Francis Goss appears to have been the first person to receive a funeral with full military honours at St Lawrence Church in Effingham, in 1914. He had served just over 21 years in the Army from 1853 until 1874, including a brief spell in the Crimea as a siege train gunner with the Royal Field Artillery. This article examines his very interesting life both during his army service and, especially, subsequently, including some colourful details of the second of his three marriages.