Francis James Blake

Census Address: 19 Bentley Street
Place of Birth: Stamford
Date of Birth: 1896
Enlistment Address: 200 Hitchen Road Luton
Regiment: 1st Battalion, Bedfordshire Regiment.
Service Numbers: 13406
Place of Death: Ypres
Date Died: 1915
19 Bentley Street, Stamford

  6th December 2015

Francis James Blake

Francis James, born in January 1896 was the son of George William and Caroline Blake. In 1911 the family lived at 19 Bentley Street, previously they had lived at 8 Elm Street. There were eleven children in the family and Francis was the second of the five boys in the family. His father was listed as a self-employed chandler and in 1911 Francis, aged 15, was a chandler’s apprentice.

By 1916 they had moved to Luton and lived at 200 Hitchin Road . Francis enlisted in 1915 with the 1st Battalion of the Bedfordshire Regiment. He was killed in France on the 19th April 1915 during the Battle for Hill 60 near Ypres in Belgium.

Bedfordshire Regiment diary

19 April 1915. Front line occupied in early morning by Bedfords and 1st Surrey Regiment.  Work carried out under difficulties to consolidate position on Hill 60. Considerable shelling and bombing by the enemy,

Amendments and Addenda

Eva was one of this large family and sister to Francis (and George Arthur). She married but when her marriage failed in 1936, she moved back, with her son, to live in Luton at 200 Hitchin Road with her parents. Her parents never really got over the loss of their son Francis, who was killed in the same month that he joined the army. Eva continued to live at 200 Hitchin Road until her death aged 84.
From a family member - both a niece and a nephew of these two boys have been in contact.