Heavy Losses for Village of Turvey

Turvey Church c.1905 [Z1130/128/5/4]

Thursday 25th May 1916: The village of Turvey has received news of its fourth loss in just two weeks with the death of Private Frederick George King of the 2nd Bedfords. Private King was killed in action on May 14th by a rifle grenade falling into a “sap” (a short trench stretching forward into no-man’s land) where he was on duty. He was 26 years old and before joining the army worked as gardener for Mr. H. C. Oldrey at The Gables and was organ blower at the Parish Church. He joined up soon after the beginning of the war and had been in France for eight months. Two of the other Turvey casualties were killed in the same action while attempting to defend the trenches the 8th Bedfords near Ypres against a partially successful German attack: 19 year old Horace Lovell of Turvey Lodge Cottage died on 19th April, and 18 year old Horace Sargent was killed on the 20th.

Source: Bedfordshire Times, 26th May 1916