Born Hull 27/12/1885. He joined the West Yorkshire Regiment as a Private 7161 in about Oct 1903 from his service number. In 1911 he is shown to be a Private in 1st West Yorkshire Regt, 1st Battalion The Prince of Wale’s Own West Yorkshire Regt, Connacht Barracks, Rawalpindi, Punjab, India.
On 28/12/1914, he arrived in France, with the 1st WYR Battalion. Landed St Nazaire (France) on 10 September 1914. In 1915, he married Lilian Stow, at Sculcoates, Hull. Returned to France and promoted to Sergeant, in the 1st WYR. On 31/10/1917, he was commissioned to 2nd Lieutenant, in 4th Leicestershire Regiment.
On the 18/10/1920, He joined the RUC Auxiliaries after 15 years service in the British Army. He joined the Auxiliaries at the same time as Temporary /Cadet C A M Morris and both these officers had seen considerable service in the recent war in France. They both served in ‘L’ Company and were stationed in Dublin during the Irish War of Independence,.
On 21/11/1920, Temporary Cadets, Frank Garniss and Cecil A. Morris were among a patrol of 17 Auxiliaries, who responded to one of the 18 Sienn Fienn attacks, on senior British Intelligence Officers, that day. They were armed with .45 caliber Webley revolvers and a carbine. Temporary Cadets F. Garniss and C. A. Morris, were sent to Beggar’s Bush barracks for reinforcements, but on the way, they were met by some IRA guards as they were crossing the Canal Bridge. They were brought to the garden of 16 Northumberland Road and shot. Both men were shot through the head, but Garniss was also shot through the chest. They were found by a Red Cross nurse lying in a neighbouring garden. The officer who found them testified ‘ I saw wounds in their heads which must have been fired at close range as their hair and skin was burnt.
Frank Garniss was returned to Hull and buried at St Johns Newland Church Cemetery, Clough Road Hull. He was given a Military Funeral, attended by 25 ADRIC cadets under JC Fillery.
He left a widow and five children. £2,500 compensation was paid to his widow, by the Dublin Authorities, as a Malicious Injury Claim .
