“Our Boys Fell Like Ninepins” — Raunds Soldier’s Experience
Writing to his sister, Miss Nunley, of Thorpe-street, Raunds, Pte W Nunley, of the Northampton Regiment, now at the 2nd Northern Hospital, Leeds, says:-

“I am now in Engalnd once again. I arrived here, at Leeds, on May 12th, and am getting on fine. It was on Sunday, about 8a.m., when we had the order to charge the German trenches. I had only got about 100 yards when I fell to the ground, being shot through the thigh. We were trying to take a village called Fromelles and, I can tell you, it was hell. Our boys tried hard to push forward, but fell like ninepins. I lay out in the open for about three hours, expecting every moment to be shot again, when two young men of the R.A.M.C. came and picked me up and carried me into our own trench. They fired on us just as we were getting in the trench, but without hitting us. I left the trenches about 12.30, and I think we had lost half our regiment then.

Two Deaths from Wounds
Acting-Corpl. Arthur R Groom, Rifle Brigade (son of the late Mr Charles Groom, of Raunds), who was last week reported as seriously wounded, died of wounds on March 9th. Deceased was formerly employed as clerk by the Raunds Co-operative Society.

Pte. John B Higby, Bedfordshire Regt., another Raunds soldier, and a chum of the late Acting-Corpl. A R Groom, has died of wounds in hospital in France. Private Higby and Acting-Corpl. Groom enlisted last May in the Reds.. Regt., and went out to France within a day or two of each other last September, and both have died from wounds within a few days. They were engaged to sisters, the Misses Barnes of Woodford.

Wounded - Pte. Leslie Knighton, Northants regt., of Grove-street, Raunds, is in hospital in Manchester, suffering from a wound in the leg.

A Raunds Soldier Killed - Lance-Corpol. J. H. Bamford - Well Known in Rushden
It is with great regret we report the death whilst on duty in France of Lance-Corpl. John Henry Bamford, R.A.M.C. The official news was received by the wife of the deceased on Tuesday, and states he was “killed in action” on April 11th.

Deceased who was attached to the 49th Field Ambulance, enlisted a few weeks after the war broke out, and has been in France over 19 months. He was last home on leave in February, 1916, when he was married.

He was a member of Raunds Church Choir, and was superintendent of the Sunday school, and was well liked by all who came in contact with him, through his cheerful and self-sacrificing nature.

Deceased was a son-in-law of Mrs Jackson, of 7, Winchester-road, Rushden, and was well known in Rushden.

Military Medal—Pte. George W Agutter, Middlesex regiment, in which he is a company runner, son of Mr and Mrs Wm Agutter, of Harcourt-street, Raunds, has been awarded the Military Medal for gallantry and good service in the field. He says that he won it the first week in August, the week he usually has for his seaside holiday, so that he has something to show for a change.

Pte H Robinson Killed - Pte R Cobley Succumbs to Wounds
Pte H Robinson, aged 23, of the Australian Contingent, son of the late Mr Chas Robinson, of Raunds, was killed in action on October 4th. Deceased emigrated to Australia with his mother, about six years ago, after the death of his father. The Rev G W Carter, C F, has sent the following letter to the deceased soldier’s aunt, Mrs W Walters, Chelveston-road, Raunds: “You will probably have heard by this time the sad news that Pte Robinson was killed in action by enemy shell fire on October 4th. A small parcel addressed to him arrived from you yesterday. Under the circumstances I did with is as I thought you would wish—opened it and gave the contents to such of his comrades as needed them.”

Another Raunds war victim is Pte R Cobley, Nofolk Regiment, aged 20, son of Mr and Mrs Owen Cobley, of Marshalls-road, Raunds, who, before enlisting on January 15th last, worked for Messrs Adams Brothers, Government boot contractors. Writing to the parents of the deceased soldier, the sister in charge of the 41st Casualty Clearing Station, France, says: “My thoughts are with you, for I know how keenly you must feel the sad news about your son. He was brought to this hospital dangerously wounded in the arm. Everything that could be done was done, and he had every attention, but all was of no avail, and he died very peacefully on October 12th. He is buried in a military cemetery near here, and a cross will be put up to mark the grave.”

Military Medallist Missing - Anxiety Regarding a Raunds Soldier - Officer’s Letter
Second-Lieut. H Poole, Middlesex Regt., has sent the following letter to Mr William Agutter, of Harcourt-street, Raunds, regarding his son, Pte. George Agutter, M.M.

“Your son, 52075, Pte Agutter, was in my platoon. On the night of November 13th-14th the battalion took over a new part of the line in Flanders, and immediately after our relief was completed your son was detailed to proceed to a certain spot behind our lines with a message at about 10.45p.m. on November 13th, and he has not been seen since that time. As his platoon officer, I feel it my duty to inform you of the circumstances, and it is with deep regret that I do so, for it is a painful task for me. I have every reason to believe that you will hear from your son eventually, but not for some time, for, not knowing our lines very well, he must have walked into the German lines, and also, not a single shot was fired by the enemy at the time, so I think you may feel confident that he is a prisoner of war, and I feel certain that he is so. Both myself and his own personal friends in the company will be extremely sorry if anything did happen to your son, for it was always a pleasure to me to see his smiling face, and his personality and disposition was always that of a bright and keen soldier, and he was an asset to his battalion. I know my sympathy will be very poor consolation to you in this hour of trial, but I hope I shall at least give you some confidence, and his comrades are of the same opinion as myself. It will be a great relief to me to know if you hear from your son.”

Nasty Accident Near Knotting
Gipsy Knocked Down by Motor Car Driven by a Raunds Officer
Driver Free from Blame
A nasty accident occurred on Tuesday morning about 11.15 near the Knotting Turn on Bedford-road, when a gipsy named William Wilson Lamb, aged about 70, was knocked down and severely injured about the head by a motor car driven by Second-Lieut. Albert Charles Masters, R.F.C., of Raunds, who is home on leave......... [to read more]

Raunds
Mrs E Richardson, Brooks-road, has received information that her husband, Pte. Ernest Richardson, Surrey Regiment, was killed in action between March 21st and 27th. He leaves six young children, the eldest of whom is a cripple. Deceased’s parents have now lost two sons in the war, and have three more sons in the Forces.

Among the interesting souvenirs that were brought back by a returned prisoner of war, 1st A M Holmes, of Raunds, is an illustrated pamphlet which the French had published to send over into Germany by balloon. It depicts the German infantry being first cheered on their way to the front by one German profiteer, and then driven by a whip into the jaws of death by another wealthy magnate.

Germany’s Inferior Airmen - Raunds Soldier-Prisoner’s Statement
Hun’s Brutal Neglect of Wounds – Fiery Liquids Applied to Injuries
Pte. Hugh Clarke, Northants Regiment, of Raunds, has arrived home from Alsace-Lorraine, where he has been for several months in German hands. When he was captured he was wounded in several places about the legs, but the Germans made little attempt to dress his wounds. The paper bandages with which the wounds were bound up were not removed for six days, and all the time the wounds were getting in a dangerous state.

To prevent gangrene the German doctor poured into the wounds some iodine in the neat state. It is needless to remark that the pain resulting from this drastic but delayed measure was excruciating almost beyond endurance. Another fiery liquid was applied to other parts of his body.

The only satisfactory result is that the leg was saved, but the agony was needless if attention had been paid sooner. A poor fellow who was taken at the same time as Pte. Clarke and wounded similarly, had to lie in a barn for nine days without any medical attention whatever, and when the German doctor did at last remove the bandages, gangrene was so far advanced that the leg had to be at once amputated.

Pte. Clarke never completely recovered from his wounds while he was in enemy hands, but he had to work as hard as the rest, and had no more food. Being close to the German lines, he could not write to his friends nor receive parcels from them. He had to work at a German aerodrome, assisting with such heavy work as lifting huge engines, salving crashed ‘planes, and so on. He observed that the machines were of a good type, but there seemed something lacking about the pilots. Either the training was too superficial or the airmen themselves did not possess the necessary pluck and initiative. Pte. Clarke could see a very great difference between the splendid fighting spirit of our own airmen and the absence of the offensive attitude in the German pilots.

For some time before the Armistice, Pte. Clarke was put to work in a sugar factory. His hunger being so keen, he ate large quantities of sugar one day, with the consequence that he became ill, and he still feels the effect of the starvation. He lost weight until he was down to 7 stone, whereas his normal weight is 14 stone (which he has all but recovered). He says all our prisoners were little better in appearance than living skeletons.