The Luton News

Private William Fensome

Pte William Fensome, 307015, 16th Battalion Tank Corps, was killed by a shell in action in France on October 17th, 1918. According to his commanding officer, he was buried at the time at Regincourt. [His body was probably later exhumed and reburied.]

Williams had joined up in December 1916 in the Royal Engineers (216487) and was transferred to the Tank Corps in January 1918. He had been in France only six months when he met his death.

Private Percy Mead

Pte Percy Mead, 46998, 12th Battalion King's Royal Rifles, died of wounds in the 17th Casualty Clearing Station in France on October 17th, 1918. He was aged 19 and had previously served in the Beds Regiment (11038).

Born in December 1899, he was a son of Lucy and the late Thomas Mead, of Kings Road, Luton. He had married Elizabeth Read in Kent in 1917 and his widow was living at Sittingbourne at the time of Percy's death.

Before joining up, Percy, along with three brothers, had worked at the Brown & Green Foundry in Windsor Street/South Road, Luton.

Lance Corporal Horace Frederick Alfred Hudson

L-Cpl Horace Frederick Alfred Hudson, 023764, 93rd Coy, Army Ordnance Corps, died from influenza in a stationary hospital in Italy on October 16th, 1918. He was aged 26.

In a letter to parents Alfred and Alice Hudson at 9 Stanley Street, Luton, Horace said he had fallen victim to the influenza epidemic but was quite comfortable and going on well. That was followed by a telegram saying he was dangerously ill, and later a letter stating that he had died, the date given being October 23rd.

Luton Post Office war memorial

  • Photo: Terry Gatward.

 

Of the 52 members of the Luton Postal staff who served in World War One, six were to make the ultimate sacrifice – Edward Gatward, Amos C. Moody, William Stanford, George T. Janes, Walter F. Phillips and Albert T. Smith.

Their names are inscribed on a memorial that still stands in the Dunstable Road Sorting Office. An accompanying inscription reads: “To the honoured and lasting memory of our comrades who fell in the Great War 1914-1918.”

Private Percy James Costin

Pte Percy James Costin, 52084, 1st Battalion Middlesex Regiment, died of wounds sustained in action in France on October 10th, 1918. He was aged 20 and single.

In a letter to parents James and Annie Costin at 78 Queen Street, Luton, an officer in the Middlesex Regiment said: “He was a runner, and was killed whilst showing great devotion to duty. He suffered no pain.”

Pte Costin joined up in July 1916 and saw considerable service. He was wounded in the arm in October 1917 and went to France again in March 1918 after recovery.

Private John Walker Langford

Pte John Walker Langford, 27657, 4th Battalion Bedfordshire Regiment, was killed in action in France on October 8th, 1918. He was aged 38.

He was a son of Henry and Bessie Maud Langford, both of whom had died, and John was living at the home of Arthur and Lottie Taylor, of 58 Cambridge Street, Luton.

At the time of the 1911 Census he was living with his widowed mother and sister Emily at 23 Alma Street. John was described as a buncher at a straw plait dyeworks. Before enlistment he had been employed by bleachers and dyers A. J. Godfrey & Son, of Langley Street.

Cambridge Street war shrine

Many Luton streets during and after World War One had a war shrine to commemorate the men who had once lived there but had died in the conflict.

Many of the shrines were the result of work by church groups, for instance in November 1917 the Church of England Men's Society at Luton Parish Church unanimously decided to place war shrines in every street of the parish and to visit every house to gather the necessary information for them.

Gunner Wallace Cooke

Gunner Wallace Cooke, 43618, 187th Brigade Royal Field Artillery, was killed in action in France on October 2nd, 1918. He was one of five men killed in the 8pm attack, with many more injured, including Sgt W. Evans, a wounded chum in hospital who wrote to widow Florence Maud Cooke at 47 Rothesay Road, Luton.

Wallace had been looking forward to coming home on leave, having been at the front for about a year since his last leave.

Gunner Frank Fairbridge Moate

Gunner Frank Fairbridge Moate, 641, 3rd Australian Machine Gun Corps, was killed in action in France on September 18th, 1918.

Born in Brixton, London, in 1882, he was living as a child with parents Robert James and Sarah Susan Moate at 35 Liverpool Road, Luton, in 1891. Before emigrating to Australia early in 1901, he worked as a warehouseman for hat manufacturers Carruthers Bros, of King Street, Luton. He was also a member of Waller Street Methodist Chapel.

Corporal William Hart

Cpl William Hart, 17369, 6th Battalion Northants Regiment, died in hospital at Rouen in France on October 1st, 1918, after sustaining a wound in the left arm in action on September 22nd. He was aged 34.

William had joined the Army in October 1914. After serving in France for some time he was invalided home and sent to a London hospital, where he remained for a year, From there he was sent to Summerdown Camp, Eastbourne, to convalesce.

Lance Corporal William Perrins

L-Cpl William Perrins, 80174, 23rd Royal Fusiliers, was killed in action in France on September 30th, 1918. He left a widow and a child living in Luton.

He had gone to France only a month earlier, on August 28th, following 14 weeks of training in Ireland. He had previously worked for George Kent Ltd.

Born in Lewisham, London, to Frank and Lucy Perrins in 1893, he and his parents and four sisters and three brothers were living at 30 Maple Road, Luton, in 1911.

Private Bernard Andrews Bone

Pte Bernard Andrews Bone, 57804, 1/5th Battalion Cheshire Regiment, died in No. 4 Canadian Casualty Clearing Station in France on September 30th, 1918, the day after he was struck by an enemy shell.

A chaplain wrote to widowed mother Florence Lavinia Bone at 39 New Town Street, Luton: “He was brought down by ambulance from the front line on September 29th. He was struck by a shell from the enemy causing bad fractures of both legs, and his hands and face were slightly wounded. The fearful shock to his whole nervous system was an alarming factor.

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