Studham Men in the Great War

The War Memorial January 2010

Bedfordshire and Luton Archives and Records Service has a Roll of Honour for the First World War [WW1/RH1]. This was compiled for Bedfordshire County Council by someone locally, often the parson in each parish. Studham's return contains fifteen men killed in action and the names of sixty two others who served. The roll was supplied by the Vicar, H. T. Scudamore.

Given that the population of Studham in 1911 was just 320 and in 1921 it was 314 that means that about a quarter of the population served in the armed forces between 1914 and 1918. Even given that men were conscripted for service from mid 1916 onwards this seems a suspiciously high figure. What may have happened is that men were included if they had been born in Studham, or if a relative lived there rather than if they actually lived there themselves. Those killed were:

1. Private Ralph Austin, 15th  Battalion, Sherwood Foresters [died 14th June 1918 aged 24; buried at Bagneux British Cemetery Gezaincourt; his parents lived at 12 Brownlow Terrace];
2. Sergeant Harry Edmonds, 4th Battalion, King's Royal Rifle Corps [died 28th May 1915; buried in Wimereux Communal Cemetery; his mother lived in Studham];
3. Lance Corporal George Gladman, 7th Battalion, York & Lancaster Regiment [died 23rd March 1918, buried in Dernancourt Communal Cemetery Extension];
4. Private Frank Albert Groom, 6th Battalion, Northamptonshire Regiment [died 20th October 1917, aged 29. buried in Dozinghem Military Cemetery, he lived in Gaddesden Row [Hertfordshire], but was a native of Studham];
5. Private Albert Hart, 6th Battalion Bedfordshire Regiment [died 24th July 1917, buried at Cabin Hill Cemetery, Heuvelland];
6. Private Bertram Hull of the 1st/9th Battalion, London Regiment (Queen Victoria's Rifles) [died 9th October 1916, commemorated on the Thiepval Memorial, his parents lived in Studham];
7. Stoker Charles Leonard Hull of HMS Indefatigable [died 31st may 1916 when his ship was sunk at the Battle of Jutland, aged 26, his parents lived in Studham];
8. Private George Hull of the 1st/5th Battalion, Bedfordshire Regiment [the only possible candidate actually served with 6th Battalion and died on 12th April 1917 and is commemorated on the Arras Memorial];
9. Company Sergeant Major Alfred Saunders, 2nd Battalion King's Royal Rifle Corps [died 24th November 1915, aged 33, buried at Nouex-les-Mines Communal cemetery, he lived in Burton-on-Trent];
10. Private William Henry Saunders, Rev. Scudamore has written "Sussex" as his Regiment [he actually served with 1st/8th Royal Warwickshire Regiment and died on 7th October 1917 and is commemorated on the Tyne Cot Memorial. The confusion probably stems from the fact that he had previously served with the Suffolk Regiment, he was a native of Studham];
11. Rifleman Laurence Toke Scudamore, 3rd Battalion, New Zealand Rifle Brigade [died 15th September 1916, aged 26, commemorated on the Caterpillar Valley (New Zealand) Memorial, he was the son of Rev. H. T.Scudamore, who made the submission and lived at Studham Vicarage];
12. Gunner Victor Leonard Smith, D Battery, 92nd Brigade, Royal Field Artillery [died 18th August 1917, aged 26, buried at Dozinghem Military Cemetery, Poperinge, he lived in Dunstable, his parents in Studham];
13. Captain Clarence James Thody of the 1st/8th Battalion, Manchester Regiment [died 30th August 1918, aged 33, buried at Manchester Cemetery, Riencourt-les-Bapaume];
14. Private Archibald Thorne, 7th Battalion, Bedfordshire Regiment [died 28th April 1916, aged 24, buried in Corbie Communal Cemetery, his parents lived in Studham];
15. Private William Thorne of the 11th Battalion, Essex Regiment [died 13th April 1917, buried at Philosophe British Cemetery, Mazingarbe, his father lived in Studham].

Those who served were:

1. Gunner Arthur Allen, Royal Garrison Artillery;
2. Driver Frederick Allen, Royal Field Artillery;
3. Walter Allen;
4. Private Arthur Austin, Labour Corps;
5. Private Bertram Austin;
6. Mechanic Harry Austin, Royal Air Force;
7. Private Leonard Austin, Bedfordshire Regiment;
8. Sergeant Major Walter Austin, Duke of Cornwall's Light Infantry;
9. Private Sidney Arthur Bailey, Royal Field Artillery;
10. Sergeant Albert James Bingham, Canadian Infantry;
11. Stoker, 1st Class Horace Bingham, Royal Navy;
12. Driver Charles Bishop, Australian Emergency Force;
13. Private Albert Victor Blake, 3rd Battalion, Bedfordshire Regiment;
14. Private Thomas Blake, Hampshire Regiment;
15. Sergeant Alfred David Braybrooke, Army Service Corps;
16. Driver Arthur Harold Corkett, Royal Field Artillery;
17. Private Rowland Hayward Day, Bedfordshire Regiment;
18. Private Thomas Akery Callow Day, Coldstream Guards;
19. Sergeant Sidney Walter Draper, 6th Battalion Wiltshire Regiment;
20. Ernest Dudley senior, Canadian Contingent;
21. Ernest Dudley junior, Canadian Contingent;
22. Private George Edmonds, Bedfordshire Regiment;
23. Gunner Thomas Edmonds, Royal Garrison Artillery;
24. Private James Fenn, Loyal North Lancashire Regiment;
25. Private Walter Foskett, 4th Battalion, Bedfordshire Regiment;
26. Driver Arthur Gladman, Army Service Corps;
27. Private Frank Gladman, Hampshire Regiment;
28. Private William Frederick Gladman, Bedfordshire Regiment;
29. Private Albert Green, 10th battalion, East Kent Regiment;
30. Sapper Theodore Groom, Royal Engineers;
31. Gunner Victor Groom, J Battery, Royal Horse Artillery;
32. George Harris, Cycle Corps;
33. Gunner Frederick Charles Hart, Royal Field Artillery;
34. Corporal Stephen Hart, Hertfordshire Yeomanry;
35. Private Fred Hawkins, King's Shropshire Light Infantry;
36. Private Ernest John Hingley, South African Contingent;
37. Private Dennis Hoar, [North or South] Staffordshire Regiment;
38. Jesse Holding, Bedfordshire Regiment;
39. Sergeant Major David Hartree Jones, Canadian Scotch;
40. Corporal Alfred Victor Lines, Royal Horse Artillery;
41. Private Archie Lines, 5th Battalion, Bedfordshire Regiment;
42. Private Frederick Lines, 1st Battalion, Bedfordshire Regiment;
43. Corporal F. H. Mason, Duke of Cornwall's Light Infantry;
44. Private Archibald Miller, Royal Engineers;
45. Gunner James Potton, Royal Garrison Artillery;
46. Private Archibald Rance, 2nd Battalion, Bedfordshire Regiment;
47. Private Ray Rance, 3rd Battalion, Bedfordshire Regiment;
48. Sergeant Richard Leonard Rance, Bedfordshire Regiment;
49. Private Thomas Rance, Essex Regiment;
50. Private William James Rance, Bedfordshire Regiment;
51. Private James Ernest Read, 13th Battalion, Essex Regiment;
52. Sergeant Charles Howard Reynolds DCM, MM, 2nd Battalion Bedfordshire Regiment;
53. Private Frank Willis Reynolds, 3rd/5th Battalion, Bedfordshire Regiment;
54. Private Edward Saunders, Bedfordshire Regiment;
55. Gunner Leslie Frederick Smith, Royal Field Artillery;
56. Private George Tarsley, Bedfordshire Regiment;
57. Gunner Horace Tearle, Royal Field Artillery;
58. Private Henry Thody, Bedfordshire Regiment;
59. Gunner Arthur Thorne, Royal Field Artillery;
60. Frederick Thorne;
61. Private Henry Thorpe, Norfolk Regiment and Motor Transport;
62. Private Frank Waters, Bedfordshire Regiment.