Gunner, 154033, 11th Siege Battery, Royal Garrison Artillery. Died of wounds Sunday 24th March 1918 in France & Flanders. Age 31. Born Bletsoe, enlisted Bedford. Son of Amos Brown, of Bedford; husband of Emma Brown, of 25, Derby St., Bedford. Buried in Roye New British Cemetery, Somme, France. Plot IV. Row B. Grave 12.

Extract from The Bedfordshire Times and Independent Friday 19 April 1918

Captain, 124th Battery, 28th Brigade, Royal Field Artillery. Killed in action Wednesday 26th August 1914. Age 36. Son of Capt. Hugh E. Browning, late of Clapham Park, Bedfordshire. Served in the South African Campaign. Buried in Le Cateau Military Cemetery, Nord, France. Plot III. Row B. Grave 5. See also Lord's Cricket Ground Members World War 1.

From UK, Army Registers of Soldiers’ Effects 1901 – 1929 for William Thomas: [Alias Gilbert Arthur Thomas]. 14471 Corporal 2nd Grenadier Guards, lived Clapham, died 24-12-1914. AT Gilbert married Mabel Mary and they had a daughter Florence Margaret Olive, they lived in Northampton.

From CWGC W Thomas is shown as Lance Corporal. (Shown as sergeant on the war memorial in Clapham Parish Church). In the history of the Grenadier Guards 2nd Battalion, it states GH Thomas died on 24-12-1914, I believe this to be wrong as he was discharged from the army in 1919. Both GH Thomas and William Thomas received DCM’s, so it must have been William Thomas who should have been noted in the history.

AT Gilberts sister Emily married David Brown in 1912, they lived in Clapham and contributed towards the memorial in Clapham Parish Church. Arthur and Emily’s mother and father Clara and William Thomas were buried in the Clapham Parish Church graveyard, where there is still a headstone. (Photo attached). Sergt Arthur Thomas Gilbert DCM has been added at the bottom.

Research and photograph copyright © Jeff Henson 2022

Photograph Courtesy and Copyright © 2002 Rebekka Johnys Ellis SINGLE is on the left, Sidney SINGLE sat down and Edwin SINGLE on the right (he is the brother that sadly died in 1917).

Sergeant, 37111, 126th Siege Battery, Royal Garrison Artillery. Died of wounds Sunday 22nd April 1917. Age 26. Born Sandy, enlisted Bedford, resident Clapham. Son of Caroline Kemp (formerly Single), of Rose Cottages, Clapham, Bedford, and the late George Single. Buried in Aubigny Communal Cemetery Extension, Pas de Calais, France. Plot II. Row B. Grave 47.

Extract from Bedfordshire Times and Independent - Friday 1 March 1918, page 8:

CLAPHAM

Mrs. Kemp has just received notice from the War Office that the D.C.M. has been awarded to her third son, Sergt. Single, R.G.A, who was killed in France last April.

Sergeant (Air Gunner), Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve. Died 3rd June 1944. Aged 29. Rear Gunner he was aboard a Handley Page Halifax III, LK841, which left RAF Lissett, at 22.34 on 2nd June 1944, the aircraft was one of 128 aircraft which were on a mission to bomb railway yards at Trappes, France, just south west of Paris. There were 16 loses among the 128 aircraft including LK841 which crashed at St Colombe-la-Commanderie, France, it is believed that Sydney, was killed in combat with enemy aircraft, six other crew members survived the crash, having bailed out, two were taken prisoner while four evaded capture and eventually returned home. He was born at Biggleswade, the son of Minnie May Fox, and lived in the Stratford area of Sandy. Sydney worked as a printer, for some time with Messrs. Mead and Son of Sandy and later for the Bedford Evening News. He was a bellringer at St Swithun Sandy and at that church, on 19th March 1938, he married Elsie Winifred Goodwin. After their marriage they resided at 53 Highbury Grove, Clapham, Bedfordshire. He is buried in Evreux Communal Cemetery, France. Row B. Coll. grave 24-26.

On 7th December 1935 Sydney was involved in a very alarming bellringing accident, while ringing the treble in the ground floor ringing room at Old Warden, Bedfordshire, the tenor clapper came out of the bell and fell through two open trapdoors, crashed through two ladders, before crashing on to a third trapdoor and smashing its way to the bottom of the tower, while all the other ringers managed to get out of the way the clapper struck Sydney on the side of the head from which he sustained a "nasty wound", after medical treatment he was taken home. At some point after Sydney’s death a poem, Requiem for a Rear Gunner, was written by Sergeant Ralph Wilson Gilbert, the Mid-Upper Gunner on Halifax III, LK841, the poem was dedicated by Ralph to his old oppo, Sid Fox, “and all those thousands of fresh faced youngsters who got the CHOP whilst on OPS, over the dark and hostile night skies of occupied Europe during the period from 1939 to 1945, We have not forgotten you”. The poem was published in 158 Squadron (RAF Bomber Command) Association Newsletter #5. He is also remembered in the Church Bellringers Memorial Book 1939 – 1945 at St Paul’s Cathedral, London.

Biographical details kindly supplied by Alan Regin

Private 5950196, 5th Battalion, Bedfordshire and hertfordshire Regiment. Died 21st September 1944. Aged 25. Son of Joseph George and Gladys Mary Prior, of Clapham, Bedfordshire. No known grave. Commemorated on Singapore Memorial, Kranji War Cemetery, Singapore. Column 64.

Private 986614, 1st Battalion, The Parachute Regiment, Army Air Corps (A.A.C.). Died 18 September 1944. Aged 30. Son of Sidney and Lucy Summers; husband of F. A. Summers, of Higham Ferrers, Northamptonshire. No known grave. Commemorated on Groesbeek Memorial, Gelderland, Netherlands. Panel 9.

Extract from Bedfordshire Times and Independent - Friday 29 June 1945, page 3:

CLAPHAM

Much sympathy is felt for Mrs. F. A. Summers, of 6 Oakley Road, who has just received news that her husband, Pte. Harry Edward Summers, of the 1st Parachute Regiment, died of wounds whilst fighting in Europe.

Extract from England & Wales Government Probate Death Index 1945:

SUMMERS Harry Edward of 152 Winstanley-road Wellingborough Northamptonshire died on or after 18 September 1944 on war service Probate Peterborough 9 October to Evelyn Lucy White (wife of William Eric White).
Effects £290 14s. 3d.

Private, 5947588, 5th Battalion, Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire Regiment who died on Friday 8th June 1945. Age 30. Son of John and Sarah Wright, husband of May Sophia Wright, of Clapham. Prisoner of war. Buried in Kanchanaburi War Cemetery, Thailand. Plot 6. Row E. Grave 17.