58515: Letter from Pt Matthew Coulson to relative

Letter to relatives from Matthew in training camp before going to France to fight with 7th Northants Regt. Piognant as he was killed the next year in November 1915 leaving a wife and 3 children. He came from Polbrook in Northamptonshire where he was one of 12 children.

Editor's Comment
Pte. 17229 Matthew Couslon, 7th Bn. Northamptonshire Regiment, is commemorated on the Loos Memorial. Interestingly, the Commonwealth War Graves Commission records him as having been killed in action on 27th September 1915. The 24th Division, of which the 7th Northamptonshires were part, was heavily engaged on the 26th September, the second day of the Battle of Loos, suffering more than 3,900 casulaties. The unit had only concentrated in France on 4th September. The tradition of his date of death being sometime in November 1915 may be traced to a commemorative 'Service Record' label on the back of a photograph frame. This was perhaps the month in which the family were notified of his death.