13241 Pte Harry V A Hull, 1st Bn, Beds Regt

13241 Private Harry Valentine Alexander Hull of the 1st Battalion, Bedfordshire Regiment was killed in action ninety-six years ago today. He was born and bred in Markfield, Leicestershire and enlisted at St Albans in early September 1914. His medal index card notes that he arrived overseas on the 11th March 1915. The Commonwealth War Graves Commission (which appears to have transposed his middle names and records him as Harry A V Hull) notes that he was 19 years old when he died and was the son of Harry Hull, of Birch Hill, Copt Oak, Markfield, Leicester. He is buried in Tuileries British Cemetery in Belgium.

Two other 1st Battalion men also died the same day. They were, 10308 Acting Lance Corporal Charles Gunn and 14413 Private William Jackson. William is buried in Oosttaverne Wood Cemetery whilst Charles Gunn has no known grave and is commemorated on the Menin Gate Memorial at Ypres.


At the going down of the sun, and in the morning, WE WILL REMEMBER THEM.

Sources:

Ancestry (MIC)
Soldiers Died in The Great War
Army Service Numbers
The Commonwealth War Graves Commission

6349 Pte Frederick Wrigley, 2nd Bn, Beds Regt

6349 Private Frederick Wrigley of the 2nd Battalion, Bedfordshire Regiment died of wounds on the 29th November 1914. He was 35 years old, the husband of Margaret A Wrigley of 61 Wycliffe Road, Northampton. He is buried in the Le Touquet-Paris Plage Communal Cemetery in France.

At the going down of the sun, and in the morning, WE WILL REMEMBER THEM.

Sources:

Ancestry (MIC)
Soldiers Died in The Great War
Army Service Numbers
The Commonwealth War Graves Commission

26560 Pte Horace Frank Lake, 2nd Bn, Beds Regt

26560 Private Horace Frank Lake of the 2nd Battalion, Bedfordshire Regiment was killed in action on the 24th November 1916. He was born in Wigginton, hertfordshire, and was living at Watford when he enlisted. He joined up at Bedford in February 1916.

Horace Lake is buried in the Berles-au-Bois Church Extension cemetery in France.

At the going down of the sun, and in the morning, WE WILL REMEMBER THEM.

Sources:

Ancestry (MIC)
Soldiers Died in The Great War
Army Service Numbers
The Commonwealth War Graves Commission

22441 Pte George Feast, 5th Bn, Royal Irish Fusiliers

22441 Private George Feast of the 5th Battalion, Royal Irish Fusiliers was killed in action on the 8th December 1915. George was 49 years old when he died; the son of Robert William and Eliza Feast, and the husband of F G Feast of 13, Caroline Place, East Road, Cambridge.

George, who was born in Ely and living in Hereford when he enlisted, originally joined the Bedfordshire Regiment (number 16491). That number dates to September 1914 and his Royal Irish Fusiliers number probably to October 1915.

George's medal index card notes that he arrived overseas in France on 3rd December 1914 and so it seems likely that he probably had prior military experience and was possibly a time-expired regular who re-joined shortly after Britain went to war. I can see no other explanation why a 48 year old private would be sent overseas so soon after joining up. I'll conjecture further that George was wounded or returned home sick whilst serving with the Bedfordshire Regiment in France, transferred to the Royal Irish Fusiliers in the United Kingdom, and subsequently served in Salonika. He has no known grave and is commemorated on the Doiran Memorial in Greece.