Rifleman Horace Edward Bates, 392299, 1/9th Battalion London Regiment (Queen Victoria's Rifles), died of wounds in the 2nd Stationary Hospital, Abbeville, France, on April 22nd, 1917. He was aged 24.

Parents Edward and Elizabeth Bates, of 57 Buxton Road, Luton, were informed by the hospital matron that their son had been admitted on April 19th with severe wounds to the chest and damaged lungs. He grew gradually worse, passing peacefully away on April 22nd. He was to be buried in a local cemetery, in a section reserved for British soldiers.

Pte Horace Philip Hill Worboys, 60884, 24th Battalion Royal Fusiliers, died in the 1st Canadian Casualty Clearing Station in France on April 20th, 1917, from wounds received on the battlefield. The report of his death in The Luton News referred to him as Jack Worboys.

Pte Herbert Corney, 33791, 8th Battalion Bedfordshire Regiment, died at the 33rd Casualty Clearing Station in France on April 20th, 1917, from extensive shrapnel wounds sustained in action. He was aged 36 and left a widow, Alice, and three children - Thomas, Dorothy and Hilda.

He enlisted in May 1916, having been a member of the Volunteer Corps since its formation, and underwent his training at Halton Camp. He was drafted out to France on New Year's Day, 1917, and had since been regularly in and out of trenches.

Gunner William Childs, 28795, 86th Heavy Battery Royal Garrison Artillery, died of enteric fever while a prisoner of war of the Turks on January 19th, 1917. He was aged 27 and had served in the Army in India for eight years prior to the outbreak of war.

Second-Lieut Meredyth Robert Owen Williams, 25th Battalion Northumberland Fusiliers, was killed in action in France on March 14th, 1917. He was the younger son of Luton Alderman Herbert Owen Williams, of Farley Lynches, Castle Street [now Farley Hill]. He was a month short of his 23rd birthday.

His commanding officer wrote to parents Herbert and Edith Jane Williams that their son was manning a support trench with his platoon during a German raid at about five o'clock in the morning. The gun fire was terribly heavy, and Lieut Williams was killed by a bursting shell.

Second-Lieut Ralph Wycombe Butcher, 4th Battalion Manchester Regiment (attached 22nd Battalion), was killed in action in France on March 14th, 1917. The 21-year-old had initially been reported wounded and missing.

Parents William Joseph and Lily Rhoda Butcher, of Bendrose, Braithwaite Road [later part of Malzeard Road], Luton, were told by their son's commanding officer that Ralph's body had been found by a search party close to the enemy's wires.

Pte Patrick Harry Godding, 19653, Dorsetshire Regiment, died at the Royal Victoria Hospital, Netley, Hampshire, on March 6th, 1917, his death attributed to exposure on the battlefield. He was aged 41.

Pte Gooding had broken his thigh on the way to the trenches during his service of about six weeks in France. One report was that the injury was the result of a kick from a horse. He was immediately sent back to England, and his wife, Louisa Annie, visited him in hospital shortly before he died.

L-Cpl Charles Lawrence, 23494, 4th Battalion Bedfordshire Regiment, died at a clearing station in France on February 16th, 1917, three days after being wounded by shrapnel in action at Beaumont-Hamel on the Somme. He was aged 20.

Born in Luton in 1896, Charles was the youngest of five serving soldier sons of widow Mrs Ann Lawrence, of 59 Ashton Road, Luton (her husband, Frederick, died in 1898). He had enlisted in November 1915, having been formerly employed by Messrs J. Webdale and Sons at their Wellington Street store. He was an old boy of Chapel Street School, Luton.

Cpl Edwin Francis 'Teddy' Smart, 233570, 2nd Battalion London Regiment (Royal Fusiliers), died on February 11th, 1917, from wounds sustained the previous day on a Flanders battlefield. Less than a month earlier he had been awarded the Distinguished Conduct Medal for what he had described as "doing something in the field".

Pte Stanley George Halfhead, 18925, 4th Battalion Bedfordshire Regiment, was killed in action on the Somme on February 11th, 1917. He was aged 21.

He was the son of widow Mrs Kate Halfhead, of 20 Wood Street, Luton - his father, school caretaker George, had died in 1906. Prior to enlistment in February 1915, Stanley had worked at hat manufacturers Haye & Co, George Street. He was an old boy of Waller Street School, and was Assistant Scoutmaster in the local battalion of Boy Scouts.

Sgt William John Arthur Saxty, 4749, 60th Battalion Machine Gun Corps (Infantry), died at a dressing station in France on February 9th, 1917, from wounds sustained on the battlefield.

Born in Bath in 1881, he was aged 36 and married to Geraldine with four children (John, Hubert, Albert and Beatrice), aged 14 years to five months, living at 40 High Town Road, Luton.

Major Godson, of his regiment, wrote: "He came to me as a private at Grantham and his rapid promotion has been entirely due to his devotion to duty, and I feel very keenly his loss."

Cpl Alec Walter Harris, 23642, 4th Battalion Bedfordshire Regiment, was killed in action in the valley of the River Ancre on the Somme on February 4th, 1917. He was just 25 and single.

Born in Luton in 1892, he was the son of labourer Albert and straw hat machinist Selina Harris, of 23 Jubilee Street, Luton. Alec (Alic on his birth registration) was the couple's four son.

Pte Frank Wilson, 33808, 1st Border Regiment, died at the 2/2nd London Casualty Clearing Station in France on January 31st, 1917, as a result of gunshot wounds in the leg received on the Somme three days earlier. He was aged 19 and had been in France only since January 6th.

Sister W. E. Tice at the casualty clearing station wrote to parents James and Eliza Wilson at 67 Frederic Street, Luton, that their son had been brought in badly wounded on January 28th.

Sapper Fred Clark, 78518, Royal Engineers, died in German East Africa on January 31st, 1917, from neuritis, attributed to the effects of climate. He was aged 33, married and had three young children.

Sapper Clark was expecting to return home to 152 Leagrave Road, Luton, from East Africa, where he had been serving under General Smuts.

He was formerly employed by engineer Mr Frank Moody, of Chapel Street, Luton, before joinging the East Anglian Royal Engineers on November 19th, 1914.

Pte Harold David Joad, 25196, 4th Battalion Bedfordshire Regiment, was killed in action on the banks of the River Ancre on the Somme on January 28th, 1917. He was aged 20.

Born at Weston, Herts, he was the son of the late Charles Joad (died 1896, the year Harold was born). He was also stepson of farmer and pig dealer George Desborough of Ansells End Farm, Kimpton, whom his mother, Annie Maud Appleton Joad (nee Tee), married in 1907.