in the 3rd Canadian Division near Vimy.

Private Marchant was with them throughout the spring but on July 29,1917, he was admitted to 8 Canadian Field Ambulance with a fever of unknown origin. By August 8, he was back with with his unit. In mid October, the 3rd Division was moved north to the Ypres salient in Belgium. He took part in a number of attacks trying to gain a foothold on the Passchendaele Ridge from October 26 to November 5.  Conditions in the area were appalling and it was difficult to keep track of men in isolated gun detachments scattered across the battlefield.  Perhaps for this reason, Marchant was reported killed on October 27 although it wasn't until October 30 that he was fatally wounded by enemy shell fire in a gun position west of Passchendaele Village. It was here he died.  He has no known grave and is commemorated on the Ypres (Menin Gate) Memorial in Belgium.

He was survived by his parents of Park Cottage, Highgate Lane, Farnborough, England. -- Courtesy of St. Marys Journal Argus.