Category Archives: St. Laurence’s Church

Sidney and William Lucas. C Lucas

Army, Arras, Commemorated name/s, Other Regiments, Royal Berkshire Regiment, St. Laurence's Church, Ypres

Sidney Lucas
Private 10471 2nd Battalion “C” Company
Royal Scots Fusiliers

 William Lucas
Corporal 201709
5th Royal Berkshire Regiment

 Division 66
Extension

Lucas S photo Lucas W Photo Lucas C photo

Sidney and William Lucas, were the twin sons of  Henry and Jessie Lucas, of 48, Swansea Road,  Reading.  They are commemorated on the kerbs of a family grave. Jessie Lucas had borne eleven children. At the time of the 1911 census Henry is recorded as a waiter, other members of the family are working in various occupations within the printing industry. Older brothers Harry and Sidney are working as general labourers and Thomas in the Music Hall. William is not living at home. He was married to Elizabeth Lucas, of 7, Selwood Place, Slough. The 1901 census also names an older brother Charlie who could be the C.Lucas pictured above.

Sidney Lucas was killed in action at Festubert on 17th May 1915.  His body was never identified and he is recorded on the La Touret memorial to the Missing, panel 12 & 13.  He was aged 23.

William Lucas was killed in action on 27th April 1917. He is buried in the  Faubourg D’Amiens Cemetery, Arras.  Location Plot V.  Row C.  Grave number 23.  He was 25.

C. Lucas Private
1st Battalion Royal Scots Fusiliers

C. Lucas is pictured with Sidney Lucas, and his address given as 103, Great Knollys Street, Reading.  It is not clear whether they were brothers.

The Standard of January 9th 1915 gave pictures and information that Sidney Lucas had been wounded in the left hand and C. Lucas had been wounded in the forehead.

Greater detail about C. Lucas was given in the same paper of January 16th 1915 under the title “Left for Dead”.  Quoting C. Lucas the report gave detail of his wounding…“ a woollen head comforter lessened the force of the blow and saved my life”.   He had fallen unconscious and was given up for dead by comrades, who carried him to a dug out and covered him with straw.  In this condition he lay for 13 hours and then a chum tried to rouse him and shouted, “Now’s your chance”.  Lucas then commenced to stagger to an ambulance wagon, which he says was 3 miles distant, and reached without mishap.  He had been wounded on November 5th during the 1st Battle of Ypres.  After treatment at Boulogne he was sent to Norwich hospital and then home on sick leave.  He had been a Reservist and was employed at the Place Theatre as a stage hand before the war.

 

Leslie Thomson

Army, Commemorated name/s, Other Regiments, Reading University College, St. Laurence's Church, Ypres

Leslie Thomson
Rifleman 1877
16th Batt. London Regt. Queen’s Westminster Rifles 

Thomson L photo Thomson L cem mem Thomson L grave

Leslie Thomson was the second son of Mr Walter and Mrs Thomson, hairdresser, of High Street, Reading and 18 Lorne St. Reading.  He was educated at Kendrick School and Christ’s Hospital (where he was in the Officers’ Training Corps), at the outbreak of the war he was employed in the Army and Navy stores.  He at once enlisted, and went with his battalion to Hemel Hemsted.  In November the battalion went to France, where they were involved in trench work.  On one occasion Leslie had a narrow escape when brining in a wounded comrade.

The Standard  Jan 16th 1915 published an extract of a letter from Walter to his father with the headline,

 “80 yards from the enemy”

Leslie Thomson was in the firing line with his regiment when they exchanged greetings with the enemy on Christmas day 1914.

“They were a rather weedy lot, although they included some fine American Germans.  Not a shot was fired all day.  In the morning we had a Communion Service under the most picturesque circumstances.

We have moved into new trenches now and are only about eighty yards from the enemy.  We are too near each other to be able to employ artillery, but of course we watch each other very closely”.

He was in action on the 18th March 1915 in the trenches near Houplines when a rifle grenade, fired by the Germans burst just behind him.  He died in hospital the following day from his wounds. He was 22 years old.

His mother also received the usual letter informing her of his death:-

Dear Madam,

I regret that it is my painful duty to have to inform you of your son’s death.  He died this morning of wounds received in action yesterday.  It is very sad, as he was such a nice boy, and well liked by all, and it is a great loss to his company, as he was so keen; also to the battalion.  It may be a little consolation to you to know where his body was placed at rest.  His funeral took place today.  The Commanding Officer and some of his comrades were present.  The Rev. H. M. Webb-Peplow performed the ceremony.  The effects found on his person will be forwarded as early as possible. 

Believe me to remain in you great loss,
Yours in deepest sympathy,
A. N. Davis, S.A.

Leslie Thomson is buried in Cite Bonjean Military Cemetery, Armentieres.  Grave location IX.C.17.  His funeral was described by Major Tyrwhitt in a letter to his parents.

“Your son was buried by the chaplain to the brigade in the hospital cemetery, and I was fortunate to be able to attended the service with a number of his comrades.  His grave will be marked by a simple wooden cross, bearing his name and that of his regiment, and a careful record of its position will be kept at our headquarters.  Your son was always a bright, and cheerful man, and such a good soldier that I shall personally much miss him, as will many of his comrades to whom he had endeared himself.”

Forty two of his comrades signed a letter to his mother, each expressing heartfelt sympathy with her in her loss, and stating:

”We shall miss him very much, as he was a good soldier, one who could be relied upon to do his duty in the face of any odds, and he was always very willing to do all he could for the comfort of his fellow men.”

He is commemorated on the family grave with the words:

“He gave his heart to God, his life for his King and Country”.

Walter Albert Burton

Army, Commemorated name/s, Royal Berkshire Regiment, Somme, St. Laurence's Church

Walter Albert Burton
Private 28427
2nd Battalion Royal Berkshire Regiment 

 Division 75
Extension

Burton WA Rcem com

From the CWGC site it is known that Walter Albert Burton is commemorated on the Thiepval Memorial to the Missing Pier and Face 11D. He was a member of the Royal Berkshire Regiment. There were no family details given.

In March 1917 the Germans began their strategic retreat to the Hindenberg Line. The long, long trail gives the dates for this as the 14 March – 5 April. The allies detected a withdrawal from the Somme in mid-February and  a cautious pursuit was begun. It is possible that Walter Burton lost his life during such an action.