York Street

Private Alfred Tuffnell

 

Pte Alfred Tuffnell, 3/8144, 7th Battalion Beds Regt, died in Flanders on November 4th, 1915. Surprisingly nothing seems to have appeared about him in the local Press around the time of his death, unlike the deaths of two brothers.

Alfred was the third of three sons - Henry, Benjamin plus Alfred - who had still been living with their widowed mother Ann Tuffnell at 15 York Street, Luton, to perish in the war. And a fourth son, George, had died in 1903 following an accident at Hayward Tyler's, where he worked.

Private Benjamin Tuffnell

 

Pte Benjamin Tuffnell, 4291, D Company, 1/5th Bedfords, was killed in action at Gallipoli on August 15th*, 1915. He was the fifth son of Mrs Ann Tuffnell, of 15 York Street, Luton, and the second of her boys to die on the battlefield.

Luton-born Benjamin was born in the summer of 1887, around the time his father William, a Staff Sergeant in the Army, died. William had married Ann Fuller at St Nicholas Church, Plumstead, on July 1st, 1869. He went through the Boer War without a scratch and received two medals. He saw considerable service abroad, chiefly at Gibraltar.

Private Alexander Graves

 

Pte Alexander Graves, 4489, 1/5th Bedfords, was killed in action at Gallipoli on August 15th*, 1915. He was aged 27 and the son of Mr Henry Graves, of 5 Ferndale Road, Luton.

Marriage records show he had wed Agnes Maud Ray early in 1915 - probably while on leave as he had joined the 1/5th Beds in October 1914. And it was to his wife's mother at 33 York Street, Luton, that Pte R. Lewin, of the Machine Gun Section, wrote with the news of her son-in-law's death.

Private Henry Tuffnell

 

Pte Henry (Harry) Tuffnell, 7578, B Company, 1st Battalion Bedfordshire Regiment, was killed in action at the Battle of Hill 60, Flanders, on April 21st, 1915. He was initially listed as missing.

His home address was 15 York Street, Luton, and prior to being called up as a reservist was employed at Commercial Cars Ltd as a foundry worker. He had previously served in the Boer War.

He was last home in November 1914 and had returned to France just before Christmas.

 

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