Herbert William Street

Herbert William Street was born in Arlesey in 1892, the son of Thomas and Hannah Street. The family lived in Straw Street, Arlesey and consisted of Thomas (a GNR shunter), Hannah, Stanley (born 1890), Herbert, Thomas (born 1894), William (born 1897), Emily (Born 1900), Albert (born 1903), George (born 1905) and Ralph (born 1909). By 1911 Stanley, Herbert, Thomas and William were all employed as Farm Labourers.

Herbert enlisted in the Bedfordshire Regiment in May 1914. The 5th Battalion were dispersed throughout the East Anglia area in September 1914 to provide home defence and train hard in readiness for overseas duties, and Herbert would have been stationed at Bury St Edmunds. Herbert wasn’t in the Battalion for long before the worst happened. The Bedfordshire Times and Independent of 5th  February 1915 reports Herbert’s death on Saturday January 30th - “He came home some weeks ago, and was taken ill on the very day he should have re-joined his regiment; he gradually got worse and died of pleurisy and pneumonia”.

Herbert’s funeral took place on Friday February 5th at the Arlesey Parish Burial ground. The Vicar, Rev G J Mayhew, officiated. His coffin was carried shoulder high by eight of his fellow comrades from the 5th Beds Regiment, who came up from Newmarket for that purpose. The coffin bearers were Corporal A Topham, Pte G Taylor, Pte A Gentle, Pte A Page, Pte Len Smith, Pte B Albone, Pte A Walker and Pte C Walker. Among the floral tributes was a beautiful globe sent with sincere sympathy from the Officers, NCO’s and men of the 5th Beds Regiment, Newmarket. Letters of condolence were sent by Commanding Officers of the Battalion, the War Office and the King & Queen.