How The Luton News Helped a Soldier’s Family

William Brown 

Thursday 17th February 1916: Today’s edition of the Luton News carries an interesting story of how the paper helped the family of a missing soldier, which we copy in full: “The usefulness of the Luton News and Saturday Telegraph in locating “lost” relatives was brought to our notice the other day in a very human little story”.

“Lance Corporal William Brown, 9899, of the Bedfordshire Regiment, was mentioned in a casualty list and the War Office sent a notification the other week to Mr Frederick Charles Brown, who was understood to be living in Guildford-street, Luton. However, the letter was returned to the Record Office endorsed “Gone away”. Then the Army authorities requested the Luton police to find out where the brother had gone. Their efforts were fruitless and so they resorted to the papers mentioned and we inserted an account of the facts of the case. The result was that immediately several relatives of Lance Corporal Brown communicated with Chief Constable Tearle”.

“One of these is Mrs Groom, who is at present staying in North-street, Luton. Our representative interviewed Mrs Groom and she explained that the family belonged to Aspley Guise. Her brother, Mr Frederick Charles Brown, left Guildford-street some time ago, and being a Territorial in the East Anglian Royal Engineers was called up at the beginning of the war and is now in France”.

“Lance Corporal Brown has been with the 1st Bedfordshire Regiment for some years, and is 22 years of age. He went to the Front with the 1st Bedfordshire Regiment  and a year last October they heard he was missing and then that he was wounded and a prisoner of war. Since then conflicting rumours have reached the relatives, who suffered great anxiety”.

“Mrs Groom wrote to the Record Office for the notification which was returned from Luton, and on Monday had a reply from the Record Office stating that Lance Corporal Brown is a prisoner of war at Gardelegen, Germany, and promising to communicate any further information”.

Source: Luton News 17th February 1916

Blown Up by a Bomb

Friday 6^th August: In these pages we devote ourselves to the activities of our local units at the front, the Bedfordshire Regiment, the Bedfordshire Yeomanry and the East Anglian Royal Engineers. But, of course, many men from this county (around three-quarters it is reckoned) serve in other units and in other branches of the services such as the Royal Navy and the Royal Flying Corps.

Bearing this in mind it is hoped that readers will indulge a moment of private grief. Guardsman George Claude Kershaw, 2nd Battalion Grenadier Guards, from West Hill, Aspley Guise was killed yesterday near Givenchy-lès-la-Bassée. We had a letter from him a few weeks ago, when newly arrived at the front which ran as follows: “We are out of the trenches for a few days’ rest. I actually saw my first tragedy the last time I was in the trenches. We had put up a porthole in the sap(1), where I was on duty as a bomber, and we had given the Germans a warm time. Of course, they had to go one better and they got round so that they could shoot up our trench. They spotted a chap who had been out here eleven months. We did what we could but the odds were against us, and, while we were getting him away they were firing at the parapet above us. The Welsh miners should see these things; they would not put a few pence above duty then(2). All we want is a fair chance against the Germans but we have to wait. The bombs which they fire are much larger than ours and come sailing through the air like sky-rockets and where they hit little remains”.

The young fellow joined the forces soon after the outbreak of hostilities, enlisting in the Grenadiers and had been at the front for some weeks, the latter part of the time being one of the bomb-throwers, and according to information conveyed it was while engaged in this dangerous work that he met his death. He was only 21 years of age.

Source: Bedfordshire Standard 30th July 1915 and 20th August 1915

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(1) A sap was an extension of the trench forward into no-man’s-land made by digging forward.

(2) Welsh miners were on strike over pay and the strike was ended by an agreement

An Aspley Man's Account of the Battle of Neuve Chapelle

Aspley Guise Square [Z1306/3a/21/2]

Monday 15th March 1915: We have heard from Private Walter C. Crute of Aspley Guise who has just gone through the Battle of Neuve Chapelle with the 2nd Battalion: “Have been in it four days and have never seen such sights before. This seems something worse than war – dead lying about in hundreds. One of our fellows had his pack blown from his back. There were seven of us in a trench that we had made for ourselves. In front of this a shell burst; and if it had been a foot nearer we should all seven have been blown to bits”.

“They say we had 40,000 to fight against at that time and the Grenadier Guards under heavy fire had to advance, come what would. Their officers are brave fellows and no mistake(1). The old Bedfords are all the time in action and cannot get a rest. I don’t know whether I shall ever come back(2). My chum got wounded beside me. The shot came from a Maxim gun, it cut through his cap into his head and it broke my bayonet. If it had not caught my bayonet it would have hit me plump on the forehead. Still, I am walking about now unconcerned”.

“Last night I had to go with some more for rations for our platoon and it was four in the morning before I could find our trenches again; bullets and shells were flying about hot. I came across a Grenadier who was wounded in both legs and couldn’t move. I lay down in the trench and was then able to move him about so that his legs were easy. He did thank me and then he wanted me to stop with him. I would have done but my rifle and equipment were in our own trench so I dare not. We keep on capturing Germans. Our artillery are making a tremendous row”.

Source: Bedfordshire Times, 26th March 1915

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(1) The commanding officer of 1st Battalion, Grenadier Guards, Lieutenant-Colonel Laurence Fisher-Rowe died of wounds on 12th March.
(2) Happily he seems to have done so.

The Death of Lieutenant Downes

Aspley House

Tuesday 20th October 1914: It was just a month ago that we received a letter from Lieutenant Villiers Chernocke Downes of the 1st Bedfords. Today we have the sad task of reporting that he has died. A telegram arrived at Aspley House yesterday evening containing the tragic news that he had died of wounds on the battlefield on Sunday. An earlier wire on Saturday gave the gallant young officer as wounded. The worst news came as a profound shock to the village and district. Lieutenant Downes was the eldest surviving son of the late Colonel C. Villiers Downes and was heir to the Aspley House Estate. The coming of age celebration was observed with a gathering of the tenantry and a presentation about two years ago in the Parish Hall. Although most of his life has been spent away from home at school and college, Mr. Downes has taken a great interest in village life. He was largely responsible for the formation of the Church Lads Brigade in the village and from its inception was Lieutenant of the Brigade. The lads were greatly attached to him and considered it was mainly due to his fine work on their behalf that they won the cup during one of their summer camps. He was also connected with the Rifle Club. The death of this fine young officer is deeply deplored and the greatest sympathy is felt for Mrs. Downes and her family in their grief. The only surviving son, Mr. Archer Chernocke Downes, Lieutenant in the Cheshires, has just left the country, also for the front, with his regiment.[1]

Source: Bedfordshire Times 16th October 1914

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[1] Lieutenant Chernocke Villiers Downes is buried at Longuenesse (Saint-Omer) Souvenir Cemetery. Thirty three days later, on 20th November, his brother Second Lieutenant Archer Chernocke Downes was killed with the 2nd Battalion Cheshire Regiment and is buried at Poperinge Communal Cemetery.

Woburn and District Does Its Bit

Bedford Street, Woburn [X21/760/1]

Friday 7th August 1914, Woburn: Here, as elsewhere, the war is the dominant topic. Woburn has contributed its quota to the reserve forces, territorials etc., their numbers including some of the Abbey* staff, the rural postman for Milton Bryan, one of the town constables etc. Most of these have already gone and the yeomanry went on Thursday. Numbers of horses have been registered, including about thirty from His Grace's paddocks. Post Office work is very strenuous, the staff being on duty all night.

Mr. W. Coopey, the popular sailor landlord of the Anchor Inn, Aspley Guise and Mr. Warwick, who has recently started a business in the village, left for London on Tuesday morning in response to the Official Navy order.

In connection with the Mobilisation of the Fleet, Mr. Rowberry, the Manager of the Swimming Baths and Pumping Station in Husborne Crawley and also his assistant Mr. Harry Young, have had to take a hurried leave. The latter had just finished his month's annual training.

Source: Bedfordshire Times: 7th August 1914; 25th September 1914 and 2nd October 1914

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*Woburn Abbey: seat of the Duke of Bedford