Bedfordshire Archives Service Catalogue

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Reference
P71/28/21/26
Title
An unnumbered letter with numerous mentions of local men and events and written from 'The Manse', Biggleswade, noted as being the second written from that address, and including:
Date free text
23 Aug 1918
Production date
From: 1918 To: 1918
Scope and Content
- the writer(Harry Read)had visited Stevington to gain news of as many old boys as possible then had visited his brother; - the writer(Harry Read)had seen Percy Mackness in Stevington who had been wounded and had little control of his arm; - Walter Curtis was still on crutches and looking forward to an early return to Canada; - Wilfred Jeffs had recovered, his brother was training in Sussex; - the writer(Harry Read) had been visited by Walter Cox from Leicester who after nearly three years in Egypt and Palestine had transferred to France three months before; he had a month’s leave and had just got married; his brother was also expecting to move to France as Indian troops were replacing British troops in Palestine; - Fred Dawson was still in Palestine and had been to Jerusalem and Jericho which he described as a “horrible hole”, he was in charge of “100 niggers” [probably Arabs] making roads, some of his Company were bridging the Jordan; - Sergeant Arthur Bartram had been awarded a bar to his Military Medal having picked up and thrown a live bomb from the trench; his brother George was expecting a transfer from Palestine; - Walter Bowyer had left Alexandria and had met Jim Ruffhead there patching up horses and mules; - Charles Cox had had recent fighting in East Africa; - Vic Ruffhead had been in hospital at Amara, invalided from Mesopotamia to India after two and a half years; Reggie Ruffhead was well - William Bowyer in Egypt was walking with the aid of a stick and had been seeing the sights; - Archie Cox was in Bangalore [India]; his brother Jim was an under guard on the Midland Railway; - Sid Glidle, Fred and Walter Harpin, all prisoners had been heard from, Fred having been in hospital; nothing had been heard of Donald Cox since his capture except one postcard; no news had been received of Ted Cox [see P 71/28/21/25] or Jim Garlick; letters may have been received from Fred Aspley; - G.Jefferies had been to Genova [Italy] and Alexandria; - Alfred Warwick was at Landguard Camp but had lost his left eye; Charles and Walter Warwick were well; - Alec Lacey had been in action and Fred Bowyer, George Ruffhead and Frank Harding were all in France; - Bert Seamarks had passed with a 1st Class at Dunstable School of Instruction, returned to France and been slightly wounded, he had seen Walter Church; - Fred Bird was at Felixstowe, Ted Aspley at Colchester and Alec Field in Ireland; - John Parrott was at Ampthill after being gassed The Following is material that has been researced by a member of the archives team: From St.Albans Diocesan Roll of Honour for Stevington [with Commonwealth War Graves Commission and other information attached] Aspley, Henry George, Lance Corporal, 7th Battalion Bedfordshire Regiment, died 8 Jan 1916, aged 20,son of Alfred and Martha Aspley of Silver Street, Stevington, commemorated on Thiepval Memorial,France. His entry in the National Roll of the Great War adds that he volunteered in Sep 1914 and was on coastal defence duties before crossing to France in 1915, fighting as a bomb thrower at Ypres and Loos,he was killed on a night patrol in the Loos sector. Allen, William Charles, Private, A Company, 2nd Battalion Bedfordshire Regiment, died 1 Oct 1915, aged 20, son of Thomas and Annie Elizabeth Allen of Silver Street, Stevington, commemorated on Loos Memorial,France. Church, Thomas, Private, 15th Battalion Machine Gun Corps (Infantry), died 23 Sep 1918, aged 19, son of Ada J.Church of Park End, Stevington, buried at Houchin British Cemetery, France Cowley, Albert W. [see P 71/28/21/25] Cox, Ernest Walter, Lance Corporal, 6th Battalion Bedfordshire Regiment, died 14 Feb 1917, aged 26, son of Walter and Ada Cox of Church Road, Stevington, buried at Maroc British Cemetery,France Cox, Edwin [see P 71/28/21/25] Garlick, James Robert, Private, 10th Battalion EssexRegiment, died 26 Apr 1918, commemorated on Pozieres Memorial, France. Goldsmith, Charles James, Private, 1st Battalion Bedfordshire Regiment, died 27 Jul 1916, aged 27, son of W.Goldsmith and husband of Caroline Emily Goldsmith of Silver Street, Stevington, commemorated on Thiepval Memorial, France. His entry in The National Roll of the Great War adds that he volunteered in Jan 1915 and was drafted to France in Nov 1915 and fought at Loos, Ypres, Somme and Vimy Ridge before being killed at Delville Wood. Harpin, Oliver [see P 71/28/21/19] Middleton, Frederick [see P 71/28/21/25] From National Roll of the Great War [searchroom ref. no.40] entries for local men mentioned in the letters: Allen, Chris C.: Trooper, Bedfordshire Lancers and Private Machine Gun Corps: volunteered Sep 1914 and drafted to France, June 1915, fought at Ypres, Somme and Arras then invalided home with ill health but recovered and was sent to France, fighting at Cambrai, 1917 and subsequent engagements until the Armistice; demobilised Mar 1919; held 1914-15 Star, General Service and Victory Medals: Silver Street, Stevington. Aspley, A.E. (Ted): Rifleman, King’s Royal Rifle Corps; joined Apr 1918 and engaged in heavy fighting in France, being part of the Army of Occupation at Cologne; he returned home in 1920 and was demobilised in Feb 1920; held General Service and Victory Medals; Silver Street, Stevington. Bird, Bert J.: Company Sergeant Major, Royal Army Service Corps (Motor Transport): joined Apr 1916 going to France that Aug, conveying ammunition and supplies to forward areas; took part in Somme, Ypres, Arras and Cambrai and in 1918 engagements; demobilised Oct 1919, he held General Service and Victory Medals: lived at Oakley. Bowyer, Walter H.: Trooper, Bedfordshire Lancers and Nottinghamshire Hussars (Sherwood Rangers): volunteered Sep 1914 and retained in England until 1916 when he went to Egypt, then Palestine, fighting at Gaza and entering Jaffa and Jerusalem; twice wounded in action in 1917; invalided in Aug 1919; held General Service and Victory Medals; Church Road, Stevington. Cox Archie A.: Private, 2nd Battalion Bedfordshire Regiment [letters also say East Kent Regiment], volunteered Sep 1914 and drafted to western front Jun 1915 fought at Festubert and wounded at Loos,invalided to Scotland and, on recovery, sent to Mesopotamia and India where he suffered from malaria; he returned home and was demobilised in Apr 1919; held 1914-15 Star, General Service and Victory Medals; Church Road, Stevington. Cox, E.Jim: Sergeant, 7th Battalion Bedfordshire Regiment volunteered Sep 1914 and went to France in Jul 1915,quickly gained promotion, fought at Ypres and Loos and was badly wounded, invalided home and discharged as medically unfit in 1917; held 1914-15 Star, General Service and Victory Medals; Church Road, Stevington. Dawson, Fred A.: Sapper, Royal Engineers; volunteered Jan 1915 and drafted to Gallipoli where he fought at Anzac and Suvla Bay; on evacuation he transferred to Egypt then to Palestine; he fought in the three battles of Gaza and entered Jerusalem and Jaffa; demobilised Apr 1919; held 1914-15 Star, General Service and Victory Medals; 9 Leys Cottages, Clapham. Hulatt, Alfred G.: Private, Bedfordshire Regiment [4th Battalion?]; volunteered Mar 1915 and drafted to France in 1916 taking part on the Somme, particularly at Beaumont Hamel; became a prisoner-of-war at Arras in Feb 1917; repatriated and demobilised in Mar 1919; held General Service and Victory Medals; Railway Cottages Oakley. Hulatt, Hermon J.: Sapper, Royal Engineers; volunteered 1915 and drafted to Egypt 1916 serving with Railway Operative Department transporting troops and ammunition; he undertook similar duties on Somme from Jul 1916 and at Ypres, Arras and Cambrai;demobilised Apr 1919; held General Service and Victory Medals; Railway Cottages, Oakley. Mackness, Percy: Private Essex and Northamptonshire Regiments; joined Apr 1916, went to France in 1917and was involved in heavy fighting in various sectors;severely wounded at Passchendaele, Aug 1917 and in hospital in England; demobilised 1919; held General Service and Victory Medals; West End, Stevington. Parrott, E.John W.: Private, 8th Battalion Bedfordshire Regiment; joined 1916 and went to France 1917; in action at Vermelles, Arras, Cambrai and other sectors; wounded and gassed in Nov 1918 he was invalided home where an arm was amputated; treated at Hendon, Dewsbury and Roehampton and discharged in 1919; held General Service and Victory Medals; Silver Street, Stevington. Ruffhead, Jim: Corporal, Royal Army Veterinary Corps;volunteered 1914 and after training at Milton Ernest and North Walshingham went overseas in 1915; served in Salonika and Egypt then Gaza and Jaffa;demobilised Jul 1919; held 1914-15 Star, General Service and Victory Medals; Church Road, Stevington. Ruffhead, Reggie: Gunner, Royal Garrison Artillery;joined Oct 1916 and went to Western Front in 1917;fought at Somme, Messines, Ypres and Cambrai;demobilised Feb 1919; held General Service and Victory Medals; Church Road, Stevington. Ruffhead, Victor G.: Gunner, Royal Horse Artillery; a regular soldier stationed in India in Aug 1914; went to Mesopotamia in 1915 and fought in the capture of Baghdad; invalided home with malaria in Apr 1918and in hospital in Lewisham; discharged Feb 1919; held 1914-15 Star, General Service and Victory Medals; Church Road, Stevington.
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