Frank Lester VC

b. 18/02/1896 Liverpool. d. 12/10/1918 Neuvilly, France.

Frank Lester (1896-1918) was born on 18th February 1896 at West View, Huyton Quarry, Liverpool, Lancashire. His father, John, was born in Whiston, Lancashire. He married Ellen Heyes, a dressmaker from Ormskirk, on 29th September 1892 at Prescot Register Office. John was a general labourer by 1881 and a stoker with Pilkington Brothers, St Helens by 1891. He later became a market gardener and horseman. Frank had five siblings – Edwin, Lucy, George, John and Ruth.

Frank was educated at Hoylake National School, Hoylake, Cheshire leaving in 1910. He played the organ at the Methodist Little Chapel, Irby Mill Hill and his parents sang with the Hoylake Temperence Choir and the Congregationalist Church choir. Frank was a member of the 1st Hoylake Company, Boy’s Brigade. He worked as a trainee joiner with F Thomas at Oxton, Cheshire until the family moved to Irby in 1912. He then worked in his father’s market garden business, moving produce across the Mersey on his father’s horse and cart three times per week to sell at Curzon Street Market, Liverpool.

Frank Lester VC

On 30th March 1916, Frank chose to enlist with the 10th South Lancashire Regiment. Initially, he worked as a training instructor at Prees Hill in Shropshire and Kimmel Park in North Wales. He was promoted to Sergeant Instuctor before being transferred to the Lancashire Fusiliers at his own request. In early 1918, he was posted to France, which meant that he was obliged to revert to the rank of Private. After a huge German offensive, he was reportedly one of only 30 men from a force of 1000 to answer a roll-call, all of the others having been killed or wounded. In March, he himself was wounded and sent home. After recuperating, he resumed training and was promoted to Corporal. In September, he returned to France to re-join his unit.

During the clearing of the village of Neuvilly, on 12th October, 1918, when, with a party of about seven men under an officer, he was the first to enter a house from the back door, and shot 2 Germans as they attempted to get out by the front door. A minute later a fall of masonry blocked the door by which the party had entered. The only exit into the street was under fire at point-blank range. The street was also swept by fire of machine guns at close range. Observing that an enemy sniper was causing heavy casualties to a party in a house across the street, Pte. Lester exclaimed, ” I’ll settle him,” and, dashing out into the street, shot the sniper at close quarters, falling mortally wounded at the same instant. This gallant man well knew it was certain death to go into the street, and the party opposite was faced with the alternative of crossing the fire-swept street or staying where it was and being shot one by one. To save their lives he sacrificed his own.

Frank was buried in Neuvilly Communal Cemetery and Extension, Nord, France. The VC was presented to his mother by King George V in the ballroom of Buckingham Palace on 22nd February 1919. He is commemorated on the family headstone in Holy Trinity Churchyard, Hoylake, with a plaque at Hope Evangelical Church in Hoylake, and a plaque at St Andrew’s United Reformed Church, Meols. He is named on the Hoylake and West Kirby War Memorial, on Birkenhead War Memorial, a plaque at Irby Methodist Chapel, a plaque in Irby Public Library and has a blue plaque at his parents’ former home in Millers Hay. He also has two VC commemorative stones – one at Birkenhead War Memorial and the other at Millers Hay, Mill Hill Road in Irby.

In addition to his VC, he was awarded the British War Medal 1914-20 and Victory Medal 1914-19. The VC was passed to his sister Lucy, and on her death, to her son, Frank Wilson. It was sold to Lord Ashcroft at auction by Morton & Eden for £78,000 on 18th April 2002 at Westbury Hotel, London.

LOCATION OF MEDAL: LORD ASHCROFT COLLECTION.

BURIAL PLACE: NEUVILLY COMMUNAL CEMETERY, NEUVILLY, FRANCE.

ROW B, GRAVE 15.