PRIVATE FRANCIS KISH GUY VOWLES 12/1487. Born in December 1898, Francis was the eldest of ten children to Francis Vowles (1871-1961) and Mary Ann Guy (1873-1962), of Long House Farm, Barrow Gurney, Somerset. It appears he must have relocated to Hull sometime between the 1911 Census and his lying about his age in order to enlist in 1915. He joined the 12th Battalion East Yorkshire Regiment, ‘The Sportsmen’, 3rd Hull Pals. After serving in Egypt over Christmas and New Year 1915-16 he arrived in France on March 8th and shipped north to the trenches of the Western Front. Francis was known as ‘Kish’ to his friends. His family have done Kish proud saving embroideries he sent home from the front, and keeping all correspondence as below including the photograph of a boy in man’s clothes so common among soldiers volunteering to fight for King and Country in the early months of the war. Kish is listed as having died on 24th July 1916. His death was “accidental” and family recollections appear to back up the idea that he was killed when a rifle accidentally went off. Whether it was his own or a luckless comrade’s we’ll never know. Kish is buried in St. Vaast Post Military Cemetery, Pas de Calais, France. He was 17 years old, not yet even old enough to serve.
Thanks to Joe Solo for the above information.
