Franklin A. W. Corporal
Personnel Entry
Name Franklin A. W.
Army number 2007690.
Rank Corporal.
Decorations Awarded the Military Medal - gazetted 12/7/1945. For Citation - see below.
Date of birth Not yet ascertained.
Age (At time of death). Not yet known.
Unit Enlisted in the Royal Engineers. Underwent Basic Training. Posted to 294th Field Company, Royal Engineers. Served Normandy.
Company/Battery
Platoon or other sub-unit Served in No. 2 Platoon.
Task or role Section Commander.
Joined Brigade Not yet known.
Promotions Lance Sergeant. Sergeant.
Wounded Not so far as is known.
Prisoner of War Not so far as is known.
Died/Killed in action Date of death not yet ascertained.
Home address 13, Brixham Gardens, Ilford, Essex.
Source table
The Citation for Sergeant Franklin's Military Medal, dated 14th April 1945, can be found in the National Archives under File Reference WO 373/54/895 and reads as follows:-
"During the advance of 4 LINCOLNS through the Northern suburbs of ARNHEM on 13 Apr 45, the battalion was held up by a strong enemy resistance in a factory. It was necessary to get AVRE and tanks through two blocked railway arches as quickly as possible.The first one was blocked with a log and rubble breastwork and the second with fallen masonry. L/Sgt FRANKLIN was section commander of the RE section with 4 LINCOLNS , and with the assistance of AVRE tanks pulled away the breastwork and then directed an armoured bulldozer on the rubble of the first obstacle. Once through this obstacle L/Sgt FRANKLIN personally checked a mine-free route for the bulldozer to the next obstacle. During the whole of this period he was under heavy shell, mortar and small arms fire, but he persisted in the job and by his complete disregard of personal safety succeeded in getting through the obstacle in a very short time, thus assisting the infantry to clear the factory."
Some information on this Page has been extracted from the Commemorative Booklet, prepared by Major Langley, covering the period from D-Day to VE Day in addition to that extracted from the War Diaries. There are issues around the possible duplication of names which remain to be clarified.
