Horace Towell was a brave soldier who served in the Great War. It is a tale of courage and sacrifice, of a man who gave his all for his country.
Horace was living in the town of Kettering when war broke out, with his beloved wife Margaret and their two daughters, Doris and Mabel. But duty called, and in June 1915, he enlisted to fight with the 4th Sussex Regiment.
He served with distinction, but on July 31st, 1917, Horace was badly wounded in the infamous Battle of Ypres. The fighting was fierce, and sadly, Horace lost his arm in the conflict and was sent back home to recover.
Despite his injury, Horace showed remarkable resilience and went on to live a long life, reaching the grand old age of 95. His niece, Marie Turner, who is now 89 years old, remembers him fondly. "He was my favourite," she says, "a lovely man with beautiful blue eyes. When he looked at you, his eyes would sparkle and make you feel all warm inside."
But Horace was one of the fortunate ones. Many of his generation never returned from the war. Among those was Arthur Horsley, the brother-in-law of Horace's sister Letty Horsley (nee Towell), my great, great aunt. Arthur was just 21 when he was killed in action at Flanders in October 1918. Tragically, his elder brother Reuben was also killed there just two weeks earlier. The third image shows their names on the War Memorial in Desborough.
Lest we forget the sacrifices made by so many in the Great War, and the bravery of men like Horace Towell, who risked everything for their country.