AS the war in Europe continued apace, the daily reports of the Allies’ progress on the battlefronts were being forced to share the column inches of the newspaper with the reports and portraits of lost sons, whose lives had been claimed by the fighting, and were appearing with painful regularity.

Both the Southampton Pictorial and the Daily Echo carried the sad news that Acting Corporal James Ings, of the 3rd Battalion Rifle Brigade, who resided at Ludlow Road in Itchen, had been tragically killed in action while serving with the Rifle Brigade.

A comrade, in a letter to his bereaved wife, paid tribute to Ings by writing: “Whatever duty was assigned to him was faithfully executed. Of a cheery disposition and quiet manner, he endeared himself to all.”

Where or in what circumstances Ings met his death was not known, but reports regretfully revealed that Ings was tragically shot through the head and died instantaneously.

Ings was a reservist, and on the outbreak of war was called up from his work in the docks to rejoin his regiment.

Tributes were also being paid to Private F Jones this week after a letter was received by the Southampton Corporation Tramway Department notifying it of the death of the former tramcar conductor.

The letter, which broke the tragic news, was written by Lance Corporal G Murphy, of the Royal Inniskillen Fusiliers, and read: “It is with profound regret I write to inform you of the death of Pte 8740 Private F Jones, who was employed by you before the outbreak of the war. He was killed on the 15th April, and am sorry I could not send definite news earlier.

"Being one of the stretcher bearers, I was called upon to attend to him. He received a nasty scalp wound, and expired a few minutes after.

"He suffered no pain, and did not utter a word from the time he was hit. He was buried the same day, and his grave is well marked and cared for, so should any of his relatives wish to see it after the campaign is finished, they will have no trouble in finding it.

"Knowing the chap as I did, I can tell you he was always admired for his steadiness, sobriety, and all that was required in the essence of a good soldier.”

The Daily Echo reported that the traffic manager of the Tramways, Mr G Simpson, forwarded a copy of the letter to the chairman of the Tramways Committee, Mr F Dunsford JP, stating that Private Jones was employed as a conductor by the department until the outbreak of war and he had sent a copy of the letter to the deceased’s mother, expressing the sincere sympathy of the chairman, the members of the committee, and the whole of the employees with her in her sad bereavement.

A reply was received shortly afterwards from Private Jones’ brother, which read: “Please accept my mother’s sincere, heartfelt thanks for your most kind sympathy in forwarding her the most sincere and regrettable letter from Lance Corporal G Murphy.

"By the sad circumstances of your welcome letter it had relieved my mother of the great anxiety of not hearing from him.

“I conclude with my mother’s sincere kindness to you under the sad bereavement of the death of her son.”