A Corporal Writes of Lieutenant Green

Lieutenant Green [X550/1/82]

Friday 26th May 1916: A letter has been received by the parents of Corporal A Sharpe whose home is at 13 Union Street, Dunstable in which reference is made to the death of Lieutenant Reginald Green. After stating that they have had to do extra duty in the trenches and that the weather has been pretty warm, he writes: “We had an officer killed last night, I am sorry to say, and perhaps you might know him as he is the son of Mr J W Green of the Brewery, Luton. He went out into No Man’s Land and unfortunately received a shot in the right thigh which proved fatal, death taking place a few hours afterwards. He was a very good officer indeed and he was in charge of my platoon. We are all very sorry at his death”.

Corporal Sharpe, it may be mentioned, has been at the Front since the early days of the war and has been twice wounded – once in the back with a dum-dum bullet, which was taken out of his side in five pieces, and later he lost the forefinger of his left hand, while he has also been in hospital twice since with fever and colic. But he writes in a cheerful strain and says he is “in the pink”. At the outbreak of war he was serving in South Africa with the 2nd Bedfords, but after convalescing from his first wounds, he was transferred to the 1st Bedfords, since when he has seen much active service.

Sources: Luton News 25th May 1916

(1) The dum-dum was a hollow point or soft point bullet, designed to expand on impact, causing a worse wound. It was designed in 1896 by Neville Bertie-Clay at the Dum Dum Arsenal near Calcutta in India. The bullet was banned by the Hague Convention three years later

Dunstable Hero Killed

Tuesday 22nd February 1916: Private Frederick Horace Barton, 20, the only surviving child of Mr and Mrs F C Barton of 12 Ashton-street, Dunstable, has died of wounds sustained while serving with the 6th Battalion, Bedfordshire Regiment.

Private Barton was a native of Luton and was an old Surrey-street school boy, his parents residing at that time in New Town-street. On September 7th 1914 he enlisted in the 7th (Service) Battalion, Bedfordshire Regiment and went out to France with the battalion in July 1915. In September he was wounded in the head and was brought to a military hospital at Sheffield. On October 19th he came home and six days later was married. Later he had to report at Colchester and on December 19th last he was sent out with a draft to the 6th Bedfords.

His parents received a letter dated February 20th from the Sister of the 19th Casualty Clearing Station who wrote to Mrs Barton that her son was dangerously wounded in the chest and the arm on the 19th and that the doctors were doing everything everything that could possibly be done for him but thought there was not very much hope. By the same post there also came a letter from one of the doctors to say that Private Barton died on 20th and was buried the following afternoon, all military respect being shown, and an officer and party of comrades attending. The grave is a single one with a cross at the head and foot and it will be surrounded by a box hedging.

Lieutenant Connell, an officer of the deceased’s company, who is home on leave called on Mr and Mrs Barton and said how sorry they all were to lose deceased as he was well liked by officers and men and was always very full of life.

Source: Luton News 2nd March 1916

(1) Doullens Communal Cemetery Extension No. 1

Recruiting to the 5th Bedfords

Friday 9th October 1914: Recruiting for both the 5th Bedfordshire Battalions – for Foreign Service and Home Service – continues very satisfactory. For the Home Service Battalion the recruits are being trained at Luton, Leighton, Dunstable and Bedford and any fine morning the Bedford contingent can be seen drilling and training with evident enjoyment in Bedford Park. With the exception of the Colonel (the Hon. Victor Russell), no officer for the Home Service Battalion has yet been gazetted, but several prospective officers have already taken up their duties of training recruits. As soon as the full complement of officers is gazetted and the staff appointed, arrangements will be made for bringing this Battalion up to full strength, probably by means of recruiting meetings in the areas of those Companies not up to strength. With those coming from the Foreign Service Battalion, and the recruits, there are at present upwards of 600 men towards the 1,000 required. Recruits are also being drafted from the Gwyn Street depot, clothed and equipped, to the Foreign Service Battalion. This depot, which has been under the command of Lieutenant R. O. Webb, has had a busy time since the Battalion left, for upon it has fallen the work of clothing and equipping recruits for the Foreign Service Battalion as well as enlisting and training men for the Home Service Battalion. The temporary headquarters of the Home Service Battalion are at 13 Hassett Street.

Source: Bedfordshire Times 9th October 1914

A Tragic and Accidental Death

Saint-Quentin during World War One

Thursday 27th August 1914: We are saddened to hear of the death of Private Benjamin Hedley Seabrook of 5th Bedfords. He was guarding a railway bridge at Manningtree [Essex] and was killed by an express train at 8.30 this morning. He was the son of Benjamin and Eliza Jane Seabrook of 68 West Street, Dunstable and was just eighteen years old.

All day the 1st Bedfords have been continuing their retreat from Mons. They left Estrées about 4 a.m. and marched through the city of Saint-Quentin reaching the town of Eaucourt just after midday. This journey of around twenty miles must have been shattering to men who have hardly slept since Sunday and have been in action. Our source with the battalion tells us that many of the men were marching whilst asleep.

Sources: X550/2/5; X550/2/7; Bedfordshire Times 28th August 1914