Name
Simpson James Howard
Circa 1893
Conflict
First World War
Date of Death / Age
24/09/1918
25
Rank, Service Number & Service Details
Lance Corporal
34043
York and Lancaster Regiment
2nd Bn.
Awards: Service Medals/Honour Awards
British War and Victory medals
Cemetery/Memorial: Name/Reference/Country
TREFCON BRITISH CEMETERY, CAULAINCOURT
D. 54.
France
Headstone Inscription
Not Researched
UK & Other Memorials
Hitchin Town Memorial, St Mary's Church Roll of Honour, Hitchin, Not on the Hertford memorials
Pre War
Simpson was born late 1892 or early 1893 in Hertford and his parents were Robert and Mary Ann Howard (née Shadbolt). Who had married in 11 July 1892 in Bengeo, Herts. His father had been in the Bedfordshire Regiment during the Boer War.
In 1901 the family were living at Pea Hen Yard, St Andrew’s Street, Hitchin. Present were both parents: Robert (26) and Mary (25), with Robert and working as a chimney sweep. Their children were: Simpson James (8 – named after Robert’s father) and Alice (3).
In 1909 (on 11 September) the Letchworth Citizen reported on the ‘Petty sessions’; Louisa Howard was charged with assaulting Mary Ann Howard. In turn Simpson James Howard and Robert Howard were charged with assaulting Louisa Howard and Louisa Howard charged with assaulting Simpson James Howard. It reported that ‘The parties were all relatives living in the neighbourhood of Queen’s Street, Hitchin, and are of the working class.’ After a long hearing with many witnesses, Louisa was fined 12s 6d ‘including costs for the assault on Mary Ann and 10s including costs for the assault on S J Howard’. However it did not stop there as they fined S J Howard 30s including costs for the assault on Louisa. It seems only Mary Ann and Robert Howard were blameless. Mary Ann was Simpson and Roberts mother. Louisa must have been part of their extended family.
By 1911 the family had moved to 4 St Andrews Street, Hitchin, Herts. Present were both parents, Robert (senior) still working as a chimney sweep and Simpson, now 18 was working with him. The census recorded they had been married for 18 years with 6 children, of whom 3 had died. Alice was still present with a new sibling Robert (8).
They later had a half-sister Linden Howard aged 2 in September 1919, which suggests that Mary had died but that has yet to be confirmed.
He married Nellie Limber (b 3/2/1897) on 4 June 1915 and on 9 June 1916 then had a daughter, Lois Nellie. Sadly she died in 1918.
He enlisted, more likely was conscripted, around 29th February 1916. He was described as 23 years old, working as a chimney sweep, 5’ 3” tall and 123lbs and had 5 decayed teeth.
Officially Simpson was recorded as born in Hertford, Herts. and enlisting in Hitchin, Herts.
Wartime Service
After enlistment he was mobilized for duty on 7 April 1916 and posted to the 35th Royal Fusiliers as Private 34868, but he does not seem to have been happy as on 28 May 1916 he was punished for being absent from reveille at Bulmer (Yorks?) receiving 5 days Field Punishment No. 2 and the forfeit of 6 day’s pay – he had been apprehended by Hitchin police on 2 June.
He remained in England until 8 June 1916 when left for France. He was transferred to the 103rd Company, Labour Corps on 14 May 1917 as 61421 and finally posted as number 34043 to the Yorks & Lancs on 13 October 1917 in the 2nd Battalion on 16 February 1918. They were part of the 16th Brigade in the 6th Division of IX Corps in the 4th Army.
He went missing (absent without leave) from 16 February to 23 February 1918 and received 14 days Field Punishment No. 2 and lost 8 days pay. As he appears to have been on active service he was perhaps lucky that the punishment was not more severe – one wonders if this coincided with receiving news about the death of his daughter. It did not stop him being promoted to Acting Lance Corporal 9 September 1918.
At first he was Regimental Number 34868 in the Royal Fusiliers, and then, possibly quite soon after being called up was transferred as 61421 to the 103rd Company, Labour Corps He went to France in June 1916, it was reported that during his service was recommended for a Military Medal although no award was made.
His death occurred towards the end of the Battle of Epehy. The Battalion launched an attack at 5.00pm on the 24th September 1918 against the ‘Quadrilateral’, an extremely strong fortification in the Hindenburg Line near Berthaucourt in the northern part of the Somme sector. It had been the scene of numerous disastrous attacks using the same tactics over and over again. Casualties were heavy and the attack, like its predecessors, was unsuccessful. He was reported on 24 September, but it must have been missing and wounded, because enquiries were made of the British Red Cross and Order of St John on 20 November 1918, presumably in the hope of finding that he was a Prisoner Of War.
He was buried in Row D, Grave 24 in the Trefcon British Cemetery, Caulaincourt, west of St. Quentin in France.
Additional Information
After his death £25 16s 4d was authorised to go to Nellie Howard, his widow, on 21 May 1919, this included a war gratuity of £24.
His pension cards record Nellie Howard, his widow, as his dependant, living at 11 St Andrews Street, Hitchin (also his mother’s address in March 1921). She was awarded a grant of £5 on 11/12/1918) and then a pension of 13s 9d a week from 2 June 1919. Soon after she must have moved to 15 Chapman’s Yard, Queen’s Street, Hitchin, as Simpson’s personal property was sent to her, as Nellie Howard, at this address on 7 June 1919. Nellie remarried on 27 June 1919 and the pension cards were updated to Mrs Maylin, 105 Queen Street, Hitchin.
In September 1919, his death plaque and scroll were sent his widow, as Mrs N Howard at 15 Chapman’s Yard, Queen’s Street, Hitchin. However, by 23 September 1919, in other records, she was as Nellie Maylin of 103 Queen Street, Hitchin.
His mother wrote from 11 St Andrews Street, Hitchin on 3 March 1921 asking about her son’s medals.
Acknowledgments
Adrian Dunne, David C Baines, Jonty Wild
