Bedfordshire Regiment and Hertfordshire Regiment memorial to the missing photos available via this link

[steve fuller]

Images of Memorial panels are available to download here.

Work in progress at the time of posting, will finish the remaining few off when time permits.

[temptage]

Steve, I had to have  a look to see if you had anything on Private Samuel Needham, and I'm happy that there is. Attached is a small cutting from the Grimsby News  about Sam, and my photograph of his name on his parents headstone in Grimsby Scartho Road Cemetery, which you can add to your website if you wish.

 

[steve fuller]

16 hours ago, temptage said:

Steve, I had to have  a look to see if you had anything on Private Samuel Needham, and I'm happy that there is. Attached is a small cutting from the Grimsby News  about Sam, and my photograph of his name on his parents headstone in Grimsby Scartho Road Cemetery, which you can add to your website if you wish.

Thanks very much for that temptage, I've expanded Sam's bio and built the gravestone in as I didn't have that. If you have an interest, Please cast your eye across his bio and let me know if I have made any errors please?  

I recognise the photo, which has been used in many VC books with reference to him in it.

Looks like his military life was as unknown back then as it is now! He's been a so-and-so to unpick over the years but it is padding out slowly but surely. A VC winner dies of an accidental gunshot wound in barracks after the armistice and not a word is said, very annoying! I imagine someone would have written to his surviving sister about it at the time, but she chose to keep it private which is fair enough all joking aside.

Edited 29 November , 2022 by steve fuller

[temptage]

Have you seen his Wikipedia entry?

 

Someone called Mick Brand has added that he was killed by "a self inflicted wound" (allegedly on his death certificate)

 

Thats the first I've heard of that. Everything I have read about Samuel points to an accident. I'll go in the local Library and have a root through the original newspapers to see if there is more about him. I'm sure I've read a lot more about him, and I will report back.

[ss002d6252]

27 minutes ago, temptage said:

Have you seen his Wikipedia entry?

 

Someone called Mick Brand has added that he was killed by "a self inflicted wound" (allegedly on his death certificate)

 

Thats the first I've heard of that. Everything I have read about Samuel points to an accident. I'll go in the local Library and have a root through the original newspapers to see if there is more about him. I'm sure I've read a lot more about him, and I will report back.

The report received at the War Office had it as self-inflicted.

https://www.ancestry.co.uk/discoveryui-content/view/410413:60506?_phsrc=QDv97&_phstart=successSource&gsfn=samuel&gsln=needham&ml_rpos=2&queryId=05fd06643278546fcb53c707d1e0da82

Craig

[temptage]

Wow, thanks for that.

Here is the record in its entirety, and also a full list of his surviving sisters. Another one is named on the family headstone above Samuel. (Details for his bio on your website)

[steve fuller]

Thanks very much both of you - obvious with hindsight to look at the effects register. I searched ancestry / TNA almost 20 years ago before it was included on ancestry, always worth revisiting sources from time to time.

I seem to recall Mick's name from years ago so will see if I still have his contact details and whether he has the certificate.

[temptage]

I just found these pics on my laptop that I photographed back in 2015.

Those last 2 lines are so sad.

Edited 30 November , 2022 by temptage

[steve fuller]

18 minutes ago, temptage said:

I just found these pics on my laptop that I photographed back in 2015.

Those last 2 lines are so sad.

Aren't they? Don't imagine we will ever know what was going on for him to have done that; after he had made it through the entire war, came out the other end with the highest award his country could provide with a possibility of a decent life ahead of him but he did that before getting to the good bit. Just such a shame.

Again, thanks for the info, which I will fold into his bio - Grimsby News again or a different newspaper? I can reference you are the provider of the info using your forum ID or name if you prefer?

Edited 30 November , 2022 by steve fuller

[steve fuller]

1 hour ago, steve fuller said:

I seem to recall Mick's name from years ago so will see if I still have his contact details and whether he has the certificate.

Unfortunately Mick's email has bounced. It was almost 2 decades ago so was a long shot! Worth a try ... 

[temptage]

This was all I could find on Samuel in the local newspapers. One paper never even run the story!

[temptage]

On 30/11/2022 at 11:10, steve fuller said:

Aren't they? Don't imagine we will ever know what was going on for him to have done that; after he had made it through the entire war, came out the other end with the highest award his country could provide with a possibility of a decent life ahead of him but he did that before getting to the good bit. Just such a shame.

Again, thanks for the info, which I will fold into his bio - Grimsby News again or a different newspaper? I can reference you are the provider of the info using your forum ID or name if you prefer?

That one was photographed from the Grimsby Telegraph, as was the one above here. Ive got a few more bits for you that I have got from the local Archives.........AND I have his first Service records for when he signed up in 1903 aged 18!!!! It has some previously unknown details on him on it. DM me your email address and I'll send them on to you.

 

Edited 1 December , 2022 by temptage

[steve fuller]

20 hours ago, temptage said:

That one was photographed from the Grimsby Telegraph, as was the one above here. Ive got a few more bits for you that I have got from the local Archives.........AND I have his first Service records for when he signed up in 1903 aged 18!!!! It has some previously unknown details on him on it. DM me your email address and I'll send them on to you.

 

Thanks for the extras temptage and I'll drop you my email