Nelson Edward Cornwall  was born 23rd July 1897.

 Extract from the register of men that are buried in the Peronne Road Cemetery at Maricourt.

 Pte. Nelson Edward Cornwall, 43033 1st Battalion Bedfordshire Regiment. Died of wounds 7th September 1916 Aged 19. Son of Francis and Louisa Cornwall of 43, Central Hill, Upper Norwood, London. Special Memorial  A 13 - inscription reads  - 'Their glory shall not be blotted out'

 An extract from The Peterborough Advertiser, 7th October 1916 : - Pte. N. Cornwall. Hunts. Cyclists. attached Beds.: died of wounds, September 7th, eldest son of Mr. and Mrs. Cornwall, Belsize Avenue, Peterborough. 

MORTALLY WOUNDED IN TENDING A FRIEND

Pte. N. Cornwall. Hunts. Cyclists, eldest son of Mr. and Mrs. Cornwall, Belsize Avenue, Peterborough, died of. wounds on September 7th at the age of 19 years. His friend, Pte. W.  Martin, of 13, Tower Street writing to the bereaved parents from the Western Hospital, Liverpool , says:

"We were in a trench from the Thursday till the Sunday afternoon, when we had orders to go further up the line and dig a place for a gun. We lay down behind a mound, when a shell came and dropped at my feet and it only hit me. As 1 felt faint,  poor Nelson was giving me a drink, when another shell came and fell in the same place.  Nelson fell across my legs and said, Walter, I am hit in the back.  He then rolled off my legs, and I saw blood coming from his back, just above his belt.  I gave him some water and he said, 'I am hit badly'.  He then turned and said, 'Goodbye, Walter' and kissed me.  We lay for a few minutes and they fetched Nelson away first, and that was the last 1 saw of him.  We all liked Nelson, he was always ready to help others." 

LOCAL WAR NEWS: ROLL OF HONOUR  -  7^th October 1916.  

Pte. Nelson E. Cornwall, Cyclists, attached to Beds. Regiment, was the son of Mr. and Mrs. Cornwall, 129, Belsize Avenue, Woodston. He died from wounds received whilst tending the wants of a chum. Pte. Cornwall joined up two years ago, and went to France in July. Mr. Howard Coote, Lieutenant for Hunts. has sent Mr. and Mrs. Cornwall a letter expressing on behalf of the county and himself sincere sympathy in their sad loss. The circumstances surrounding Pte. Cornwall's death, and described in the letter of his pal, Pte. W. E. Martin, are very pathetic. He says: "Just a line to say I received your letter with thanks, and will let you know all I can about Nelson. We were in a trench right at the back of the firing line waiting for orders to move. He got a parcel on, I think, the Saturday morning. We went up the line on Sunday afternoon. There was a big bombardment. Our party put the shells over something awful, and when we got further up the line we stopped in a little trench. The gun teams had to go forward to dig a place for the gun. Nelson and I and two or three more lay behind a mound when a shell came and dropped at my feet. Nelson was giving me a drink because I felt faint, when another one came in the same place. Nelson fell across my legs and said, 1Walter, I am hit in the back'. He then rolled off my legs, and 1 saw blood coming from his back, just above his belt. I gave him some water. I thought it was a nasty wound. He then turned to me and said, 'I am hit bad'. Then he said, 'Goodbye, Walter' and kissed me. We lay there for a minute or two, and then they had us away. He went first, and that is all I saw of him. He was conscious then I am feeling a lot better. It is a nice hospital where I am.

 CORNWALL, NELSON EDWARD, Belsize Avenue, Woodston, 43033, Private, 1st Bedfordshire Regiment (formerly 816 Huntingdonshire Cyclist Battalion). Killed in action 7.9.16. Buried in Peronne Road Cemetery , Special Memorial A.13,.

If you can help with any data on this Huntingdonshire Cyclist please contact me at huntscycles@btinternet.com

09/04/2012