The Luton Reporter

Major Charles Percy Boulton

 

Major Charles Percy Boulton, DSO, died suddenly in the Bute Hospital, Luton, on February 24th, 1916, at the age of 48. Ill health had made it necessary for him to leave the 4th Bedfordshire Regiment in 1914, and he had come to Luton in October 1915 as superintendent at a munition works.

His death was announced in The Hart, the magazine of the 4th Bedfordshire Regiment. A representative party of officers and NCOs and a detachment of buglers were present at the funeral at Stanmore, and wreaths were sent by the officers and sergeants.

Private Gustavus (William) Eames

 

Pte Gustavus 'Will' Eames, 2537, 24th County of London Regiment, died on February 13th, 1916, from wounds sustained in action in Flanders. He was buried at Bethune Town Cemetery, Pas de Calais.

Born in Luton in 1897, he was christened Gustavus but appeared in some Census returns as Augustus and in military records as William or Augustus William. He was popularly known as Will.

He was the son of retired painter and decorator William Eames and his wife Harriet, of 107 Cambridge Street, Luton. Before enlistment, Will worked in the office of the Luton Co-op Society.

Company Quartermaster Sergeant Douglas Ritchie

 

Company Quartermaster-Sgt Douglas Ritchie, Army Service Corps, died in the Fulham Military Hospital on January 15th, 1916, from double pneumonia.

The 30-year-old Scotsman was the brother-in-law of Charles Cameron, of 51 Belmont Road, Luton, proprietor of Camerons (Luton) Ltd, a printing company based in Cheapside. Douglas Ritchie had been a co-director of the firm until he gave up his business interests to take up aviation. He had gained his pilot's licence before suffering an unfortunate breakdown in health.

Private Frank Boutwood

 

Pte Frank Boutwood, 4626, B Company, 1/5th Battalion Bedfordshire Regiment, died in the 5th Southern General Hospital at Portsmouth on October 23rd, 1915, from complications arising from dysentery contracted in Gallipoli. He was aged 34.

His death meant that Luton had its first experience a funeral of one of its Territorials who had been on active service with the 1/5th Bedfords in Gallipoli. He had been invalided home about a month before his death suffering from dysentery, but complications set in and he passed peacefully away in the presence of his relatives.

Private Herbert John Clarke

 

Father-of-ten Pte Herbert John Clarke, 3/8664, 2nd Bedfords, was killed in action at Loos in France on September 27th*, 1915. He was aged 39 and a labourer at White Hill Farm, Stopsley.

A native of Offley born in the summer of 1876, he worked at the farm for Mr Allingham and lived in a cottage opposite Lilley Church.

Private Charles Whelpton Few

 

Pte Charles Whelpton Few, 1889, 1/1st Eastern Mounted Field Ambulance, Royal Army Medical Corps, died on October 19th, 1915, from dysentery while on board ship in the Mediterranean.

He was one of three sons of Great Northern Railway stationmaster Thomas Henry Few [born in Montreal, Canada], of Station House, Bute Street, and Hyde House, Hart Hill, Luton. He joined the Eastern Mounted Brigade Field Ambulance, RAMC, after the outbreak of war.

Private Frederick Charles Everitt

 

Pte Frederick Charles Everitt, 15432, 11th Battalion Essex Regiment, was killed in action in the battle of Loos in Flanders on September 26th, 1915.

The third son of Mr Thomas Everitt, of 12 Harcourt Street, Luton, he had been transferred to the Essex Regiment from the 8th Bedfords and had gone out to the front shortly before his death. Initially he was reported missing.

A comrade wrote to Mr Everitt to say they went into action on the Saturday night [September 25th], and early the next morning they left the trenches to attack the German position.

Private Horace Hammett

 

Pte Horace Hammett, 3/7435, 1st Bedfords, was killed in action at Hill 60 in France on May 5th, 1915. He was posted "missing and wounded" on June 9th but it was not until September that his parents received official notification of his death.

Sapper Richard Worker

 

Sapper Richard Worker, 807, 1/2nd Field Company, East Anglian Royal Engineers, was killed in action at Gallipoli on September 21st, 1915. It would have been his 20th birthday on October 6th.

Parents George and Isabella Worker, of 87 Warwick Road, Luton, were officially notified of his death on October 8th, after reference had been made to their son's death in letters from his comrades, who said a shell dropped into the workshop in which a party of the Engineers were working. Sapper Worker was struck and killed.

Private George Henry Brown (Willis)

 

Pte George Henry Brown (Willis), 4350, 1/5th Bedfords, died on September 9th, 1915, from wounds sustained at Gallipoli. He was buried at Cairo War Memorial Cemetery.

The Luton Reporter said in an article on September 27th, 1915, that after some weeks of anxiety, the mother of Pte George Henry Brown, 4485, of 16 St Ann's Road, Luton, has been acquainted that her son lies buried in a Cairo cemetery.

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 Horace George Chapman

 

Pte Horace George Chapman, 2678, 1st/24th London Regiment, was killed in action in a charge at Givenchy on May 26th, 1915. Born in Luton, he was aged 24 and was the son of Harry and Sarah Elizabeth Chapman, of 31 Ashburnham Road.

He was at first thought to have been wounded and in hospital, but in early July he was reported missing. A friend with whom he enlisted, L-Cpl Edward Cannon, of 62 Chapel Street, Luton, was with Pte Chapman when the order was given to charge but lost sight of him in the ensuing smoke.

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