Frank & Reg were brothers, born to parents John Francis McHugh and Annie Elizabeth Edwards (who was born in Hanmer)
Private Robert Francis McHugh
105427 31st Canadians (recruited in Alberta & mobilised at Calgary Some 4,675 men served with the 31st Battn in the 4 years they were in Europe )
Frank was born August 16th 1889, (registered Ellesmere district). Census records say in Hanmer, but I received letters from his daughter Betty Rice, who thought he was born in Liverpool and that when his father died of diptheria, his pregnant mother Annie moved back to Hanmer with her two sons, to live with relatives. The baby was a girl also named Annie.
1901 he is living with his Grandmother Anne Edwards, widowed mother Annie McHugh and siblings at Tarts Hill, Bettisfield/Hanmer
1911 he is working as a Baker for William Tims in Cross Street, Ellesmere.
Both Frank & his brother Reg attended Hanmer school and sang in the Church choir. Due to the recession prior to the war, both boys went to Canada to stay with relatives, where they worked on farms. Reg returned home but Frank joined the Canadian Army enlisting at Regina, Saskatchewan, aged 26 on November 27th 1915.
During the war, he was wounded in France, with shrapnel in his arms & legs. Some of Frank’s Canadian war records are available on-line.
He returned to Canada after the war to marry Marion.
His second wife was Elizabeth Dixon who I believe he married in the 1970s, Betty thinks maybe in Hamburg.
His daughter Betty told me that he was a very good father & even though his wife died early into their marriage, he kept Betty with him through thick & thin.
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Private John Reginald McHugh 6923811th Batt RWF
John Reginald (known as Reg) was born 1892 in Liverpool.
1901 & 1911 he is with family including his widowed mother, at Tart’s Hill.
He married Annie Bright in 1917 and in 1939 they are living at Tower Farm, Lyneal , Nr Ellesmere with daughter Margaret*
*Margaret made her life in Whitchurch as Mrs Kingston and I was priviledge to meet her and her daughter Mrs S McCausland who very kindly allowed me to copy these photos and memorabilia:
Reg died 1973
Hanmer WW1 