11080: Edwin Thomas Franklin
My uncle, Edwin Thomas Franklin, was born in 1891, in the parish of Cumnor (previously Berkshire) Oxfordshire. I don't know much about his war service, but I know he was in the Royal West Surrey Regiment and was a lieutenant. A friend of Uncle Edwin, Molly Lomas, gave me the medals, the citation and the group photograph 20 years ago.
My uncle told me that he used to have lunch with T. E. Lawrence (Lawrence of Arabia) in Cairo during the war.
He received the three World War One medals, on the ribbon of the British War medal is sewn an oak leaf, indicating he was mentioned in despatches. He was awarded a citation signed by Winston Churchill stating he was mentioned in a despatch from General Sir E. E. h. Allenby, dated 3rd April 1918, for gallant and distinguished services in the field. The citation refers to him as T.LE E.T Franklin, 1st Bn, attd.1/8th Bn Hamps R (TF). When I took the citation out of it's frame I discovered an old envelope behind it, presumable the one used to post the citation to him. He was a temporary Lieutenant and that is why his service number is not on two of his medals. I have recently discovered that his service number was 1974.
The group photo shows him second from the right in the middle row. The portrait photograph is of him.
The wall hanging is Egyptian, presumably brought back by him as a souvenir.
He went on to serve in World War two in the RAF and was in Intelligence. He always looked so smart
