Pte Alexander Penman, 9385, 2nd Battalion Northamptonshire Regiment, died on September 22nd, 1915, of wounds sustained in action at Bois Grenier in Belgium. He was aged 24 and single.
Born in West Carron, Stirlingshire, Scotland, he had been lodging at 35 Burr Street, Luton, the address of Pte Albert Newbury, who was to be killed in action three days later.
In 1911 Pte Penman was lodging at 10 Butlin Road, Luton, and was an assistant iron moulder at the Diamond Foundry in Dallow Road.
Pte Albert Ford, 25327, 2nd Battalion Bedfordshire Regiment, died on July 17th, 1916, of wounds sustained on the Somme. He was aged 19 and the second son of John and Emma Ford, of 48 Burr Street, Luton, to die on the battlefield.
Pte Ford was a "Derby" recruit and was called up five months previously. He was drafted into the Bedfords and had been at the Front only a short time. A letter from the Record Office to his mother said he son had been buried in the Dive Copse Cemetery,
Before enlisting he work at the bleaching and dyeing firm of Mr Stewart Hubbard.
Pte Frank Gates, 13335, 7th Battalion Bedfordshire Regiment, was killed in action in the "Big Push" on the Somme on July 1st, 1916. He was aged 23.
The son of the late Benjamin (died 1908) and Elizabeth Rose Gates, of 82 Burr Street, Luton, he was before the war employed by George Kent's Ltd and was a regular attendant at the Wesleyan Central Mission Brotherhood. He enlisted with the Colours at the outbreak of war.
Pte George Hutchings, 4229, 1/5th Beds Regt, was killed in action on August 16th, 1915, aged 20, The son of William and Sarah Hutchings, of Canning Street, Bedford, he had come to the Luton area to be engaged on harvesting work at Eaton Green in 1914.
He enlisted in the Bedfords in Luton and struck up a close friendship with Pte Herbert Stanley Toyer, of 22 Duke Street, Luton. During the three months or so of drilling at Luton under Major (then Capt) Lathom, Pte Hutchings made his home with Pte Toyer's parents at 7 Burr Street.
Pte Albert Newbury, 18360, 2nd Battalion Bed Regt, was killed in action at the Battle of Loos in Flanders on August 25th, 1915. He had been reported missing and it was not until August 1916 that official notification of his death was received. He was aged 24.
A native of Luton, he lived at 35 Burr Street, Luton, and had married Mary Kirkwood (nee Penman) on July 26th, 1913, and the couple had one child, Alexander, born 1914. Pte Newbury was employed as an iron founder working on gas stoves pipes at the Diamond Foundry before he joined the Bedfords at the outbreak of war.
L-Cpl Walter Dumpleton, 3715, 1/5th Beds Regt, was killed in action at Gallipoli on August 15th, 1915. Newspaper reports said he was aged 23 and the son of Frederick and Thirza Dumpleton, of 33 Burr Street, Luton. Census and other records suggest he was born in early 1890 and was therefore aged 25.
Pte Frederick John East, 3/6435, 1st Battalion Bedfordshire Regiment, was killed in action on November 7th, 1914. He was killed by a shell during the retreat from Mons.
The 29-year-old had been in the 1st Bedfords for some years and was at Kempston Barracks at the time of the 1911 Census. On the outbreak of war he went to the Front.
Pte East was the son of Emma, who married John Ford and lived at 48 Burr Street, Luton. Before enlistment he had worked at Mr Stewart Hubbard's bleaching and dyeing factory.
