After having served and been wounded in France, and coming to England in order to prepare for further duty abroad, it has been the sad fate of Pte George Charles Fensome (pictured above), son of Mr and Mrs Fensome, of 93 Hitchin Road, Luton, to meet his death as a result of an accident while at bombing practice.

The accident occurred on Wednesday [June 20th, 1917] at a North-East coast town, and the family were at once informed by a telegram from the young soldier's officer.

An inquest was opened yesterday [June 22nd] and was attended by the deceased's father. It was explained that hand grenades were being prepared for throwing in a priming pit, and one was dropped. The safety pin had dropped out, and the bomb would explode in four or five seconds.

Cpl Thomas, who was in charge of the pit, dropped it but immediately picked it up and flung it in what he considered the safest direction, for there were 30 men in the trench. The bomb exploded in the traverse trench in which Fensome stood and a fragment of shell entered his head.

As the Corporal threw the bomb he shouted a warning for the men to kneel down, and the NCO in the traverse trench repeated the warning. The latter said at the inquest that he stood about two yards from Fensome and all, including him, ducked their heads.

A hospital doctor said the deceased was admitted suffering from a nasty lacerated wound above and behind the ear. The skull was splintered, and an operation revealed the fact that the brain was lacerated. The case was hopeless from the first.

A verdict of accidental death was returned, and the Coroner commented in high terms upon the action of Cpl Thomas, who was in charge of the priming pit.

Pte Fensome had responded to the call soon after the outbreak of war and trained with the Royal Engineers in England. On being drafted to France he was transferred to a Welsh regiment. He took part in a considerable amount of fighting until of one ill-starred day he was wounded on the Ancre. Brought back to Blighty, he recovered in due course, and when he met with his untimely death he was training preparatory to going out with a draft to Mesopotamia.

He was 21, and worked for Messrs Hayward Tyler & Co at the Luton branch of their engineering works. He attended St Matthew's Church.

Pte Fensome's funeral was to take place the following Monday at the Church Cemetery, Crawley Green Road, Luton.

[Beds & Herts Saturday Telegraph: June 23rd, 1917]