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FROM THE CONTEMPORARY LOCAL NEWSPAPERS OF NORTH BUCKS (BUCKS STANDARD, NORTH BUCKS TIMES, WOLVERTON EXPRESS)
With today’s internet a wealth of official information is available regarding those who served.
In an age before local radio and television, families often allowed letters to be published in the local press from their loved ones on active service.
However, for their descendants the letters reveal a more personal aspect, graphically describing the experience of the people and providing an insight into their personalities.

W.E. 1915 Apr. 16th

Private William Earl, King’s Own Yorkshire Light Infantry, is the son of Mr. and Mrs. Owen Earl, of Yardley Gobion, and has been invalided home with frostbitten feet. Before the outbreak of war his time had almost been up, having seen service for two years in South Africa, two years in Hong Kong and Singapore, one year and nine months. Whilst in France he took part in the fighting at Ypres and Armentieres, and on one occasion was ‘hung up’ in the barbed wire entanglements for two and a half hours, before his comrades were able to cut him free.


W.E. 1918 Apr. 26th

Mr. Arthur Smith, of Stone Bank, Yardley Gobion, has been informed that his eldest son, Second Lieutenant, Arthur Smith, Machine Gun Corps, was killed in action in charge of two gun teams on March 27th. He was aged 33, and, having been educated at the County School, was formerly of the County Fire Office. He leaves a widow, Marion, and is buried in Bouchoir New British Cemetery, Somme, France.


W.E. 1919 May 16th

Miss Edith Weston, of Highcroft, Yardley Gobion, was the youngest sister of Mr. H. Weston, J.P., and at the outbreak of war took up V.A.D. and other war work. However, because of this after two years her health began to seriously decline and she would spend several months in a nursing home. She then returned to her home around April 1919, but one Thursday morning in May 1919 a servant noticed that her bed was empty, and after a search in which the police were involved a labourer discovered her body in the canal at Cosgrove. The corpse was brought to Highcroft, where an inquest was held the same day. Miss Weston was aged 45, and a verdict was recorded of suicide by drowning, whilst temporarily insane.


ALSO AVAILABLE IN BOOK FORM AS ‘LETTERS FROM THE FIRST WORLD WAR’ FROM WWW. LULU.COM,
PRODUCED WITH THE INVALUABLE EXPERTISE OF ALAN KAY & ZENA DAN.