Sanders, George Harold

Lance Corporal 13945, 2nd Battalion, Northamptonshire Regiment. Killed by a shell at Ypres, Belgium Thursday, 16th August 1917, aged 26. He was awarded the Military Medal on 14 th July 1916, for gallantry at Trones Wood. The medal was pinned to his uniform before church parade on 17th September 1916: he was then wounded in the left forearm at Thiepval, France in 26 th September 1916 and evacuated to the Ontario Military Hospital, Orpington Kent for 2 months . He then embarked for France again 1 st March 1917, and joined the 2 nd Battalion on 19 th March. Born St Andrews, Northampton, he enlisted in Northampton in September 1914 and went to France in July 1915. Son of Mr. and Mrs. C. Sanders of 65, New Oxford Street, Far Cotton; husband of Mrs. A. E. Sanders, of 51, Clinton Road, Far Cotton, Northampton. Prior to the War he was employed by Messrs. Birdsall and Son, Wood Street as a van driver.

His body was found in 1926 and identified by a letter (with a 5 franc note) and he was reinterred at Hagle Dump Cemetery, Belgium III. E. 3.

Seaton, Edwin Frank
Note: Not F. E. as shown on Memorial.

Private 41111, 8th Battalion, Suffolk Regiment. Killed in action in Belgium Tuesday, 31st July, 1917. He was born and enlisted in Northampton. Son of Thomas and Kate Seaton, of 45, Southampton Road., Far Cotton, Northampton; husband of Louisa Alice Seaton, of The Oaks, Overstone, Northamptonshire.

Commemorated on Ypres (Menin Gate) Memorial, panel 21.

Sephton, Glynn

Private 78972, Tank Corps. Died in the area of Richmond, Yorkshire Monday, 2nd December, 1918 aged 27: he was in England recovering from wounds received in France. He was born in Northampton. Husband of Mrs Dorothy Rachael Sephton (nee Pollard), of 9, Southampton Road., Far Cotton, Northampton. They married 12 th September 1916.

Buried on 8 th December 1918 at Northampton (Towcester Road) Cemetery 161. 2. 6278. GRO deaths Richmond Yorkshire 1918 4th quarter 9d 1560.

Smith, Charles

Private 20163, 2 nd Battalion, Norfolk Regiment. Died from a gunshot wound in the chest at 19 Casualty Clearing Station, on 25 th February, 1917, aged 35. He was probably wounded in the action on the Shumran Peninsula on the 24 th February. He was born in Northampton and enlisted there on 29 th November 1915. He was mobilised on 8 th June 1916 and posted to the 3 rd Battalion of the Norfolk Regiment the next day. He was then assigned to the 2 nd Battalion, Norfolk Regiment on the 14 th October 1916 and embarked at Devonport for “Mesopotamia” (now Iraq) the next day on the MT Themistocks and then MT Scindia: he disembarked at Basra 21 st November and joined his Battalion at Sheikh Sa’ad on 1 st December. He was either injured or sick as he was in hospital 9 th to 14 th January 1917. He rejoined his Battalion at the “Twin Canals” and was “Effective with unit” on the 28 th January. He left a widow, Nellie Smith of 53, Delapre Street, Far Cotton, Northampton, and 4 children. Prior to the War he was an iron trade trimmer.

He is buried in the Amara War Cemetery, Iraq XXVI.A.1.

Smith, Ellis (Victor Ashby

Formerly Private 28965, 14 th Essex Regiment, he was transferred from 98 th Training Battalion to the Army Reserve as a Munitions Worker on 10 th November 1916. Two months later, he was killed in an accident whilst compulsorily working in a munitions factory, William Baird & Co., Gartsherrie Iron Works, Coatbridge, Lanarkshire (see photo) on Saturday, 13 th January 1917, aged 28. Following the accident, William Baird & Co attempted to recover the 15 shillings for transporting Mr Smith’s corpse back to Northampton from the Army: this was refused as he was no longer a soldier. His widow, Evelyn Emmie Smith (nee Old) of 14, Oxford Street, Far Cotton, Northampton, was also refused a pension for herself and her two sons, Leslie and Ernest, for the same reason. Prior to enlisting at Northampton in December 1915, he was a “Shunter” driver. Son of Mr & Mrs Thomas Smith of Church Street, Rothersthorpe. He was a brother –in-law to Frank & Percy Manning (see above).

Buried at Northampton (Towcester Road) Cemetery 321. 1 12512 on 18 th January 1917.

Smith, Sidney Thomas
(Note: Not T. S. as shown on Memorial)

Private 26549, 7th Bedfordshire Regiment. Killed in action in France Saturday, 1st July 1916 on the first day of the Battle of the Somme, aged 26. At 8.30 a.m. the Battalion carried out an attack against Pommiers Redoubt pushing on to Beetle Alley which was entered at 10.15 a.m. Born and also enlisted after call up in Northampton (February 1916). He was sent to the Western Front on 31st May 1916. Son of Thomas and Mary A Smith, of 42, Abbey Road, Far Cotton, Northampton. Prior to the War he worked as a grocer’s assistant at the Co-operative Stores, Exeter Road, Northampton.

Commemorated on the Thiepval Memorial Pier and Face 2 C.

Spencer, Albert George Haynes

Private 29985, 2nd Battalion, Royal Warwickshire Regiment: formerly 22961 Oxford & Bucks Light Infantry until transferred to France. Killed in action in the Battle of the Somme, France Sunday, 3rd September 1916, aged 26. During the night of 2nd/3rd September, the 7th Division (including 2nd Royal Warwicks) attacked the Delville Wood and Gincy and were fought back to the Porter Trench and Stout Trenches. Born in Far Cotton, Northampton, he enlisted at Bletchley, Buckinghamshire in April 1916. Son of Mr. A. Spencer; husband of the Emily Mabel Spencer of 25, King Street, Northampton. He left two children. Prior to enlistment he worked at the British-American Last Works, St Michaels Road.

Commemorated on the Thiepval Memorial Pier and Face 9 A 9 B and 10 B.

Stafford, Walter John

Private 26260, 95th Company, Machine Gun Corps (Infantry) and formerly 20859 Northamptonshire Regiment. Killed in action in France Monday, 25th September, 1916 aged 21. Born Upton, Northamptonshire and enlisted in Northampton. Son of Francis Stafford, of 46, London Road, Northampton, and the late Eliza Jane Stafford.

Commemorated on the Thiepval Memorial Pier and Face 5C and 12C.

Steele, John Henry

Private 12760, 6th Battalion, King's Shropshire Light Infantry. Killed in action in Belgium Monday, 26 th June 1916 aged 21. Born Luffenham, Rutland and enlisted in Shrewsbury. He was resident in Northampton at the time of his enlistment. Son of Charlotte E. and the late A. Steele, of North Luffenham, Stamford. There was a George Steele living at 61, Abbey Road, Far Cotton (1901 Census). Private Steele’s death was reported in the St Mary’s magazine.

Buried at the Vlamertinghe Military Cemetery, Belgium III. B. 17.

Sutton, Walter John

Private 17436, 1st Battalion, Northamptonshire Regiment. Killed in action in France Sunday, 9th May 1915 aged 23. On this day the Battalion were in trenches in an orchard midway between Petillon and Rouges Blancs. Regimental history records of an attack at this time - “men fell in dozens, but in spite of heavy losses the survivors gallantly pressed forward”. Born in Far Cotton, he enlisted in Peterborough 28 th December 1914. Son of Sophia Sutton, of 49, Abbey Road., Far Cotton, Northampton, and the late Henry Sutton.

Commemorated on the Le Touret Memorial, Pas de Calais, France, Panel 28 to 30.

Swain, William
(Note: Not J.W. as shown on Memorial)

Private 9754, 7th Battalion, Northamptonshire Regiment. Killed in action during the Battle of the Somme, in France Friday, 18th August 1916 aged 20. On that day, the 7th Northants attacked west of the Trones Wood but were checked by machine-gun fire and lodged near the Quarry. Born in Far Cotton, he joined the Northamptonshire Regiment Reserve 15 th April 1913 and then enlisted in the Regular Army on 15 th October 1913. He was wounded by gunshot to his calf in France, on 7 th November 1914 and was evacuated back to England. He embarked for France again on 9 th June 1915 and was hospitalized due to influenza in January 1916 and then returned to England 16 th February 1916 and spent 21 days at the Herne Bay Military Hospital suffering with myalgia (muscle pain). He again embarked for France on 25 th May 1916 and joined his Battalion on 9 th June. Son of Frederick and Charlotte Swain, of 19A, Oxford Street, Far Cotton, Northampton. Prior to enlistment he was a foundry labourer. He is shown as “John William Swain” in the St. Mary’s magazine, with the same date of death.

Commemorated on the Thiepval Memorial Pier and Face 11A and 11D.

Taylor, Alfred

Private 40746, 1st Battalion, South Staffordshire Regiment (formerly 35701 Essex Regiment). Killed in action in Belgium Thursday, 4th October 1917, aged 32. Born Caldecote, Northamptonshire, enlisted in Northampton 19th April 1917. He went to France in the first week of July 1917. Husband of Elsie Evelyn Taylor, of 5, Rickard Street (later 3A, Abbey Road), Far Cotton, Northampton. Employed by Messrs. Brighty and Nichols prior to his call up.

Commemorated Tyne Cot Memorial, Belgium Panel 90 to 92 and 162 to 162A.

Tebbutt, Thomas Edward

Private 22479, 1st Battalion, Northamptonshire Regiment. Killed in action by a shell which also killed four other ranks and an officer, in France Sunday, 4th June 1916, aged 21. He was born in Northampton and enlisted there in November 1915. Only son of Edward and Ada Elizabeth Tebbutt, of 44, Semilong Road (later 76, Euston Road), Far Cotton, Northampton. Employed as a clerk for Messers. Bostock for 6 years prior to his enlistment. In his obituary, he was said to be one of the finest-built men in Northampton being 6 feet 2.5 inches tall and weighing over 14 stones (his military medical shows him to be 6 feet 1.5 inches tall but only just over 9 stones!). He was a former schoolboy at St. Mary’s.

Buried Maroc British Cemetery, Grenay, France I. F. 1.

Thornton, Harry Herbert

Gunner 209780, "C" Battery, 161 st Brigade, Royal Field Artillery. Died of shell wounds in Nieuport Belgium Sunday, 5 th August 1917 aged 32. Husband of Beatrice Thornton, of 17, Cowper Street., Northampton, eldest son of Mr & Mrs H Thornton of 117 Euston Road, Far Cotton, Northampton. He left one child. He had two other brothers serving at the time of his death. He previously worked for the British American Last Company.

Buried Coxyde Military Cemetery, Koksijde, West-Vlaanderen, Belgium II. D. 21.

Tibbs, Albert Edward

Private 72378, 104th Field Ambulance, Royal Army Medical Corps. Died in Northampton, Wednesday, 10th January 1917 aged 38. Enlisted Northampton 22nd October 1915 and joined the RAMC as the was a Baptist. His residence on enlistment was 42, Clinton Road, Far Cotton, Northampton. He was discharged on 22 nd September 1916 after contracting tuberculosis during 7 months service in France. A widower, he left 2 young daughters Frances Rose and Doris Ellen Tibbs.

Buried Northampton ( Towcester Road) Cemetery 187.3.7294. GRO deaths Hardingstone 1917 1st quarter 3b 40.

Todd, Benjamin

Stoker 1st Class SS/109104, HMS Monmouth. Died at the Battle of Coronel, Sunday 1st November 1914. Following heavy battle damage, Monmouth was unable to defend herself and was sunk by the light cruiser SMS Nurnburg: 75 10.5 cm shells being fired into her at close range. There were no survivors from her crew of around 686 sailors. Son of Mrs E Todd of 5, Old Towcester Road, Northampton. He formerly served nine years in the Northamptonshire Regiment before joining the Navy in 1909. He was formerly a member of the crew of HMS Argyle which escorted the King and Queen to India for the Durbar.

Turland, Frank Henry

Private 40618, 2 nd Battalion, South Wales Borders (formerly 27222 Norfolk Regiment). Killed in action at Monchy France Monday, 23 rd April 1917 aged 27, just three months after he joined up. Born Kemberton, Gloucestershire, he enlisted in Northampton. Son of Thomas and Sarah Turland, of Harpole, Northampton; husband of Isabella Mary Turland, of 44, Abbey Road., Far Cotton, Northampton: he left one child. He was formerly a motorman on Northampton tramways.

Commemorated on Arras Memorial, France Bay 6.

Turner, Frank

St. Mary’s Parish magazine shows a “Frank Turner” died 2 nd October 1918, this can only be:

Gunner 138758, “D” Battery, 168 th Brigade, Royal Field Artillery. Killed in action 2 nd October 1918, Somme, France. Born and enlisted in Liverpool.

Buried Cerisy-Gailly Military Cemetery, Somme, France. III K. 9.

Tyler, Horace William

Private 41538, 2nd Battalion, Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers. Killed in action in Belgium by a shell bursting in the trenches Friday, 10th August 1917, aged 30. He was born and enlisted in Northampton. Son of Walter and Hannah Tyler, of Bailiff Street, Northampton; husband of Margaret Tyler, of 64, Euston Road., Far Cotton, Northampton. He left two children. Formerly an employee of the Northampton Cooperative Society. Before joining up he was an enthusiastic VAD member. At the time of his death he had a brother serving in Palestine.

Buried Ramscapelle Road Military Cemetery, Belgium I. B. 21.