Lance Corporal Aspley
Friday 10th March 1916: The parents of Lance Corporal Henry George
Aspley of 7th Battalion, Bedfordshire Regiment, have just learned that he has
died while a prisoner-of-war near Fricourt, Germany, from wounds received in
action. The news caused quite a gloom in the village of Stevington, where the
deceased was popular amongst his many friends and was held in much esteem. He
was a good cricketer, a member of the Parish Church Choir and a general
favourite. He was the first to enlist from Stevington after the outbreak of war
joining the Colours on 1st September 1914(1).
Source: Bedfordshire Standard 10th March
1916
(1) This
account is quite puzzling as Lance Corporal Aspley is stated to have been
killed in action on 8th January 1916 rather than dying of wounds. Fricourt is
on the Somme, rather than Germany as stated in the article, and the 7th Bedfords
were in the line at the time opposite the village. The likeliest explanation
seems to be that Lance Corporal was wounded on a patrol or in a raid, captured
and died almost immediately. The 7th Battalion diary is very thorough and
mentions no raids or men being captured but there is a cryptic entry for 7th January
which reads: “Ever endeavour is being made to reclaim Matterhorn Trench” so
perhaps it was here that Aspley was wounded and captured.
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