Vis-en-Artois Memorial

Private William Plater

Pte William Plater, 43459, 1st Battalion Bedfordshire Regiment, was killed in action in France on October 23rd, 1918. He was aged 24 and single.

He was a son of Frederick (died 1902) and Annie Plater, of 2 Chase Street, Luton. William had previously served in the Machine Gun Corps (26296).

At the time of the 1911 Census William was living with his widowed mother and two brothers at 12 Langley Place, Luton, and was employed as a general labourer. Before enlisting he had worked for Mr James Pollard, of May Street.

Lance Corporal Sidney William Farr

L-Cpl Sidney William Farr, 31137, 1st Battalion Bedfordshire Regiment, was killed in action in France on September 29th, 1918. He died instantly from a gunshot in the head.

He had joined the Territorials in 1911 and was called up at the commencement of war. The 27-year-old had previously been invalided home with trench fever.

Private Cyril Long

Pte Cyril Long, 52254, 1st Battalion Lincolnshire Regiment, was killed in action in France on September 29th, 1918. He was aged 19 and single.

Cyril had been an apprentice working for the Luton News before joining up with the Herts Yeomanry (No. 3210) on his 18th birthday. Later he was transferred to the Lincoln Cyclists Corps and came home on draft leave in August 1918.

Private Reginald Bass

Pte Reginald Bass, 30585, 6th Battalion Royal West Kent Regiment, was killed in action in France on September 21st, 1918. He was single and aged 19.

He was a son of Eli and Ellen Bass, of 54 Cromwell Road, Luton, living there in 1911 with two brothers and ten sisters.

Prior to joining up in March 1918, Reginald had worked as a moulder for Hayward Tyler & Co, and had attended Park Street Baptist Church and Sunday school.

Private Reginald Barton

Pte Reginald Barton, 14510, 2nd Battalion Royal Sussex Regiment, was killed in action in France on September 24th, 1918. He was aged 20.

Born in Luton in June 1898, Reg was a son of Edward and Charlotte Barton, of 18 Brache Street. He had joined up in 1914 at the age of 16 and even went out to the trenches, but was sent home because of his age.

Elder brother Bert was the first notified casualty of the 1/5th Bedfords received from Suvla Bay during the Gallipoli Campaign of 1915, and brother-in-law Edward Anderson also met his death there.

Private Ernest Farrigh Napier

Pte Ernest Farrigh Napier, 291545, 1st Herts Regiment, was killed in action in France on September 21st, 1918. Aged 24, he was the youngest of seven sons of James and Anne Napier, who ran the Moor Path Tea Rooms in New Bedford Road, Luton.

Ernest was working at Vauxhall Motors before joining up. He entered the London Regiment, Royal Fusiliers (No 493667) and afterwards saw service with the Kensington Rifles and the Bedfordshire Regiment before joining the Hunts Cyclists attached to the Herts Regiment. He had been wounded twice, once with the Bedfords.

Sergeant Edward Norton

Sgt Edward Norton, 277640, 15th Battalion Durham Light Infantry, was killed in action in France on September 10th, 1918. He had been in France only five weeks, was married and his widow was residing at 22 Pondwicks Road, Luton.

In the absence of official notification of her husband's death, Mrs Norton had received a letter with a wallet and her photograph which had been found by a soldier on her husband as he lay, shot through the head.

Private Harold Stuart Lee

Pte Harold Stuart Lee, 73494, 23rd Brigade Royal Fusiliers, was killed in action in France on September 7th, 1918. His widowed mother Olive, living at Marsh Farmhouse, was informed that he had been shot through the heart by a German sniper.

Harold had taken the place in the Army of Aubrey William, so that his brother could manage the farm following the death about 18 months previously of their father, Evan William Lee.

Private Hugh Cumberland

Pte Hugh Cumberland, 51175, 4th Battalion Bedfordshire Regiment, was killed in action in France on September 5th, 1918. He was aged 19.

Born in Leagrave on March 26th, 1899, he was one of four sons of John and Eleanor Jane Cumberland, of 89 Marsh Road, Leagrave.

Private Archibald Marshall

Pte Archibald ('Archie') Marshall, 47728, 14th Battalion Welsh Regiment, was killed in action in France, on August 22nd, 1918, less than three weeks before his 21st birthday.

He had joined the Royal Engineers shortly before war broke out and was subsequently transferred to the Welsh Regiment. He went out to France with a draft in January 1916.

Born in Hitchin on September 10th, 1897, he had moved to Luton with parents Herbert and Mina (Minnie) Marshall and his three sisters before the 1911 Census took place. The family lived at 10 Queen Square.

Private Percy Shedd

Pte Percy Henry Shedd, 248112, 2/2nd Battalion London Regiment (Royal Fusiliers), was killed in action in France on August 26th, 1918. He was aged 25.

A son of Manchester Street confectioner Mr Harry Shedd and his wife Eliza, Percy had joined the the Army in January 1917. In April 1918 he was wounded in the leg and received treatment in England for three months before returning to the firing line six or seven weeks before his death.

Corporal Frederick Harry Shackleton

Cpl Frederick Harry Shackleton, 25435, 2nd Battalion Bedfordshire Regiment, was killed in action at Fricourt in France on August 25th, 1918, two months after first going into action. He was aged 23.

A son of plait merchant Frederick Reeves Shackleton and his wife Ellen, of 27 Clarendon Road, Luton, Cpl Shackleton joined up in January 1916, two days before his 21st birthday.

Private William Henry Wilson

Pte William Henry Wilson, 88025, 3rd Cavalry Division Field Ambulance, Royal Army Medical Corps, was killed in action in France on August 9th, 1918. He was aged 25 and single.

His chaplain wrote to widowed mother Lizzie Ann Wilson at 10 South Road, Luton, that on the night of the 9th a bomb was dropped on the dressing station where William was working, killing him instantly.

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