Name
Leo Austin Hudson
Conflict
First World War
Date of Death / Age
30/05/1917
31
Rank, Service Number & Service Details
Private
F/2940
Duke of Cambridge’s Own (Middlesex Regiment)
16th Bn.
Awards: Service Medals/Honour Awards
British War and Victory medals
Cemetery/Memorial: Name/Reference/Country
TILLOY BRITISH CEMETERY, TILLOY-LES-MOFFLAINES
XI. A. 2.
France
Headstone Inscription
UNTIL THE DAY BREAKS
UK & Other Memorials
Watford Borough Roll of Honour, St Michael and All Angels Church Memorial, Watford, Not on the Bedmond memorials
Pre War
Son of Rebecca (nee TEMPLE) and the late Austin HUDSON.
His parents married 19 May 1883 at St Lawrence’s, Abbot’s Langley, Herts. Austin died 1900 in Watford aged 42, and was buried 14 September in Vicarage Road Cemetery, Watford. Rebecca remarried 5 September 1903 at St Mary’s, Watford, to Jesse PETTIFER. She died 1918 in Watford aged 65, and was buried 8 July, also in Vicarage Road Cemetery; Jesse died 1925 in the Watford district aged 78.
Leo was born 25 March 1887 in Bedmond, Herts, and baptised 6 November 1887 at St Lawrence’s, Abbot’s Langley. He attended first Beechen Grove Infants’ School, Watford; then Beechen Grove Board School from 15 January 1894 to 25 May 1899. He resided in Watford.
On the 1891 Census the family were living at Court Vicarage Cottages, Church Street, Watford. On the 1901 Census, an errand boy aged 14, he still lived in Cross Street, Watford, with his widowed mother and four siblings. On the 1911 Census, a machinist at paper mills aged 24, he still lived in Holywell Road, Watford, with his mother, step-father and four siblings. His mother had remarried in 1903 to Jesse Pettifer.
He was living at 1 Holywell Road with his mother, five siblings and a boarder in 1916. He worked at John Dickinson’s paper mill in Croxley. He joined the Independent Labour Party in 1907 and was a member of the Watford Labour Church for several years before joining the Socialist Party of Great Britain in 1910. In line with his Party he was politically opposed to the war and he and other members of the Watford Branch took part in a protest which was staged at the Watford Military Tribunal hearing of 22nd March 1916. At the Tribunal he stated that he was;-
“a member of the international working class, a movement whose [members] interests were identical, he had a conscientious objection to participating in war. – The capitalists used the Army and Navy to crush the workers and wanted them to join the ranks to fight the capitalist [armies] of other countries.”
He was not a pacifist for he told the Tribunal that if the workers, “got control of the country they would use them [the military] to smash the capitalist class”.
He was asked about his religion he replied that he was an Atheist. When a Tribunal member took this to mean that “You are one of them that resent all control then, eh?” he replied “Not all control, only such as you pretend to have.” The Chairman Lord Clarendon told him to ‘keep a civil tongue in his head’.
Unlike his four Party comrades who went on the run to avoid conscription Leo was taken into the army under compulsion. As your entry states he was wounded then killed in France. His body was lost at the end of the Battle of Arras and his remains were not recovered until1920. His identity disc was sent to his mother’s address in Chester Road however she herself had passed away while he was still missing.
Two accounts of his participation in the anti war demonstration, which was eventually broken up by the summoning of the police to the Watford Urban District Council Offices, are given in The Watford Observer-March 25th 1916 and The Socialist Standard No. 141 May 1916.
He enlisted in Bedford 2 May 1916 for the Duration of the War: a cutterman at paper mill aged 29, 5’7″ tall, C of E, his next-of-kin his mother of Watford. He served at Home 2 May to 14 September 1916 when he embarked from Folkestone for France. He was wounded in action 26 November 1916 but rejoined his battalion 7 January 1917.
Wartime Service
He enlisted in Bedford 2 May 1916 for the Duration of the War: a cutterman at paper mill aged 29, 5’7″ tall, C of E, his next-of-kin his mother of Watford.
He was posted to 27th (Reserve) Battalion of Duke of Cambridge’s Own (Middlesex Regiment) as Private F/2940 on 3 May 1916. Following his training Leo left for France on 15 Sep 1916 being posted to 6th Battalion. He was again posted on 1 Oct 1916 to the 16th Battalion.
Leo was wounded around Dec 1916 and returned to his unit on 8 Jan 1917.
He was wounded in action 26 November 1916 but rejoined his battalion 7 January 1917.
He was entitled to the Victory and British War medals, and was killed in action.
Additional Information
Mr L J Hudson, 94 Chester Rd, Watford, Herts. ordered his headstone inscription: "UNTIL THE DAY BREAKS". War Gratuity of £3 10s and arrears of £2 8s 2d was paid to his mother. His Brother Lewis also served and survived.
Acknowledgments
Neil Cooper
Jonty Wild, Sue Carter (Research) and Watford Museum (ROH on line via www.ourwatfordhistory.org.uk)
