Wednesday 3rd February 1915: “He is not dead. I left him last Thursday morning alive and well in the trenches”.
Such was the remarkable statement made by Private Thomas George Wood of Bailey-street, Luton, who is serving with the 2nd Bedfords and who returns from Luton to the front tomorrow. The remark refers to a comrade, Private W. Boon, who was last week reported killed. The statement of Private Wood has caused much mystification, and his mother, Mrs Boon of 28 Saint Ann’s-road, Luton, is anxiously waiting for further news from her son. It was thought that there could be no doubt as to Boon’s death, for it was reported by the chaplain at No. 6 Clearing Hospital, who wrote that he was with the young fellow when he died. A letter, posted on the same day as the chaplain’s letter, was received and in it Boon complained of rheumatism, and said he would like to get home for a day or two. It was thought the letter was found on the dying man, but now that a mistake is suspected, it is surmised that the posting of the letter on the same day as that sent by the chaplain is purely a coincidence(1)
Private Wood said that he came out of the trenches last Thursday at 4.30 a.m. and he then spoke to Boon, with whom he had attended Surrey-street Schools, Luton as a boy. Last Friday he was home on leave and on going into a hairdresser’s shop in Bailey-street he saw an authoritative intimation in the “News” of Boon’s death. Wood added that he thought it was a case of mistaken identity and he will speak to Boon about it when he gets back to the trenches on Friday.
Private Wood has had some narrow escapes whilst at the front. Yesterday, detailing some of his experiences Private Wood said “One day in October we carried out a charge at Ypres and half my bayonet was blown away by a shell. My rifle was also smashed and I had to discard it. Another, in December, at Bailleul, when we went out to take some prisoners, a bullet entered the back of my coat and slightly grazed my skin. It was a miraculous escape. Two days later I was out on patrol and we were nearly all captured in barbed wire entanglements. The Germans were dropping shells all the time. Our officer told us to escape the best way we could but the Germans had all but surrounded us. I and another man from London managed to slip out and we jumped one of the barbed wire fences. I thought I was in a Marathon race, but we got back to our headquarters all right”.
“Another day I was on outpost duty and the force was so strong against us that we had to retire under machine gun fire. A bullet went through the butt of my rifle but did not touch the mechanism and I have fired out of it since. My skin was grazed, however”.
Private Wood has evidently led a charmed life and his friends in Luton wish him a safe return to their midst again.
Source: Luton News 28th January 1915
(1) A Private Edgar Boon of the 1st Battalion, who came from Saint Neots, died of wounds on 10th January and is buried at Bailleul
(2) Sadly 3/7361 Private William Boon, from Luton, was killed in action with the 2nd Battalion on 17th May 1915 during the Battle of Festubert. He has no known grave and is commemorated on the le Touret Memorial
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