Lance Corporal

Lanc Corporal StripeJunior to a Corporal. From lancepesade "officer of lowest rank, from obsolete French lancepessade, from Old Italian lancia spezzata, superior soldier, literally "broken lance". Originally referred to as a "chosen man" who would take control of the section if the Corporal was to be killed or wounded

Lance Corporal Eric Arthur Grace

 

L-Cpl Eric Arthur Grace, 2534, 24th Battalion London Regiment (The Queen's), died on January 31st, 1917, from acute bronchial pneumonia, the day after being admitted to a Canadian Casualty Clearing Station in Flanders. He was aged 22.

In a letter to parents retired confectioner Arthur and Annie Grace, of 2-4 Bury Park Road, Luton, a Sister at the clearing station said their son had been admitted on the morning of January 30th in a very serious condition. He got worse rapidly and died on January 31st at 11 pm.

Lance Corporal Thomas Frederick Brown

 

L-Cpl Tom Brown, 27938, 7th Battalion Royal Fusiliers, was killed in action on the Somme on November 13th, 1916. He left a widow and a young son, who received official notification of his death two months later after he had initially been reported missing.

Tom Brown had attested under the Derby scheme and joined the Royal Fusiliers in April 1916. After three months training he went to France, where he was given his first stripe for good conduct and merit.

Lance Corporal Ernest Edward Fowler

 

L-Cpl Ernest Edward Fowler, 42765, 10th Battalion Worcestershire Regiment, died on October 27th, 1916, from wounds sustained on the Somme four days earlier. He had transferred from the Bedfordshire Regiment.

Born in early 1896, he was the son of George Henry Fowler and his wife Louisa Elizabeth (nee Wright), of 126 Castle Street, [now in London Road], Luton.

Prior to joining the Colours he was employed by Hart, Baxter and Co, bleachers and dyers, of New Bedford Road, Luton.

 

Lance Corporal Cyril Stone Terry Short

 

L-Cpl Cyril Stone Terry Short, 19477, 26th Battalion Royal Fusiliers (Bankers' Battalion) was killed in action on the Somme on or a day or two before 18th September, 1916.

Born in Southsea, Hampshire, where he spent most of his life, L-Cpl Short had arrived in Luton by 1911 as a bank clerk employed by the Capital and Counties Bank on the corner of George Street and Bute Street [now the premises of Lloyds Bank].

Lance Corporal Frank Primett

 

L-Cpl Frank Primett, 14026, 8th Battalion Beds Regiment, was killed in action on the Somme on September 15th, 1916. He was the first of two sons of Albert and Agnes Primett to be killed on the battlefield - Pte Charles Augustus Primett, 2nd Bedfords, also died on the Somme, on October 12th,1916.

Born in Ickleford on March 9th, 1886, he spent most of his life in the Hitchin area. By 1915, and possibly after he had enlisted, his parents were living at 18 Spencer Road, Luton, the address on the Luton Roll of Honour.

Lance Corporal Bert Holdstock

 

L-Cpl Bert Holdstock, 2836, 1/24th County of London Regiment (The Queen's), was killed in action on the Somme on September 16th, 1916. His role was as a bomber.

Born around Christmas 1894, he was the youngest of five serving sons of Charles and Annie Holdstock, of 22 South Road (formerly Foundry Lane), Luton. He was single, aged 21 and 6ft 2in tall.

Prior to enlistment in the Londons when war broke out, he worked in the straw trade. He trained at St Albans and was wounded twice while serving for nearly two years in Flanders.

Lance Corporal Alfred Warren

 

L-Cpl Alfred Warren, 8134, 1/2nd Battalion London Regiment (Royal Fusiliers), was killed in action on the Somme on September 23rd, 1916. He was the son of Frederick William Warren of and his wife Jane (nee Williams), of 3 Dunstable Road, Leagrave.

Born at Olton, near Solihull, Warks, in 1897, he enlisted in the Bedfordshire Regiment (3548) at the age of 17, but before going to France was transferred to the London Regiment.

Lance Corporal Thomas John Heley

 

L-Cpl Thomas John (Jack) Heley, 15743, 7th Battalion Bedfordshire Regiment, died on September 29th, 1916, from wounds sustained on the Somme.

Born in Leighton Buzzard in 1883, he had moved to Luton by 1911 and was living at 180 Wellington Street with his widower father, Fred, and a younger brother and two sisters. He was employed as a carpenter by builder Mr Arthur Cole, of 183 High Town Road.

Lance Corporal Joshua Dyer

 

L-Cpl Joshua Dyer, G/14527, 2nd Battalion Royal Sussex Regiment, died in Netley Hospital, near Southampton, on September 22nd, 1916, after being severely wounded on the Western Front. He had transferred from the Bedfordshire Regiment.

The 19-year-old son of Frederick Henry and Mary Jane Dyer, of the White House, Pepperstock, had been lying wounded in the back by a shell on the battlefield a day and a night before a compassionate Scotsman got him into a dressing station. He was transferred to Netley, where he died three days later.

Lance Corporal Ellis Henman

 

L-Cpl Ellis Henman, 27814, 1st Battalion Bedfordshire Regiment, was killed in action on the Somme on September 4th, 1916. He had been in France foronly a month when he was reported missing in an attack on Falfemont Farm.

The 31-year-old had married in Luton just before going to the Front, and was the first of two sons of William James and Alice Priscilla Henman, of Breachwood Green, to die on the Somme within 11 days. Pte Walter Henman, 19546, 8th Bedfords, lost his life on September 15th, 1916, and both brothers are commemorated on the Thiepval Memorial.

Lance Corporal Robert Stokes

 

Military Medal winner L-Cpl Robert Stokes, 12329, 6th Battalion Bedfordshire Regiment, was killed in action on the Somme on August 9th, 1916. He was still listed as "missing" when parents Samuel and Phoebe Stokes, of 10 Alfred Street, Luton, learned that their eldest son, Pte Samuel Stokes, aged 30, had also been killed in France - on October 25th, 1916.

Lance Corporal John Prime

 

L-Cpl John Prime, 14102, 1st Battalion Bedfordshire Regiment, was killed in action on the Somme on July 31st, 1916. He was aged 23 and the younger son of John and Eliza Prime, of 2 Front Street, Slip End.

He joined the Bedfords in September 1914, having been employed, like his father, by builders T. & E. Neville, Castle Street, Luton. He was one of the Neville workmen who helped in the building of the Luton News building in Manchester Street that was opened in 1913.

Lance Corporal Edwin Granville Harvey MM

 

L-Cpl Edwin Granville Harvey, 14925, 1st Battalion Bedfordshire Regiment, was killed in action on the Somme at Longueval on July 24th, 1916. He was aged 21.

He had joined the Colours on September 4th, 1914, and went to France the following April. He was gassed at Hill 60 and blown up by a mine in November 1915, requiring eight weeks of hospital treatment. After 15 months in the trenches he was killed by a shell while serving his Lewis gun.

Lance Corporal Stanley Dean Swift

 

Lance-Corporal Stanley Dean Swift, 20735, 7th Battalion Bedfordshire Regiment, died on July 6th, 1916, from wounds he had received during the opening of the Battle of the Somme. He was aged 22, a native of Luton and went out to the front on February 24th, 1916.

He had married Emily Lydia Carter at St Paul's Church on November 1st, 1915, and it was to her at her family home, 37 Tavistock Street, Luton, that Church of England Chaplain the Rev J. M. S. Walker wrote from the 21st Casualty Clearing Station where her husband died.

Lance Corporal Charley George Cox

 

L-Cpl Charley George Cox, 19213, 7th Battalion Bedfordshire Regiment, was killed in action on the Somme on July 1st, 1916. He would have been 22 years old the following week.

Born in Barkway, Herts, he was single and the eldest son of Walter and Elizabeth Sophia Cox, of 166 North Street, Luton. Prior to enlistment he worked at the hat manufacturing premises of Messrs G. Dimmock & Co, Melson Street, Luton, in the felt department.

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