Pte Thomas Fleckney, 31848, 6th Battalion York and Lancaster Regiment, died on December 6th, 1916, from wounds sustained on the Somme. He was aged 32 and the father of five children.
A letter from Sister Knight, of the Casualty Clearing Station where he was being treated, said Pte Fleckney had been admitted into hospital early in the morning with severe wounds to both legs and the necessity to amputate the right leg. He died at midday on December 6th.
The Rev Alf K. Heyland, Chaplain, wrote to Mrs Fleckney to say her husband had been buried with all possible military honours.
Pte Fleckney had married Rose Soper at St Saviours Church on January 23rd, 1904. They had five children - Rose Maud, Lily Annie, Ivy, Thomas and Sidney Harold - and lived at 7 Elizabeth Street, Luton.
From leaving school he worked for hat manufacturer Mr W. F. Mullett at Tavistock Street. He joined up in June 1916 and was trained at Sittingbourne, Kent, before going out to France about three months before his death.
He had often played football for Luton Clarence FC and was a member of the Crusaders team which had won the Beds Cup.