Leighton Buzzard Casualties

North Street, Leighton Buzzard c.1911 [Z1306/72/12/6]

Sunday 6th October: The tide of the war appears to have turned in favour of the Allies and there is real hope that victory is in sight; however, the toll of those killed and wounded continues to rise. Second Lieutenant Vivian Willis, of the Leighton Buzzard solicitors firm W. G. and V. V. Willis, has been wounded while serving with the Tank Corps. He had a lucky escape when a piece of shell flattened a whistle and a watch in his breast pocket and passed down his side, wounding him in both arms and the right thigh, side and hand. He is in hospital at Epsom and is expected to make a complete recovery.

Leading Seaman Frederick Brazier of 3 Friday Street was badly burned in the face, arms and body while serving on a naval ship three weeks ago. He is in hospital at Deal and although the burns are healing it has now been discovered that he has a broken left arm. He has served fifteen years in the Navy and was home on leave from the Mediterranean just a few weeks ago. His wife visited him in hospital and found him cheerful. The son of another resident of Friday Street, Private Harold Butcher of the Suffolk Regiment, is convalescing from the effects of gas. He served for six months in France before being sent to Palestine two years ago, and had only returned to the Western Front within the last three months.

The families of two soldiers now known to have been killed in action have undergone very different experiences, with one enduring a long wait and the other a sudden loss. Private Joseph George Jordan, the husband of Mrs Daisy Jordan of Ivy Cottage, Vandyke Road has been missing for virtually a year. She has finally been notified by the War Office that he is believed to have been killed on or soon after 9th October last year.[1] Mr. and Mrs. George Day of 27 Hockliffe Road have heard that their nineteen year old son, Trooper Cyril George Day, was killed on 5th September, only three weeks after arriving in France.

Sadly enemy action is not the only cause of death for soldiers serving in France. Private Alfred Joseph Dudley, whose parents live in North Street, joined the Army two years ago, and as his fitness only fell into the Class B1 category he was placed in the Royal Army Medical Corps. Service with the Field Ambulance appears to have been too much for his constitution, which was never strong, and he has died of dysentery. He leaves a widow and a three year old daughter.

Source: Leighton Buzzard Observer, 8th October 1918

[1] The Commonwealth War Graves Record for Private Jordan gives his date of death as 9th October 1917. He is commemorated at the Tyne Cot Memorial, indicating that his body was never found.

Leighton Buzzard and Linslade Casualties

Vandyke Road, Leighton Buzzard 1914 [Z1306/72/13/1]

Saturday 21st September 1918: News has been received that two more Leighton Buzzard soldiers have been wounded and a Linslade soldier killed. Private William Hyde of the Canadian Machine Gun Battalion, whose home is in Vandyke Road, is now recovering from a wounded arm at the New Military Hospital in Gravesend. Lance-Corporal Lawrence Cook of the Bedfordshire Regiment, the son of Mr. John Cook of 13 Hartwell Grove, has been wounded for the third time and is now in a London hospital being treated from a gas shell wound in the face. Lance-Corporal Cook joined the Army less than two years ago; he received bullet wounds in the hand and thigh in August 1917, and in March he was shot in the leg. One of his brothers has been discharged from the Army due to wounds.

Private Peter Smith of 52 Old Road, Linslade, was killed in action on August 22nd fighting with the London Regiment in France. He was 18 years and 6 months old and had joined the Army in February. He had only been at the Front for twelve days when he was killed. Before joining up he was employed as an engine cleaner on the railway. Three of his brothers have also served in the Army: one was reported missing in April, another is now in Egypt, and the third is in France.[1]

Source: Leighton Buzzard Observer, 24th September 1918

[1] His older brother William Smith was killed in action on 13th April 1918 while serving with the Royal  Warwickshire Regiment.

Tenancy Dispute over Cottage for Wounded Soldier

Woburn Road, Heath and Reach, 1906 [Z1306/57/5]

Monday 26th August 1918: Mr. John Loke, of Heath Road, has applied for possession of a cottage at Heath which is currently occupied by Thomas Thompson. Mr. Loke wanted the cottage for Joseph Hack, a discharged soldier who had worked for him for ten years before he was mobilised with the Territorials in August 1914. Hack had been badly wounded at Gallipoli, losing a foot, part of his right hand, and part of his jaw and ear. He had been discharged, and was now again working for Mr. Loke. This was the second application for possession made in respect of this tenancy. The first had failed when it was found that Mr. Loke’s agent had received rent from Thomas Thompson after expiry of the notice to quit. A second notice to quit had been served, and again an attempt had been made to get Mr. Loke to accept the rent, which was in arrears. Two rent books was produced as evidence: one by the defending solicitor showing that it was a Saturday tenancy; the second by the prosecuting solicitor for a Monday tenancy, as stated in the application. The Bench examined both books, concluding that it was indeed a Saturday tenancy and the application was therefore invalid.

Source: Leighton Buzzard Observer, 27th August 1918

Rumour Causes a Riot at Bedford

Bedford Police Officers 1925 [QEV20/7]

Tuesday 6th August 1918: Edward Arthur Drew of 2 Shaftesbury Avenue, Bedford has appeared in court on a charge of obstructing a police constable while in the execution of his duty. This is a sequel to severe disturbances which took place in Bedford on the nights of Saturday 27th and Sunday 28th July. These resulted from a rumour that the police had arrested a wounded soldier named Brierley, and that in taking him to the police station the police had nearly killed him. The facts of the case were that a soldier who had drunk too much was arrested at the Fleur de Lis public house in order that he should be taken care of. He became very violent and the military police sought assistance from a police constable. When he arrived at the police station a doctor was sent for who thoroughly examined him, and found that he was suffering only from too much drink. The next morning the Brierley remembered nothing of the night before, and was handed over to the military authorities by whom he was punished. Meanwhile, rumours spread that the soldier had been taken to hospital, where all his old wounds had to be re-stitched. By Monday a woman even asked the Mayor whether it was true that the man was dead.

At the court hearing evidence was given that as the police constable took the soldier along the High Street, Drew and his wife had stopped him. Drew put his hand on the constable’s shoulder and said “Let loose of his arm, you brute; you are hurting a wounded soldier”.  The couple refused to leave, following them to the police station. News spread quickly that the police were hurting a wounded man, and this caused a hostile crowd of two to three hundred people to gather outside the police station. In the riot that followed several military policemen were assaulted. Drew said that the military police were holding the soldier’s right arm, and the police constable was twisting the man’s left arm in such a way as to cause intense pain, with “absolute agony” on his face. He felt it is duty to intervene. William S. Robbins, an engineer, also stated that he thought the soldier was being treated in a rough manner.

The Bench decided unanimously that Drew should not have behaved as he did, and that he should be ashamed of himself. They were sorry he saw fit to interfere with the police. Drew was fined £5 and 4 shillings costs.

Source: Bedfordshire Standard, 2nd and 9th August 1918

News from Stanbridge

Stanbridge Church 1905 [Z1130/108/1]

Saturday 20th July 1918:  The wedding has taken place today in Stanbridge Church of Corporal Will Jones to Miss Violet Dockrill, the niece of Mr and Mrs John Dockrill of Stanbridge. Corporal Jones is home on leave recovering after being wounded for a second time in Italy. A number of other men from the villages of Stanbridge and Tilsworth are also recovering from recent wounds. Private Reginald Stairs is staying with his sister at Dunstable while on sick leave. He was badly hurt and lost a leg at the first battle of Gaza, where he was left on the battlefield with two dead men on top of him for some hours before being picked up by an ambulance. He had previously been wounded in Gallipoli. Private Philip Mead, who also recently had a leg amputated, underwent another operation last week and is making favourable progress. Just a few weeks after his father joined up, Private William Gurney has been badly wounded in the foot and is in now hospital at Bournemouth. Also recovering from wounds are Private Frank Price, son of James Price of Manor Farm, Tilsworth, and Corporal Charles Horn, who had returned to the fray after suffering wounds at Vimy Ridge last year.

Source: Leighton Buzzard Observer, 23rd July 1918

Message Thrown from Train on a Spoon

Leighton Buzzard Station c.1915 [Z1306/74/1/4]

Tuesday 23rd April 1918: A Linslade woman heard yesterday that her husband had been buried alive inside a dug-out and had been reported as a casualty. Very shortly afterwards a neighbour arrived with a note from the soldier husband tied to a spoon; this had been dropped from a hospital train and found by a railway platelayer who was a near neighbour. Although he did not know his destination, realising that the train on which he was travelling would pass through Leighton Buzzard station the soldier had taken this unorthodox opportunity to send news to his wife. 

Source: Leighton Buzzard Observer 23rd April 1918

Blood Donation by Bedford Soldier

Carluke War Memorial (© Kevin Rae, Wikimedia)

Friday 23rd November 1917: In a heroic act of self-sacrifice a soldier from Bedford has allowed a large quantity of his blood to be transferred to a dying soldier in France. Sapper H. E. Greenaway of the Royal Engineers, the son of Mr. E. Greenaway, a dairyman of Iddesleigh Road, was a member of the Salvation Army Band at Bedford before the war. He joined the Royal Engineers Signal Service on 30th September 1914 and has been in France since September 1915, attached to a number of different companies. He was wounded in July this year. While in hospital at Rouen a volunteer was needed to give a blood transfusion to Gunner Andrew Selkirk of the Royal Field Artillery, who had been wounded at about the same time. Sapper Greenaway came forward and a large amount of his blood was taken. Sadly, the transfusion was not able to save the life of Gunner Selkirk, from Carluke in Scotland. He had been brought into the hospital with an extremely severe wound to his back and left leg from a shell explosion, which was followed by blood poisoning. The soldier’s widow said in an interview that she did not know how to thank Greenaway for the sacrifice he made to try to save her husband, “a noble act” which showed the quality of many of the men fighting for their country.

Source: Bedfordshire Standard, 23rd November 1918

Luton Brothers Wounded

Saturday 10th November 1917: Two Luton brothers who were wounded in a recent battle in the Ypres area have both written to their parents at 132 North Street describing their experiences. Private Albert Anderson told them:

“We went up on the 20th, and went ‘over the top’ on the 21st, and I think we can say we have been in one of the biggest battles of this war. We had to go through a wood to get to our objective, and the wood was simply swarming with Germans. They were all round us, sniping us, and what with bullets and shells and things, it was a perfect hell. We took our objective, though, and took a lot of prisoners, too. I think the Germans had a lot more casualties than we, although we had a great lot. I got slightly wounded in the shoulder with a bullet, but it is nothing serious. I didn’t trouble to go to the dressing station with it, and it’s getting on very well.”

The British soldiers dug themselves in and cleaned their muddy rifles, but when attacked by the Germans they were forced to retire under a barrage of fire. Private Anderson “gave up hope of ever getting out of that lot alive”, but now feels it is “certain this old war cannot last much longer by the way things are going on – the Germans can’t stand it, I’m sure”.

Signaller Horace Anderson, who was more seriously wounded than his brother, has sent a letter from the Royal Victoria Infirmary at Newcastle:

“I am in good old ‘Blighty’ once more, and, by jove! It is a perfect treat to be out of that lot for a while, and I thank God that I came out with my life. The day before I got hit was the hottest time I have had in my life, but I came through all right, and then the next day was not so bad. I was just returning to the battery after being forward, and I had got within about two yards of shelter when over came this big one, and, of course, I was ‘napoo’ for a while. But it gave me a nice little ‘Blighty’ one. I have a gunshot wound in the right leg just below the knee.”

Before the war Signaller Anderson worked for Messrs Kilby and Sons, but moved to Davis Gas Stove Company to work on munitions before joining up in April 1916.

Source: Luton News, 8th November 1917

Young Flying Corps Officers Wounded and Missing

Leighton Buzzard gas works, Grovebury Road c.1930 [Z1432/3/4/5/1]

Friday 12th October 1917: A 18 year old officer in the Royal Flying Corps is  recovering in King’s College Hospital, Denmark Hill, after a lucky escape. Second Lieutenant Edward A. R. Hills, the only son of the Vicar of Leighton Buzzard, was leading a patrol over the German lines when he was struck in the leg and his aircraft damaged. He started to return but a second shot broke off part of the propeller which struck him on the forehead. He stayed conscious just long enough to shut off his engine and land in a wood before passing out. He came round to find soldiers extricating him from the wrecked machine. Less than a week ago the under carriage of his aeroplane was shot away, and he was using a replacement aircraft.

The relatives of another young Leighton Buzzard flier, Lieutenant Fred Brasington, have been told that he is missing. He set out for the enemy lines with a pilot on Tuesday morning and has not been heard of since. Before the war Lieutenant Brasington was a pupil at the Leighton Buzzard Gas Works. He had served with the Royal Fusiliers since the early days of the war, but only recently took up a commission in the Royal Flying Corps. He had been in France for just a fortnight.[1]

Source: Leighton Buzzard Observer, 16th October 1917

[1] The Commonwealth War Graves Commission records the death of Frederick Thomas Brasington on Tuesday 9th October 1917. He is remembered on the Arras Flying Services Memorial.

Private Christopher Cox VC Visits Kempston Barracks

Kempston Barracks, c.1915 [Z1130/67/31]

Saturday 18th August 1917: Private Christopher Augustus Cox of the 7th Battalion of the Bedfordshire Regiment has spent this week at the regimental depot at Kempston after returning from home leave at Kings Langley (Herts). Two weeks ago he was invested with the Victoria Cross by the King, as a reward for his courageous actions at Achiet-le-Grand in March; these were described by our war correspondent https://bedsatwar.blogspot.com/2017/03/great-bravery-and-successful-attack.html at the time. At breakfast in the central mess room Private Cox was introduced to all the men in the depot and was given an enthusiastic ovation. A tall and well-built man, wearing the VC ribbon and three gold wound stripes, he looked the picture of health. He told his colleagues that he was recommended for the Victoria Cross for bringing in a party of men under heavy fire on the battle field, but was too modest to go into detail. He reported that when the King pinned the Cross on his tunic His Majesty extended his hand to him in a friendly manner and said “Cox, you are a brave man and I am glad to shake hands with you. I hope you will have a long and happy life” [1].

 

Christopher Augustus Cox [Wikimedia]

Source: Bedfordshire Times, 17th August 1917

[1] Christopher Augustus Cox died in 1959 at the age of 69. He was wounded in the foot in May 1917 and was not fit enough to return to the Front; he spent the remainder of the war training recruits. 

The Marsh Family of Luton

Arthur Marsh (left) and Albert Marsh (right)

Wednesday 1st August 1917: An 19 year old Luton soldier has been dangerously wounded in the leg, just two days after returning from home leave. Private Arthur P. Marsh, the son of Mr and Mrs. George Marsh of 30 St Ann’s Road, Luton, is now in a base hospital in France with his leg broken by a piece of shell, but says he is “keeping on smiling”. Private Marsh was so anxious to join the Army that he enlisted in the Bedfordshire Regiment in 1914 aged just 16. He was previously wounded at Ypres, where he lost a finger.

Arthur is not the only member of the Marsh family to enlist while under age. His brother, Albert, now aged 18, fought at the Somme for four months before his age was discovered and he was sent back to England. He is now back in training with the Bedfordshire Regiment. Their elder brother George, aged 25, served in the Territorials for six years before the outbreak of war. He was initially rejected for Army service, but rejoined a year later. He is now in Egypt with the Norfolk Regiment and has recently been promoted to corporal. Before the war both George and Albert were employed by Messrs. Brown and Green Ltd.[1]

 

George Marsh senior (left) and George Marsh junior (right)

The brothers’ father, Mr. George Marsh served with the Colours for just over a year but was then discharged through medical unfitness. He now works at Messrs. George Kent Ltd. It seems the family inherited their patriotic instincts from their grandfather, who was a Crimean War veteran.

Source: Luton News, 2nd August 1917

[1] Sadly Albert and George did not survive the war. Albert died on 1st February 1918 and was buried at the Luton Church Burial Ground. Corporal George Marsh was killed on 11th December 1917 and was buried at Ramleh Cemetery near Tel Aviv in Israel.

A New Trade for Disabled Soldiers

Basket makers at work at James Robinson Limited, Leighton Buzzard 1919 [Z50/72/221]

Friday 20th July 1917: Arrangements have been made by the Bedfordshire Local War Pensions Committee to send disabled soldiers to the Leighton Buzzard Basket Works to learn the basket making trade. Men who have lost a limb who will have their pension made up to 27s 6d per week during training, with a 5s per week bonus for every week they attend. Those who have a wife and family will receive an allowance for them similar to the Army separation allowance.

Source: Leighton Buzzard Observer 17th July 1917

News of Heath and Reach Soldiers

Heath and Reach, 1905 [Z1130/57/4]

Friday 13th July 1917: Private James Baker, aged 23, who died of wounds on Tuesday, has been buried with full military honours in the cemetery at Heath and Reach. Private Baker was wounded and advised by his officer to go to the dressing station, but insisted on staying to attended to injured comrades in greater need. However when he returned to the battlefield he received another wound which after seven weeks of acute suffering caused his death. He was treated in Leeds Infirmary, where he had one leg amputated and underwent three further operations. Despite the best efforts of the doctors he finally succumbed to his injuries. Private Baker was attached to the 7th Field Ambulance, Royal Army Medical Corps and had been serving in France as a stretcher bearer for eight months. He was awarded the Military Medal for his gallantry.

Mrs A. Hines of Thomas Street in Heath has heard that her husband Private A. Hines has been hospitalised in France with an injured back. He and five others were with a labour party of the Queen’s West Surrey Regiment when a shell exploded nearby, burying all six men. Only Private Hines escaped alive. A third Heath man, Private W. Kenny of the Bedfordshire Regiment, has been discharged from the army. After active service in Egypt he suffered a nervous breakdown and has since spent several months in hospital in Scotland.

Source: Leighton Buzzard Observer 10th and 17th July 1917

The Sutton Family of Luton

British Gelatine Works, Luton 1906 [Z210/145]

Monday 9th July 1917: An old soldier from Luton has no less than seven sons and two step-sons serving in the Army. Alfred F. Sutton, who now works at the British Gelatine Works, served for 31 years in the 5th (Royal Irish) Lancers, including 19 years abroad in Egypt, India and South Africa. All seven of his sons joined their father’s old regiment. The longest serving is the eldest, Frederick, who has been with the Colours for 19 years and has been awarded the Military Medal. His brother William has served for nearly 17 years and is the only one of the brothers who has been wounded while serving in France; he suffered a slight wound from which he recovered at a base hospital. The younger brothers, Thomas, Sidney, Ernest, Archie and John, have served for between eight and twelve years. Mr Sutton also has two step-sons who joined up at the beginning of the war. Private Alfred Fountain of the Royal Dublin Fusiliers came home last week from hospital, where he had been recovering from a bullet wound in the thigh received last February; he has been recommended for the Distinguished Conduct Medal. His brother, Driver Thomas Fountain, is with the 13th Middlesex Regiment.

Source: Luton News 12th July 1917

Heavy Casualties for Sundon

Private Percy Hull senior and Private Percy Hull junior

Sunday 10th June 1917: The experiences of the village of Sundon give an idea of the impact the war is having on many small communities. From a population of only around 350 people, around 60 have joined the forces. In the area known as ‘Slate Hall’ in Upper Sundon nearly every house has suffered a casualty in the recent fighting. Private Percy Hull and his son Private Percy John Hull enlisted together and have both been wounded. The father was hit in the side and head at the Somme in October last year and has now been discharged from the Army; the son was sounded at Arras on April 24th and is now progressing favourably in hospital. A second son, 19 year old Gunner Fred Hull enlisted last October and is now on his way to the Front. Sergeant Fred Marlow enlisted as a private in the Bedfordshire Regiment in November 1915 and was killed on April 29th, the day after receiving promotion to the rank of sergeant. He was “just going to send a fairy light up for a signal for the artillery to open fire, when a sniper shot him through the head.” Sergeant Marlow’s brother George, who enlisted with the Bedfords in December 1914, has been wounded twice and hospitalised with a skin disease, but has now returned to his regiment. Their uncle, Private C Marlow is a patient in a military hospital in Yorkshire after serving at the Front, and his cousin Private Fred Marlow is in Egypt with the Essex Regiment.

The wife of Private John Jellis was notified last September that her husband was missing. After eight months of uncertainty she finally received official notification last month that he had been killed in action. Before the war her husband worked at the Gas Works in Luton. Another Sundon man, Private Arthur Eames, was reported missing on April 29th; his sister is anxious for any information regarding her brother. Another brother, Private T. Eames served in France for 16 months before suffering a wound so severe that his arm was amputated above the elbow. He is now waiting for his official discharge and for admission to Roehampton hospital to receive an artificial arm. Other Sundon casualties include Private George Hull (killed in April) [1]; his brother Private Frank Hull (wounded);Private John Day (wounded); Private Herbert Ward Sanders (wounded); and Lance-Corporal Muckleston (gassed accidentally at a gassing school)

Source: Luton News, 7th June 1917

[1] No relation to the Hull family mentioned above. Twenty one men are listed on the Sundon war memorial; most were killed later in 1917 or in 1918. 

Luton Soldier's Experiences in a Shell Hole

Melson Arms, John Street, Luton [WB/Flow4/5/Lu/MA3]

Sunday 20th May 1917: Private Sydney Allen has written from a Birmingham hospital to his wife at 34 John Street, Luton, describing the circumstances in which he was wounded and his terrible experiences while waiting for help:

“When I was first hit, we went ‘over the top’ to the attack, and at half-past four had to retire. I got with Jock in a trench; he bobbed his head up and a sniper put a bullet through the back of it. I had a ‘ricochet’ all over my face. That means, a bullet strikes the ground and the stones fly up, hitting one in the face. Jock said, ‘Come on, chum! Down to the dressing station.’ I said, ‘It’s a bit risky,’ but we waited for a bit and then decided to chance it. We had got about 20 yards, when bang! And poor old Jock got another bullet in the back of his neck, which killed him. I ran to get into a shell hole, and the Boche started on me with a machine gun over the hole. I waited a bit, as I had about 50 yards to go to our trench. I chanced it again, and when I got about 20 yards farther – bang! – right in my leg. As luck would have it, I was close to another shell hole, but when I reached it they broke my leg with an explosive bullet. I laid out three days without anything to eat or drink, and the third day I chanced it again. It was absolutely torture to crawl along, it took me 15 minutes to get about 8 yards, and just as I got into another shell hole they again started playing the machine gun over it, and then, when it was nearly dark, I called for a stretcher-bearer. He said, ‘Keep low until dark, and we will get you in.’ So you see I have had the awful experience of being nearly tortured to death. I might say that for the three days I was lying out they were firing over that shell hole the whole of the time. I don’t know if, when my leg gets well, I shall be able to walk properly. Maybe one leg will be a little longer than the other, because when I went under an operation the doctors took a lot of shin bone away, so it will take a long time to get better. When the swelling goes down I shan’t mind, as I shall be more comfortable. You would be surprised if you saw it, and yet my wound is nothing to those of some of the poor beggars. That is why I don’t worry so much, as some of them have half their backs or half their thighs blown away.”

Private Allen is now making satisfactory progress in hospital, although the matron says it will be some time before he will be able to sit up.

Source: Luton News, 24th May 1917

Communication Errors

Private Sydney Gray

Saturday 12th May 1917: On April 12th Mr. William Gray, a fishmonger of Castle Street in Luton, received news that his son, Private Sydney Gray of the Essex Regiment had been wounded in Egypt. Further news followed including a letter from his son in which he said he was doing very well, but on May 4th Mr. Gray received official notification of his son’s death, with a message of sympathy from the King. Confused by this turn of events, Mr. Gray cabled the hospital and is relieved to have received a reply stating “Error. Doing well.”  Before the war Private Gray worked in his father’s business and was well known in Luton as an excellent swimmer and sports enthusiast. He joined up last year and sailed for Egypt after training at Halton Camp.

Another Luton resident, Mrs.Fanny Lake of Ash Road, has been informed that her husband, Private Harold Alfred Lake of the Bedfordshire Regiment is missing and presumed to be a prisoner of war. His commanding officer wrote “I  am very sorry to inform you that your husband, who went into action on April 23rd is missing. From inquiries I have made I can gather no further details, but think most likely he is a prisoner of war. Should he be a prisoner I should not worry too much, as he will not have a bad time.” [1]   Private Lake joined up on 2nd September last year and went to France just before Christmas. He previously worked at the Diamond Foundry and was a member of Bury Park Brotherhood and football club.

Sources: Luton News, 10th and 17th May 1917

[1] Sadly this was a mistaken hope. Harold Alfred Lake had in fact been killed on 27th April 1917.

Casualties at Arras

Unicorn Hotel, Lake Street, Leighton Buzzard c.1910 [Z1432/2]

Friday 27th April 1917: News is arriving at Leighton Buzzard of local casualties suffered in the Arras area, where intense fighting has been taking place since the 9th of April. Two sons of Mr. and Mrs. J. Stevens of the Unicorn Hotel in Lake Street, Trooper Tom Stevens of the Hussars and Lance-Corporal Jack Stevens of the Yeomanry, have both been wounded. Before the war Tom was ranching in America and Jack was farming in Canada, but both came home to enlist. They have been serving in France for two years, and were both wounded in the fighting leading up to the battle. Jack suffered a shrapnel wound in the leg while building a bridge, and Tom was wounded in both thighs during a charge. Reports say that both are progressing well in hospital. Fred Dimmock, the son of Mrs. Dimmock of 55 North Street has been reported wounded in the shoulder. His mother, a widow with a young family, has already lost seven nephews in the war. This is the second time Fred, who enlisted at the beginning of the War, has been wounded

Worse news has been received in Bedford Street, where Mr. and Mrs. Roberts have  been notified that their younger son Sidney has been killed in action. Sidney had been working in the family’s blacksmith’s business but volunteered to take the place of his brother Sidney, who was invalided out of the Army after his health broke down. Miss W. Horn of Mill Road has heard that her brother Private A. Horn of the Canadian Regiment has died of the effects of severe gunshot wounds to his thigh. Before emigrating to Canada Private Horn worked at the Leighton Buzzard Wire Works.

Source: Leighton Buzzard Observer, 1st May 1917

Luton War Hero Wounded

Lieutenant Arthur Andrews

Sunday 15th April 1917: The wife of Luton war hero Second Lieutenant Arthur Andrews, who was awarded the Distinguished Conduct Medal and bar in 1915 http://bedshomefront.blogspot.co.uk/2015/07/luton-soldier-wins-dcm-and-bar.html has been notified that her husband has been seriously wounded. He is now in hospital in Manchester, where an operation has been performed to remove shrapnel from both his legs. In a postcard to his wife he told her not to worry and that he was as comfortable as possible. She also received the a letter from her husband’s fellow officer, Second Lieutenant George White, telling her of the circumstances: “I have heard from his servant that in bombing a dug-out one of the men accidentally dropped a bomb at Mr. Andrews’ feet. I have been told that his wounds are not serious, he getting one or two splinters from the bomb which compelled him to go to hospital”. 

A soldier with fourteen years in the Army, Lt. Andrews was given a commission in February of this year. His decorations were for showing conspicuous gallantry and ability in keeping telephone communication intact, often superintending the repair of wires under heavy fire. When home on leave his extreme modesty prevented him ever mentioning the deeds for which he was honoured. Lt. Andrews and his wife have four young children, and it is hoped that he will make a quick recovery.[1]

Source: Luton News 19th April 1917

[1] In fact the injuries were worse than initially indicated and one leg had to be amputated, ending Lt. Andrews’ military career [Luton Times 27 September 1917]

Luton Mayor's Son Wounded

John Henry Staddon, formerly Mayor of Luton, as High Sheriff of Bedfordshire 1938-9 [Z49/261]

Wednesday 4th April 1917: News has been received of two of the sons of Luton’s Mayor John Henry Staddon. His eldest son, Lieutenant Wilfred Staddon, was initially reported missing in action in September last year, but was soon afterwards found in a Red Cross Hospital in Rouen suffering from a bullet wound in the back. He had been at home in Luton recovering from his injury, but was making only slow progress and has now been admitted to hospital in Cambridge for further treatment. Lieutenant Staddon enlisted in the Inns of Court Officers’ Training Corps (known as “The Devil’s Own”) in May 1915 and was commissioned in the East Surrey Regiment in the following September. The Mayor’s youngest son Lieutenant C. E. Staddon has written to his parents to tell them he has arrived safely in India. He was met on his arrival by the Revd. Frank Hart; formerly connected with the Waller Street Methodist Circuit in Luton, he is now the senior Wesleyan Chaplain in Bombay.

Sources: Luton News 21 September 1916 & 5th April 1917 [for more information on Lt. Wilfred Staddon see Luton WW1]