Private
2645, later 32130 Joseph Hack
Joe
was born into a large family in January 1893, to James and
Julia Hack of Heath and Reach, Leighton Buzzard, Bedfordshire.
He was the younger brother of my own great grandmother,
Ellen Elizabeth Hack. On the 21st March 1910, the 17 year
old Sand Pit Worker enlisted into the 5th Territorial Battalion
of the Bedfords as Private 2645, and went to their Summer
camps in Ipswich (July 1910), Brentford (July 1911), Worthing
(July 1912) and Shorncliffe (July 1913).
Having
already agreed to serve oversees after the Brentford Camp
in 1911, Joe was embodied with the 5th Bedfords when war
broke out in August 1914 and saw the influx of new recruits
– including his brother in law Herbert
Charles Kendall – that Autumn swell
the ranks to almost 1,000 soldiers. After serving on the
Anglian coast on Home Defence duties whilst training continued,
Joe sailed with the Battalion to Gallipoli in July 1915.
They
landed on the peninsula August 11th and saw their first
battle on the 15th (see here for
a full story) but Joe was one of the 300 casualties. Once
he had recovered enough to be shipped home, he was transferred
to Norwich hospital in November 1915 to continue his convalescence.
By July of 1916 he was well enough to be posted to the 3rd/5th
Battalion where his retraining started. That month he also
married Edith Petts who he met at Norwich and a year and
2 days later their first child was born – Joseph Henry
Hack.
By
November 1916 he was passed as fit enough to serve abroad
again and posted to the 6th Battalion, arriving in France
as Private 32130 on the 28th November 1916. Following final
training around Etaples, he arrived with his new comrades
in the front line on 11th December and held the line and
trained for the forthcoming offensives around Arras in 1917.
The
Battalion were involved in the Arras offensives around Monchy-Le-Preux
on the 10th April 1917 and again when they attacked Greenland
Hill in the snow on the 28th. Joe was one of
the massive casualty list inflicted on the Battalion at
Greenland Hill, where only 58 men came out of the attack.
Joe
suffered dreadful injuries during the battle including a
Gunshot wound to his face, severe injuries to his right
hand (losing his third finger) and the surgeons had to amputate
the left leg below his knee. Despite the agony, he survived
and returned home on the 13th May to convalesce. By 15th
May 1918, it was obvious that Joe would never serve in the
army in any capacity again, so he was discharged, having
served in the regiment for 8 years. He returned to Heath
and Reach near Leighton Buzzard where he carried on with
life. After the war Joe and his brother ran Rammamere Farm
near Heath and did various jobs including returning to the
Sand Pit just outside the village. In 1926 he moved with
his family to the cottages at Fox End, Heath, where he stayed
until his death.
Joe's
grandaughter Andrea tells me he put surviving his dreadful
injuries down to being a tea totaller and never smoking
during his life.
For
his service to King and Country, Joe was awarded the 1915
Star, Victory and British War medals and a Silver War Badge.
Sadly I have no picture to complete this short resume but
would welcome one if it should be available!
This
is Private 15034, later 201411 Harry Varnam, M.M in portrrait
photos and relaxing with pals in Palestine. He won his Military
Medal during the 3rd Battle at Gaza in November 1917, details
of which can be seen 
This
is Private 12231, later 200052 Edgar Else from Hitchin who won
his Military Medal in October 1918, a full story of which can
be seen 
These
are the Payne brothers from Luton. Sergeant 3457 Nathan Payne
(left) and Corporal 2289 Albert Payne (right) were both killed
on the Gallipoli peninsular, on the
This
is Frederick Harold Goodship was born in 1889 in White Hill,
Bedfordshire and married Dorothy King of 169 Hightown Road in
Luton on the 8th May 1914 at St. Matthews Parish Church in Luton.
At that time Frederick lived at 77 Magpie Road in Norwich. In
September 1914 Frederick and his brother Horace enlisted at
the Luton Corn Exchange, both being recorded as Ramridge End
boys. They were posted into A Company of the 1st/5th battalion
and trained until going to Gallipoli in August 1915. Although
they both came through the first battle on the 15th August 1915,
during which A Company were decimated, Private 3840 Horace Goodship
was killed the following day and is remembered on the Helles
Memorial to the missing. Frederick seems to have been either
wounded or ill and returned to England to recover, after which
he was posted to the 12th battalion of the Royal Irish Rifles
and was killed at Kemnel Ridge on the 15th April 1918. He has
no known grave either and is remembered on the Tyne Cot Memorial
to the missing. 
