Francis William Howden

Rank:	Second Lieutenant (temporary)
Street:	Woodview
Townland:	Carriglass
Town/Village:	Longford
Civil Parish:	Templemichael
Catholic Parish:	Templemichael
Country:
Alternative Address:	Cloncoose, Longford; 72 Main Street, Longford;
Census 1901:	Resident on Main Street, Longford (surname Hawden). www.census.nationalarchives.ie/pages/1901/Longford/Longford_No__1_Urban/Main_Street/1556030/
Census 1911:	Residing at Cloncoose, www.census.nationalarchives.ie/pages/1911/Longford/Cloonee/Clooncoose/650507/
Regiment/Unit:	Royal Dublin Fusiliers, 11th Battalion &. 1st Battalion; 7th Battalion, 'D' Company
Regiment Number:	15846
Date of Death:	30-03-1918
Cause:	Died of Wounds
Memorial:	Wimereux Communal Cemetery, Wimereux, Pas-de-Calais, France
Information:	Francis William, a.k.a. Frank, was born 2 March 1894 in Cloncoose, Co. Longford; his father was a draper who was later a member of the United Irish League. Prior to the war Frank worked as a clerk; this had a part to play in the battalion he joined, as the 7th Royal Dublin Fusiliers was almost exclusively a 'Pals battalion', recruited from professional offices, banks, university students etc; Frank was later attached to the 1st RDF. Frank arrived at Eastern front in Gallipoli (Suvla Bay) in August 1915, and went on to fight there, then at Salonica after the 25 September. Frank did not go on to serve in the Palestine Campaign as he had enlisted as a private but entered the No. 5 Cambridge Cadet School in January 1917, as the first step in becoming an officer. He completed his training that September. He was originally believed to have died on the 25 September 1917, but this was corrected to the 30 March 1918. Extract from The Irish Independent: Second Lieutenant F. .W Howden, died of wounds, son of Mr Howden, Carriglass, Longford. He was at the landing at Suvla Bay, and through the Gallipoli campaign, with the Dublin 'Pals.'
Parents Names:	Son of John Howden and Elizabeth (née Crowe), of Cloncoose, Longford.
Notes:	The name is sometimes spelled Hawden.Frank's service record survives, but is only available to view from the British National Archives, WO 339/109149. More information about the 7th is available in Henry Hanna's 'The Pals at Suvla Bay'
Links:	Link to CWGC entry; Civil Record of Birth; Mention of Howden's death in a letter from Cpl Hudson, ex-POW, in the Longford Leader, August 1918; Find A Grave; The Blue Cap, Journal of the RDF; Images of the 7th leaving the Royal Barracks (now Collins Barracks); Notice of death, Irish Independent, with photo;