Pte John Cox, 1059, Army Service Corps, died in hospital in Egypt from dysentery on October 8th, 1915, while attached to the 49th Division serving at Gallipoli.

Born at Watbridge, East Hyde, in early 1880 and a popular former footballer, he had worked for straw hat manufacturer Harry Briars at 75 May Street, Luton, prior to enlisting with the Army Service Corps at Woolwich in August 1914. He went to the Dardanelles in March 1915.

After moving with his family to 208 Park Street, Luton, Pte Cox married Kate Arnold Wilson from St Albans in early summer 1903 and the couple were living at 10 Tavistock Street, Luton, at the time of the 1911 Census. They had one son, Arthur Thomas, born in 1905.

Pte Cox wrote from hospital in Egypt on September 24th to say he hoped Kate and Artie (his son) were well but the dysentery had left him in poor straits. "I thought I should have died the other night," he wrote.

By September 29th Pte Cox was too ill to write himself and dictated a letter to a hospital official. He said: "I was at Ambrose, and was brought here a week ago suffering from dysentry. I am being well taken care of, and am improving a little each day. I may be well enough in six weeks time to come home to England. Tell Arthur to be a good boy and give him my love. Best love to all brothers and sisters."

Subsequently, Mrs Cox had a telegram saying her husband was dangerously ill, and then she was notified of his death on the 8th.

Kate Cox later remarried in Luton in late 1917 - her new husband being Albert J. Rice - and she moved to live in Kent.

At the time of John's death, the Cox family were anxiously awaiting news of another son, George, aged 27, who had been wounded and reported missing six months previously while serving in Flanders with the 1/4th City of London Royal Fusiliers. He was subsequently reported to have been killed in action during a bayonet charge on April 27th, 1915.