Company Quartermaster Sgt Joseph Horne, 6006, 2nd Battalion Beds Regt, was killed in action at Neuve Chapelle on March 12th, 1915. He had served in the Army for 18 years and he and his family had returned with the battalion from South Africa at the outbreak of war. He was reportedly in line for a commission at the time of his death.

The above photograph was returned to his family from the battlefield with the message "Anyone finding this, please return to my wife, Mrs J. Horne, 52 Grange Road, Luton, Beds" written on the back.

The news was felt particularly badly at The Luton News/Saturday Telegraph office. He had called in there several times to take out letters and parcels from relatives and friends for his comrades in the trenches, and then sent a letter confirming their safe arrival. [See http://www.worldwar1luton.com/blog-entry/christmas-plea-front-children-home ]

On March 15th, comrade Quartermaster Sgt Blackaby wrote to Mrs Horne: "Poor Joe was hit through the heart by a bullet, and death was instantaneous, so you see he did not have to suffer agony and pain. I cannot tell you in words how deeply we mourn our loss and feel for you in your sad bereavement. Although we know he died fighting for his King and country, it is very hard to part from one you love so dearly. I promises if anything happened to him I would write, and he was doing the same in the event of me getting hit, but I always hoped I should never be called upon to carry out my promise."

Writing on April 2nd, 1915, Mr Blackaby said that Mr Horne was in the front line, so that he had to be buried practically at the spot where he was killed. The writer promised to visit the spot.

Mr Horne was last home on leave in December 1914, having escaped without a scratch at that time.

Mr Horne had married Bertha Anna Gray in 1903. Bertha's mother, Anna M. Gray, lived at 55 Ivy Road, Luton.

[Grange Road was renamed St Peters Road in 1937]