Letter from Pt Matthew Coulson to relative (2)

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.

这是马修在前往法国编入北安普敦郡团第7营（7th Northants Regt.）参战前，于训练营中写给亲友的信件。令人动容的是，他于次年（1915年11月）阵亡，身后留下妻子与三名子女。他出生于北安普敦郡的波尔布鲁克（Polbrook），家中共有12名子女，他为其中之一。

编者按
编号17229的列兵马修·库尔斯顿（Pte. 17229 Matthew Couslon）隶属于北安普敦郡团第7营，其姓名被镌刻于洛斯纪念墙（Loos Memorial）之上。值得关注的是，英联邦战争公墓委员会（Commonwealth War Graves Commission）的记录显示，他于1915年9月27日在战斗中阵亡。马修所属的第7北安普敦郡团隶属于第24步兵师，该师在洛斯战役的次日（9月26日）遭遇激烈交火，伤亡人数超过3900人。该部队直至9月4日才在法国完成集结。关于其阵亡日期为1915年11月的说法，可追溯至某相框背面的纪念性"服役记录"标签——这或许正是其家属接到阵亡通知的月份。