This ‘souvenir book’ is the work of British prisoners of war interned at Döberitz near Berlin. Download and/or read it via the link on this page.

Although dedicated to ‘our friends and benefactors’, the book’s anecdotes and cartoons of camp life and in-jokes about living conditions and well-known characters in the closed world of Döberitz suggest that its true audience was the internees themselves.

Luton War Memorial was unveiled in a grand public ceremony on Sunday 10th December 1922.

Download a copy of the programme via the link on this page.

An interesting find in the museum collection...What appears to be a collection of 21 locket sized photographs of women in seductive poses (nothing too seductive). The label on the acid free paper packet they were found in simply reads 'WW1 models.' 

One imagines a lonely soldier buying a photograph from this collection in order to have somebody to pine over whilst abroad.

[As printed in the Luton News, January 3, 1957]
When the President of the Royal Aeronautical Society came to Luton to speak at the Luton branch’s annual dinner, he searched local and aviation records for some Luton aeronautical history. Luton News reporter Colin Cross began investigating, and with the help of Borough Librarian Mr F.M. Gardner and the secretary of the Luton branch of the society, he unearthed a forgotten chapter of yesteryear - the story of a gallant pioneering couple and a factory.

This bible belonged to Ernest Groom, who was tragically killed in the opening days of the Battle of the Somme, as part of the 2nd Battallion Bedfordshire Regiment, during the attack on Trones Wood.

The bible was picked up from the battlefield by an unknown German officer, and returned to Ernest Groom's mother by a later British serviceman. One can only speculate about the actions that lead to the bible having such a journey.

The letter accompanying the bible on its journey home reads:-

Dear Mrs Groom.

Wardown Park Museum, formerly the Luton Museum & Art Gallery in Luton, is housed in a large Victorian mansion in Wardown Park on the outskirts of the town centre.

Stockwood has many historical associations. The land was once owned by the Rotheram family, but in 1708 the estate was purchased by Richard Crawley.

Stockwood House was completed in 1740 at a cost of £60,000 by John Crawley. The estate included walled gardens supplying fruit and vegetables for the house, as well as wonderful roses. Stockwood was the home of the Crawley family until 1940 when the house became a hospital.

During the First World War, the house was the home of North Midland Divisional Veterinary Hospital, plus Mobile Veterinary Sections 911 - 1041.

The picture shows the names of the boys who attended Luton Grammar School that lost their lives in the Great War.

The plaque can be found in Stockwood Discovery Centre.

This album has been donated to the WW1 Project by a Lutonian of many years standing, and shows members of her family, including her mother, father (Ernest Charles Mills, seen above) and uncles; who lived through the Great War years.

There are WW1 postcards, and some amusing photographs of soldiers in costume within the album, clearly having fun despite the horrors of war.

The small sketch inside this album, showing men cooking, is by Ernest Mills and is contemporary with his time in the trenches. The album also contains photographs from WW2.

The programme for a Victory Outing for the employees of C A Coutts, Boxmakers from Luton to the Grays Hotel, Bricket Wood, Woodside on Saturday August 23 1919.

The programme of events detailing Menu, Toast List and Concert and Performers

20 Collingdon Street was used as a billet during WWI, by soldiers stationed in the area.

A billet is an ordinary private house that is being used to house (billet) service personnel.

The military authorities would pay the owners a rent in exchange for board and lodging for the soldiers staying in that property.

A family member found this book online from their home in Sydney Australia and contributed lots of new material.

D. Rickard, aged 8, who drew the handsome WW2 era bomber in the front of this autograph book (the book lasted from WW1 - WW2). Identified himself as Doug Rickard from Austraila via the Great War Forum and provided superb background.

Biscot Camp, the large Royal Field Artillery Camp located on Biscot Road, closed in November 1919.

This guestbook contains the final fond farewells of soldiers to both the hut, where they had spent many happy hours relaxing, and Mr. and Mrs. Crichton who ran the hut so successfully.

The YMCA Hut was a place where soldiers could relax, drink tea/coffee and play games. The hut also hosted many evenings of entertainment for the soldiers who were training/working at the base.

Complete Postcard album of Driver William Edward Owen. A fantastic resource containing roughly 90 postcards, offering a wonderful insight into the life of a soldier during WWI.

These postcards have not yet been transcribed so, visitors to the site are welcome to register, and use the comments section below this entry to add their transcriptions of the written content on these postcards.

The postcards vary in style from embroidery to printed media, and simple message cards.