Frank Freeman was born in Eaton Bray, Hertfordshire on Monday, 14th June 1880 and baptised at St Mary’s Church in Watford on Friday, 8th June 1888. He was the third child of William Freeman and Sarah How who had a large family of thirteen children who were: Mary Ann, Herbert, Frank, Alice, Harry, Emma, Ann, Frederick, Ellen, Elizabeth, Kate (who died at birth), Kate (named for her sister) and William. Frank’s father William was a ‘Shepherd’ and moved frequently to find work, resulting in the children being born in various places across the county of Hertfordshire. By 1891 the Freeman family had settled in Bushey, Hertfordshire and it was from here that Frank left school and went to work in 1893. He joined a gas company and is listed as a "Gas Factory Labourer" on the 1901 census along with his landlord George Thorpe. It is likely that they both worked for the Watford Gas and Coke Company which, was situated on Lower High Street in the town overlooking the River Colne and only a mile from Bushey.

Ten years later in 1911, Frank was still boarding with the Thorpe family and plying his trade at the Gas Company. His job at the Gas Factory was "starred" or reserved, so on the outbreak of war he continued with his employer until the Group (Derby) Scheme was introduced in late 1915. He attested at Watford on the 10th December 1915 and on the promise of future military service, he was transferred to the Army Reserve. Frank was mobilised on the 27th March 1916 and posted to the Royal Fusiliers, joining his regiment on the 5th April and almost immediately sent overseas. The reason for this unusually quick posting seems to have been due to Frank’s labouring skills and rather than training as an infantry soldier he was reassigned to the 34th Labour Battalion.

He disembarked at Le Havre on the 7th May and a week later he joined his new unit and by the middle of September 1916 he was deployed in the field. When Army Council Instruction 611 created the Labour Corps in 1917, the 34th Labour Battalion was redesignated 101st Company Labour Corps. The work that Frank and his labouring colleagues carried out in the field was critical to the success of the war and it was often conducted in the most dangerous of circumstances. Frank would have been frequently within range of enemy guns and snipers and at times may even have had to participate in the fighting.

The men of the Labour Corps worked for very long periods in the field and it would have been a welcome relief for Frank, when he was awarded a period of home leave starting on the 23rd October 1917. He was given eleven days and returned to England to see family and friends but it did not end well. He overstayed his leave by twenty-four hours and this resulted in the award of seven days "Field Punishment No.2", the equivalent of imprisonment with hard labour and forfeited two days’ pay. To our minds today, this seems a harsh imposition for what might be considered a relatively minor infringement, however, this was deemed essential to discipline in the army at the time.

On the night of the 11th May 1918, the 101st Company was engaged in laying cables in the Fonquevillers area, when it was attacked by German high explosive and gas shells between 7.30 pm and 2.30 am. As a result of this attack, three Officers and 136 OR were seriously wounded, most of whom subsequently died. A further 130 men received hospital treatment for gas wounds. Frank was one of the unfortunate casualties and despite being taken down the line to a base hospital in Rouen he succumbed to his injuries and died on Thursday, 23rd May 1918. There is a dreadful irony that Frank should meet his end from the effects of gas injuries given that he had worked for so many years in the gas trade back in England.

Following his death, Frank’s effects including his back pay and War Gratuity were given to Isabella Thorpe who had been named by him as sole legatee of his military will. Indeed Frank had declared Isabella as his dependant even though he had stated his father was his next-of-kin. This gesture may have been his way of thanking Isabella for all the time he had boarded with her and her husband George when living in Bushey.

He was commemorated on the village war memorial in Leverstock Green, Hertfordshire.

Frank is Remembered with Honour in St. Sever Cemetery Extension, Rouen, Seine-Maritime, France, where he is interred in Grave Q. III. N. 14.

He was 37 years old when he died.

Frank was eligible for the British War Medal and the Allied Victory Medal.