Three Derby Lads – Lost to the War

At this time of remembrance let’s cast our thoughts back to the fate of three Derby lads who gave their lives in the first few months of Great War, dying in Service to King and Country in 1914.

It is highly likely they had joined up on the same day in 1910, travelling to Leicester from their homes in Derby to become members of the 2nd Battalion, The Leicestershire Regiment.  We know it was the same day as they have consecutive service numbers and came from the same Parish, Holy Trinity.

Private 9280 George Hardy was born in 1892, the son of Frank (a general labourer) and Jane Hardy and had lived in Whiteman’s Yard, off Carrington Street. He had an older sister, Fanny, two younger brothers, Arthur and Thomas and a younger sister, Edith. 

The second of the trio to go off together was Private 9281 William Piggott. He was born on 10th June 1893, the oldest son of William (a labourer in the lace factory) and Florence. His younger brothers and sisters were Mabel, George, Alfred and Frances. At the time of his death in 1914 the family had moved to 64 Stockbrook Road, but he had grown up in Leaper Street and Brook Street. Before joining up he was employed at the Derwent Foundry.

Private 9282 Arthur Elks made up the sequentially numbered trio. He was born in 1890, the son of Paul & Mary Ann. Paul also worked in the lace factory, as a twist-hand, and Arthur grew up not far from the other two, in Litchurch Street. He had an older brother William, and two younger sisters, Florence and Ethel.

After their initial training the three friends were sent out to join their Battalion in India and In August 1914, on the outbreak of War, the 2nd Battalion was in Ranikhet, part of Gharwal Brigade, Meerut Division, of the Indian Army. Like several other battalions, fears of a rising among the native Indian population meant that it was not at once dispatched to France.

However, mounting casualties among the British Expeditionary Force in France, and the growing realisation that this was to be a long war, prompted the Indian Government in September 1914 to offer an Indian Corps for service in France. The offer was accepted, and on the12th October 1914 the Division, including the 2nd Leicesters, moved to France and by the close of the First Battle of Ypres, the Corps was in the trenches.

By this time, however, Arthur Elks was dead. Left behind when his Regiment moved out, presumably ill or stricken by disease, he died on 16th October 1914, aged 24, and was buried Karachi Cemetery (Grave A/D. M. 18.) He is commemorated on Face 1, Delhi Memorial (India Gate).

William Piggott also did not travel back with his Regiment. After twelve months in India he was home on leave when the War was declared and travelled to France in early November to rejoin his Regiment at the front and by the middle of the month was entrenched, with his friend George Hardy, near a small village called Calonne, north of Bethune, close to the France-Belgium border, and engaged in was later to be called the First Battle of Ypres.

At 10.00 p.m. on the night of 15th November the Battalion was about 50 yards from the enemy and the War Diary states they, “heard movement & talking going on”. An Officer took out a raiding party and George Hardy was the only casualty, killed in action. He now lies in Grave I. D. 5, Le Touret Military Cemetery, Richebourg-L'Avoue.

Just five days later William Piggott was also killed in action and subsequently was buried near his friend in Grave I. F. 6 in the same Cemetery. Lieutenant-Colonel C G Blackader (honestly!) reported in the War Diary a shell dropping into the trenches around midnight – again there was only one fatal casualty and the last of the friends had gone.

A hundred years have passed, almost to the day, but as we all bought our poppies last week thoughts must have moved to such times and events. Can we imagine the excitement of these three from not-the-best parts of town and backgrounds, setting off for their adventure? Would they have gone if they had known what was to come? I like to think they would – after all they were ‘Derby lads’.

Graham Conway