Somme

2nd Lieutenant Richard Reeve Emmens

 

Second Lieut Richard Reeve Emmens, 7th Battalion Royal Sussex Regiment, was killed in action on the Somme on September 4th, 1916. He was aged 23.

Born in Birmingham, the public school boy was engaged for 12 months before the war as a chartered accountant with Mr Thomas Keens, Secretary of the Luton Chamber of Commerce. He is included on the Luton Roll of Honour with an address at Cardiff Road, Luton.

Private Arthur William Fensome

 

Pte Arthur William Fensome, 6485, 71st Company Machine Gun Corps, died on September 27th, 1916, from wounds sustained on the Somme.

Born in 1888, he was the eldest of ten children of Samuel Fensome and his wife Ellen (nee Summerfield), of Ramridge End Lane [now Ashcroft Road], Stopsley. He enlisted in 1915, having previously worked for Bracey Bros, dyers, of 28 John Street, Luton.

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.

Private William Dovaston

 

Pte William Dovaston, 3848, 9th Battalion Middlesex Regiment, was killed in action on the Somme on September 11th, 1916. He was aged 19.

Born at Islington, London, he was the son of Robert William and Caroline Dovaston, of 18 Selbourne Road, Luton. He enlisted in the Bedfordshire Regiment at the age of 17 and had served in Gibraltar and Egypt before being transferred to the Middlesex Regiment and sent to France.

William was formerly employed by Commercial Cars Ltd and was a member of All Saints Church choir. He played football for the church club.

Rifleman William Ernest Ratcliffe

 

Rifleman William Ernest Ratcliffe, S/11035, 3rd Battalion Rifle Brigade, died on the Somme on August 18th, 1916.

He is recorded as having been born in Luton around 1895 and is on the Luton Roll of Honour, but without an address. It is likely that his family had left Luton before the time of his death. The 1911 Census suggests that 16-year-old William was a boarder in a boys' home in London.

The Luton News carried a picture of the late Rifleman Ratcliffe, of Luton, in its October 5th, 1916, edition, but without further details.

 

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.

Bombardier Charles William Asbury

 

Bombardier Charles William Asbury, 33560, 39th Brigade, Royal Field Artillery, was killed in action on September 12th, 1916, on the Somme. He was aged 32.

Born in Harlington, he became an assistant porter with the Midland Railway at Flitwick in 1899 when aged 15. He attested as a 20-year-old with the R.F.A. in 1904 and served in India before joining the Reserve.

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.

2nd Lieutenant William Samuel Scruby

 

Second Lieut William Samuel Scruby, 12th Battalion Middlesex Regiment, was killed in action near Thiepval on the Somme on September 26th, 1916. He was aged 25 and had planned to marry during his next leave.

He had joined the Coldstream Guards in the ranks (Pte 11338) at the outbreak of war and only received his commission three months before his death in recognition of meritorious conduct in the field. He was gazetted to the Middlesex Regiment.

Private James Hubert Mimms

 

Pte James Hubert Mimms, 14405, 7th Battalion Bedfordshire Regiment, was killed in action on the Somme on September 28th, 1916.

Born in Luton in 1892, he was the son of William Mimms and wife Sarah Ann (nee Hughes), of 11 Peach Street, Luton. In the 1911 Census James was described as a toolmaker living at home with his parents, four brothers and a sister.

A sergeant wrote that all the men at one gun had been knocked out, except Pte Mimms, who was ordered to another spot.He did not arrive.

Corporal William John Andrews

 

Cpl William John Andrews, 22020, 7th Battalion Bedfordshire Regiment, was killed in action in an attack on the Schwaben Redoubt, near Thiepval on the Somme, on September 28th, 1916.

He was aged 17 and not legally compelled to have been on the battlefield. He was also wearing two stripes to indicate that he had previously been wounded.

Private Ernest William Furr

 

Pte Ernest William Furr, 3/7722, 7th Battalion Bedfordshire Regiment, was killed in action on the Somme on September 27th, 1916.

Born in Stopsley in 1897, he was the son of Selina and the late Alfred Furr, who in 1911 were living at Ramridge End with the surviving 12 of their 16 children. Alfred died in 1913, after which Selina and family moved to Hitchin Road, Luton.

In a 1915 street directory Selina is shown as living at 440 Hitchin Road, and on the Luton Roll of Honour commemorating Ernest the address is given as 454 Hitchin Road.

 

Company Sergeant Major Arthur Fountain

 

Company Sgt Major Arthur Fountain, 15400, 7th Battalion Bedfordshire Regiment, was killed in action on the Somme on September 27th, 1916.

Born in Markyate in 1881, he was a son of the late William Richard and Sarah Ann Fountain,of Luton Road, Markyate. He enlisted on September 7th, 1914, and had served at the Front without a scratch for about 18 months, with just one brief spell of home leave.

Private Percy George Lane

 

Pte Percy George Lane, 14614, 7th Battalion Bedfordshire Regiment, was killed in action on the Somme on September 27th, 1916. He was aged 22 and the only son of George and Elizabeth Lane, of 212 High Town Road, Luton.

Born in Coleshill, Amersham, Bucks, he was familiarly known as 'Mandy' to football comrades in Luton Victoria Rangers FC. Prior to enlistment he was a moulder at the Borough Engineering Works in Luton.

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