Pte Harry Bacchus, 9272, 2nd Battalion Bedfordshire Regiment, was killed in action near Maricourt, on the Somme, on June 29th, 1916. He was aged 29.

Pte Bacchus was employed by coal merchants John Facer and Son until about 1908, when he joined the 2nd Bedfords. Since then he had spent a considerable amount of time abroad, serving in Bermuda, Malta and South Africa. He had returned from Africa at the beginning of the war.

He had since experienced very severe fighting, and in May 1915 he was wounded by a bullet passing through his throat, from side to side. Five months later he was declared fit for active service again, and rejoined the fighting line of his regiment.

Early in the New Year he was home on leave and attended the funeral of his father, Charles, and had not been home since. His mother, Clara, died in 1915.

Official notification of the death of Pte Bacchus was received by his sister, Mrs Kate Warner, at 6 Bolton Road, Luton. Intimation at the time was that he had been buried in Maricourt Cemetery.

A second brother, Pte Charles Bacchus, was killed in action fighting with the Yellow Devils in Gallipoli on August 15th, 1915.