April 2017

Private 14903 Horace WEEDON

2nd bttn Grenadier Guards

Birmingham City Police ‘B’ Division

Died France 14th September 1914 aged 22

British Army WWI Medal Rolls Index Cards, 1914-1920

Police Service History

Horace enlisted in the army in London and was a Private in the Grenadier Guards, and when he completed his service he joined Birmingham City Police on 19th November 1913, a 21 year old gas fitter. Horace served on the ‘B’ Division at Ladywood Police Station his warrant number was 8407 and was recalled to service on 4th August 1914 at Blenheim Barracks, Aldershot.

A newspaper article confirms Horace served with Birmingham City Police but also the sad loss of his brothers

The Luton News newspaper October 15th and November 19th 1914

A Luton family was mourning the death of a second son killed in France within the first three months of the outbreak of war, and a third son who had died at home.

Mr and Mrs John WEEDON of 53 Wimbourne Road had learned in October that their son Pte 14903 Horace WEEDON aged 22 serving with No 1 Company of the 2nd Grenadier Guards had been killed in action in France on September 14th.

In November news was received from the War Office intimating that a second son, Private Jack WEEDON aged 21, serving with the 1st Battalion Bedfordshire regiment had died at 8.30am on October 27th following a gunshot wound to the head sustained whilst in action

Schoolboy son, Frank Weedon, aged 12 died from diphtheria on October 12th.

Private Horace Weedon was a native of Luton who attended Chapel Street School until he was about 12 and then Waller Street School. For a time he was employed by Mr Treasure of the furniture store at 43 Cheapside, and then went to the Diamond Foundry. He left there and joined the Army for three years. He was in the Grenadier Guards and on coming out on reserve in November 1913, joined the Birmingham City Police force. When war broke out he was called up and went straight to the front. The last time his parents saw him was at Whitsun.

Private Jack Weedon had joined the 1st Beds Regt more than three years previously and went to the front with the first contingent of the of the British Expeditionary force. As far as was known he was in the firing line right from the beginning. Like his brother he was a native of Luton and attended Chapel Street School and Walter Street School. Between

school and enlistment he was employed by Messrs Rogers and Ashby, bleachers and dyers in Dunstable Road.

George was serving in the Royal Navy aboard HMS Powerful at the time of Horace and Jack’s deaths.

The Bedfordshire advertiser dated May 28th 1915 commemorates the deaths of John and Horace WEEDON

The Bedfordshire Advertiser and Luton Times of Friday October 16th 1914 reports the death of Horace

War service History

He was immediately drafted to France aboard the SS Cawdor Castle, and arrived at Le Havre 9 days later, on 13th August 1914, and was involved in the same action as Private 14909 Walter Coates, also 2nd bttn Grenadier Guards, a fellow constable in Birmingham City Police. Horace died on the 14th September and Walter two days later, on the 16th. Their army service numbers were only 6 numbers apart, 14903 and 14909.

On 14th September, Horace and Walter’s battalion crossed the Aisne at Pont Arcy and advanced under shellfire to La Cour de Soupir Farm which they reached at 1030am. The Germans immediately attacked the battalion’s positions but were repulsed. Heavy fighting continued throughout the remainder of the day with the battalion successfully defending the positions but at a cost of 500 men killed, missing or wounded.

The following day the battalion dug defensive trenches and held the positions although continually attacked and shelled by the Germans until relieved to Soupir on 17th September 1914.

Horace and Walter have no known graves and are commemorated on the La Ferte-sous-Jouarre Memorial, Seine-et-Marne.

Commemorated La Ferte-sous-Jouarre Memorial, Seine-et-Marne

Visited and remembered 24th April 2014

Along with Walter COATES killed at the same time

All photographs by Su Handford 23rd April 2014

COATES W G and WEEDON H

Antecedents of Horace Weedonancestrys.com

Born St Pauls Luton Bedfordshire circa 1892 Parents Mr Jethro (John) and Mrs Sarah Ann Weedon (Nee Whitmore) 53,

Wimbourne Road, Luton The 1901 census shows John Weedon a general labourer, and his wife Sarah Ann a

straw hat sewer, living at 15 Foundry Lane, Luton which was later renamed South Street, Luton. Horace’s father was a general labourer. Horace had four sisters: Florence (1886), Henrietta (1887), who were both straw hat finishers, Kate (1889), and Daisy (1891), and six brothers: Jack (1894), George (1896), Fred (1901), Frank (1903) who died aged 12 of diphtheria, Albert (1904) and Sidney (1907)

In 1911, the census shows Horace and Jack had enlisted. Horace was a soldier with 2nd Battalion Grenadier Gds, stationed at Blenheim Barracks, Aldershot. Jack was serving with the 1st Battalion Bedfordshire Regiment when he died at 8.30am on October 27th following a gunshot wound to the head sustained whilst in action. The family had moved to Wimbourne Road. In addition to the children listed previously there was a grandson Ronald aged 2