Rushden Soldier Killed - The Steelbacks’ Famous Bayonet Charge - Private Edmund King Meets With His Death In France
The fateful message has again reached Rushden. The town has given up one more of its sons in the great war. Particularly sad in the death of Private Edmund King, of Rushden, who has served eleven years (eight in the colours) with the 1st Northants. No news from him had reached his wife since the end of August, until the War Office sent a telegram on Saturday. This stated that Private King had been killed on Sept. 17 in France.
Private King was in India for six years as garrison police and signaller. He used to enter into all the sports and games arranged by the regiment.
Some weeks ago a soldier, writing from the front to his friends at Clapham, said he saw Private King, who was all right then, but if the deceased wrote any letters after August they were never delivered. He went to the front with the first draft as he was a reservist nearly at the end of his time.
A photo of Private King appears in this issue. It is believed that the famous bayonet charge of the “Steelbacks” on Sept. 17 was the occasion on which Private King fell. He formerly worked at Messrs. Duncan and Davidson’s factory, Rushden.
