Source: Michael Doyle Their Name Liveth For Evermore: The Great War Roll of Honour for Leicestershire and Rutland.
He was the only child of Dr. Francis Cresswell of Barrow upon Soar, Leicestershire, M.R.C.S. Eng., L.R.C.P. London, and his wife Emily Christiana, who was the daughter of the Reverend Francis Buttanshaw, Vicar of Cotterstock, Northamptonshire. Frank was educated at Loughborough Grammar School, Leicestershire and was to have gone into residence at Balliol College, Oxford in October 1914, but for the outbreak of war. He enlisted into the Leicestershire Territorials (4th Battalion) as a Private on the 10th August 1914, was promoted Lance Corporal in October , and gazetted 2nd Lieutenant in the 9th Battalion of the Leicestershire Regiment on the 26th February 1915. He served with the Expeditionary Force in France and Flanders from the 29th July 1915 and died near Arras, France on the 18th May 1916 from the wounds he received an hour earlier, while bringing in one of his men who had been wounded when out with a wiring party. He was buried in the Military Cemetery at Hannescamps. Colonel Haig wrote, “He was out with a wiring party in front of the trench when one of his men was hit by machine gun fire. Your son and, two men started to drag the man in, and whilst doing so, your son was hit, and died shortly afterwards. He was such a keen, clever boy, always ready to do any job, and was always without fear. I feel his loss very much.” And the Chaplain wrote, “I want to express to you the sympathy of every man and officer in the 9th Battalion, they all loved your son; he was a man without any fear for himself, but full of fear for those under his command.” Frank was unmarried. The War Diary entry for the 18th May 1916 records. TRENCHES, HANNESCAMPS. Minnenwerfers again active, although our patrols have been out every night no enemy patrols have been encountered. 2nd Lt. F. CRESSWELL was killed by machine gun fire whilst wiring.