Frank Dutton was born in Marton, Cheshire and baptised at St. John's, Over, Winsford on 19 April 1896. He was the third of eight children of Omer Pasha Dutton and his wife Janet Bradshaw Dickenson who married on 24 February 1892 at St. John the Baptist, Knutsford.
Frank had an older sister and brother: Nellie was born on 9 February 1893 in Knutsford and James Henry was born on 2 August 1894 in Winsford. Shortly after Frank's birth, the family moved to our area where five more children were born of whom only Thomas, born on 30 April 1903 in Thornton, survived infancy.
The 1901 Census records the Dutton family at 25 Heys Street, Thornton. Omer was a boiler fireman, employed at the United Alkali Works at Burn Naze. By the time the 1911 Census was taken, Omer and Janet had moved to 20 Heys Street. Frank and Tom were living with their parents but Nellie and Jim were working in Winsford. Frank, aged 15, had left school to become a farm worker but he had become a labourer at United Alkali by the time he enlisted at Fleetwood as a Private in the King's Own Royal Lancaster Regiment on 20 November 1915.
Frank underwent training and served on home duties until 16 June 1916 when he embarked at Southampton for France and disembarked at Rouen the following day. Only brief fragments of Frank's war service record have survived. We know that he was slightly wounded in action in 1916 and was treated in a field hospital and able to rejoin his unit. On 13 March 1917, however, Frank died from wounds he received in action. He was aged 21 and unmarried. Frank's medals and belongings were posted to his parents who, by May 1917, had returned to live in Winsford.
Pte. Frank Dutton, 241612, 1st/5th Battalion, King's Own Royal Lancaster Regiment is buried in Plot 11, Row B, Grave 33A in Lijssenthoek Military Cemetery, West-Vlaanderen, Belgium.
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