Royal Engineer Loses an Eye

Friday 12th May 1916: We regret to announce that Corporal Travers of the 1st Field Company East Anglian Royal Engineers, who before the outbreak of war was for several years engaged on the clerical staff of the Bedford Borough Electricity Works, has been seriously wounded in France, and is at present lying in hospital. It appears that a German rifle grenade burst beside him, causing serious injuries; his left eye has been removed but it is hoped that the other eye will be saved; one of his legs and knee were also fractured.

Soon after the war broke out Travers was one of the first Corporation employees to join the Colours and went to France with the first batch of the EAREs. He was always held in high esteem by his fellow employees and was a member of the Bedford Conservative Club. Corporal Travers is the only son of a widowed mother, for whom much sympathy is felt in her trouble.

Source: Bedfordshire Standard 12th May 1916