Two Lutonians were included in a list of NCOs and men awarded the Military Medal for bravery published by the War Office on Friday, September 15th, 1916.

Sgt Francis Guy Harmer, 2435, and Sgt Danzey F. Summerfield, 2539, were both serving with the 24th County of London Regiment (The Queen's).

Sgt Summerfield, pictured right, was promoted for gallant and distinguished service in "The Queen's" charge between Festubert and Givenchy in May 1915. His platoon Lieutenant said at that time: "He is a splendid man and a great soldier. He was favoured on my recommendation, and I wish we might have got him the Distinguished Conduct Medal. His efforts with the wounded when under fire were truly heroic."

Sgt Summerfield, whose home was at 161 High Town Road, Luton, had been wounded early in 1916 but had returned to his regiment.

Sgt Harmer, son of Mr George Harmer, of 'The Leas,' Downs Road, Luton, was formerly in his father's business as a straw hat manufacturer in Waller Street and Adelaide Street. He had spent his 19th and 20th birthdays at the Front and had had some narrow escapes from injury.

He was one of the members of his Battalion mentioned in dispatches for his work at Loos, and it was understood he was awarded the Military Medal in recognition of his services at Vimy Ridge, which he said was the worst of five bombardments he had endured in charge of a trench mortar battery. The Telegraph pointed out that these were not only a source of terror to the enemy and specially targeted by them, but had "a nasty knack of committing suicide and spreading death and destruction in its immediate vicinity".

Sgt Harmer's older brother, Harold B. Harmer, had been promoted to chief engineer of Osler, the Birmingham electrical engineers, in India. The old boy of Dunstable Grammar School had so impressed in one province in which he had worked that he was presented with a gold and jewelled wrist watch by the Rajah.

[Beds & Herts Saturday Telegraph: September 16th, 1916, and The Luton Reporter: Monday, September 18th, 1916]