Luton War Memorial

Private William Cooper

 

Pte William Cooper, 20266, 8th Battalion Bedfordshire Regiment, died on September 18th, 1916, from wounds sustained in action on the Somme. He was aged 21 and died on an ambulance barge in France.

Born in Ayot St Peters in June 1895, Herts, he was one of ten children born to John and Ann (Annie) Sophia Cooper, who were living at 352 Hitchin Road, Luton, at the time of his death. In the 1911 Census William was a farm labourer living with his parents and three older brothers and two old sisters at 44 Round Green, Luton.

 

Private Ralph Green

 

Pte Ralph Green, 34816, 1st Battalion Royal Welsh Fusiliers, died on August 30th, 1916, from wounds received in action on the Somme on August 27th. He was the second son of Luton Town FC Secretary Mr Charles Green and his wife Ellen (nee Shaw), of 73 Hazelbury Crescent, Luton.

Driver Arthur Smith

 

Driver Arthur Smith, 524236, 1/2nd East Anglian Division Royal Engineers, died suffering from pneumonia in the Government Hospital in Suez, Egypt, on August 28th, 1916.

It was just the day before that parents Joseph and Jane Smith, of 58 New Town Street, Luton, learned that Arthur was dangerously ill in hospital. He was the second of their sons to die during the war.

Petty Officer William Wallace Gadsby

 

Petty Officer Stoker William Wallace Gadsby, Royal Navy, was the second son of William and Isabella Gadsby to die within six weeks in 1916. He was at the time serving on submarine E4, which, on August 15th, 1916, was sunk in a collision with sister submarine E41 during exercises off Harwich. Both vessels went down, and all hands on E4 were lost.

Younger brother Arthur Edward was killed in action on the Somme on July 5th while serving with the Hampshire Regiment.

Private George Arthur Young

 

Pte George Arthur Young, 13405, 25th Battalion Royal Fusiliers, was serving in East Africa when he died in hospital from an unspecified disease on July 29th, 1916. He was buried in Dar es Salaam War Cemetery in German East Africa (now Tanzania).

His military record says he was born in St Albans [1875] and was residing at Elstree, otherwise little is known about him. However, he is included on the Luton Roll of Honour with an address given as 33 Windsor Street, Luton. His name was also added to a "Book of Life" being prepared at Luton Parish Church in 1919.

Gunner Frederick Dean

 

Gunner Frederick Dean, 7825, Royal Garrison Artillery, was discharged from military service in 1913 following an operation for gunshot wounds. He had served eight years as a soldier, but after war broke out he was again called up and sent to France.

However, he was not out there very long before it was found necessary to order his return to England, and for 15 weeks he lay in the 3rd London General Hospital at Wandsworth. And there he passed away at around 10.30 am on Sunday, August 6th, 1916, from a lung complication. He was aged 29.

Private Frank Herbert Lewin (Lowin)

 

Pte Frank Herbert Lewin (Lowin*), 5349, 5th Bedfords, died in hospital in Egypt on June 28th, 1916, a few days after being admitted suffering from heat stroke. He was aged 35 and was familiarly known as "Larry".

Born in October 1880, he was the son of the late Solomon and Mary Ann Lowin. He married Amelia (nee Watson) in 1901, his wife and eight children - seven aged under 14 - living at 33 Brunswick Street, Luton.

Company Quartermaster Sergeant Douglas Ritchie

 

Company Quartermaster-Sgt Douglas Ritchie, Army Service Corps, died in the Fulham Military Hospital on January 15th, 1916, from double pneumonia.

The 30-year-old Scotsman was the brother-in-law of Charles Cameron, of 51 Belmont Road, Luton, proprietor of Camerons (Luton) Ltd, a printing company based in Cheapside. Douglas Ritchie had been a co-director of the firm until he gave up his business interests to take up aviation. He had gained his pilot's licence before suffering an unfortunate breakdown in health.

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