Pte Arthur Wallace Woodcroft, 18612, 2nd Battalion, Bedfordshire Regiment, was killed in action in Flanders on November 27th, 1915. Some military records name him as Arthur Walter Woodcroft.

He was 28 years old and the son of Arthur and Emily Woodcroft. Married in April 1909, he left a widow, Beatrice Maud (nee Mitchell), and two children, Elsie Maud (born December 24th, 1910) and Ronald Arthur (born November 12, 1913). The family lived at 66 May Street, Luton.

Born in Luton in October 1887 and christened Arthur Wallace, Pte Woodcroft worked at Hubbard's dyeworks in Regent Street before joining the Bedfords in January 1915. He received his training at the Duke of Bedford's camp at Ampthill, and left for active service from there on September 20th. So he had been in France only a couple of months before he was killed.

In a letter home on November 26th he asked for some cigarettes or a pipe so that he could have a smoke. He added that they were soon going to have a rest, and when they came out of the trenches he would write again. He sent his love to his children and said: "Tell Elsie that I shall not be long before I am at home."

It was shortly after this that he received his fatal wounds, and the following day that the Rev George F. Trench, a Chaplain, wrote to Mrs Woodcroft to say he had had the task of burying the body of Pte A. W. Woodcroft, 18612, of the 2nd Bedford Regiment.

"He is buried in a large British cemetery, known as the Guards' Cemetery, Givenchy. His grave is marked by a good wooden cross, with his name etc in black paint, provided by the regiment. These cemeteries will all become British property, and will be kept for all time as such. The cemetery is situated about a mile behind the lines, and is quite near a corner which all the soldiers know as Windy Corner.

"It only remains for me to offer my deep sympathy in your loss. Like so many others, he has given his life for his Empire and for a great cause."