One of the finest records of loyal families is that of Mr and Mrs Sutton, of 18 Holly Walk, Luton, Himself an old soldier, Mr Alfred F. Sutton, who is at present working at the British Gelatine Works, served for 31 years in the 5th (Royal Irish) Lancers, and 19 years of that period were spent in Egypt, India and South Africa.

Whilst he was serving in the Army he became father of seven stalwart sons, each of whom is now serving in his father's old regiment. They are all single, and all of them have made the Army their life work.

This is my great, great grandfather. pic taken Dec 1916 I believe.

Pte Albert Thomas Smith, 238006, 2nd Battalion Lancashire Fusiliers, was reported missing, presumed killed in action, on April 23th, 1918. It was not until June 1919 that a letter to parents George and Sarah Smith, of 31 St Saviour's Crescent, Luton, said the War Office had come to the conclusion that their son must be considered dead.

Albert, born in Luton in late 1892 or early 1893, was employed at the Luton Post Office before enlisting with the Middlesex Regiment and afterwards transferring to the Lancs Fusiliers.

Signaller William Pearce, 956450, A Battery, 76th Brigade, Royal Field Artillery, died from pneumonia on May 19th, 1919, in the 42nd Stationary Hospital, Cologne, while serving as a member of the Army of Occupation on the Rhine.

A telegram to his parents at 46 Beech Road, Luton, two days before his death said he was seriously ill, but a permit to visit him could not be granted. A Chaplain and the hospital Sister later wrote to inform them of their son's death.

Three months after being demobilised, Harry Ernest Hardfast, formerly Pte S/3114, Rifle Brigade, died on June 4th, 1919, in the Northumberland War Hospital, Newcastle-upon-Tyne, from poisoning resulting from a shrapnel wound in the chest received in action at Achiet-le-Grand, France, on August 23rd, 1918.

Born in Luton in 1891, Harry was one of 11 children born to William and Annie Hardstaff, of 12 Crawley Green Road.

Henry Impey (1865-1930) was Mayor of Luton in the fateful year of 1919, when the Town Hall was burned down during riots that broke out amid Peace Day celebrations.

L-Cpl Arthur Litchfield, 22004, Army Pay Corps, died from influenza in the No 14 General Hospital at Wimereux, France, on February 18th, 1919. He was aged 22.

Born in Luton in 1896, a son of Walter John and Sarah Litchfield, of 212 Wellington Street, Luton, he was employed by grocer Mr Kendall, of Wellington Street, and later the Co-operative Stores in Dallow Road.

He was called up in 1916 but placed on the Reserve, and he then transferred to a Co-operative Society at Coventry. He was again called up in August 1918, and was sent to Wimereux with the Army Pay Corps.

L-Cpl James Chandler, P/10790, Military Police Corps, died on February 26th, 1919, from pneumonia in the No 17 Casualty Clearing Station in Cologne while serving with the Army of Occupation on the Rhine. He was the only former member of Luton Borough Police Force to have died while on military service during or just after World War One. He was given pride of place at the top of the Police Roll of Honour that once stood in the parade room at Luton.

Pte Cuthbert William Hall, 32392, 9th Battalion Norfolk Regiment, was reported wounded and missing, and later presumed killed in action in France on March 21st, 1918, at the start of the German spring offensive of that year. He was aged 19 the third of three brothers to die in the war.

At the time of the 1911 Census, Cuthbert plus four brothers, two sisters, father Joseph Henry and stepmother Annie were living at Stockton, Warwickshire, where Cuthbert was born in 1898.

Pte Alfred George Cook, 200573, 1/5th Battalion Bedfordshire Regiment, died on November 4th, 1918, in hospital at “Afion Farra, Kissar” (Afyonkarahisar), while a prisoner of war of the Turks.
George, as he appears to have been known, had joined the Colours on September 22nd, 1914, and left St Albans with the 1/5th Bedfords for the Gallipoli campaign, during which he was taken ill with dysentery and spent some months in hospital in Egypt.

Air Mechanic 3rd Class Sidney Wilfred Clark, 161824, Royal Air Force, died in the 1st Eastern Central Hospital at Cambridge on July 15th, 1918, but his death and the cause appears to have gone unrecorded in local newspapers. He was aged 20.

Sidney is, however, commemorated on the Leagrave War Memorial in Marsh Road, near where he, his father Robert Henry, mother Florence Mary and three brothers and a sister had resided at the time. The family address was Carlton House, 35 Marsh Road. Sidney's name was also included in the Leagrave and Limbury Peace Day programme.

Pte Harry Wright, 111498, 44th Royal Fusiliers, died from pneumonia in the No 30 General Hospital at Calais on February 18th, 1919. He had returned to France from home leave on February 8th, and was admitted to hospital four days later. He had been expecting his discharge from the Army.

Pte Archibald George Dimmock, 43069, 2nd Battalion Northants Regiment, died on February 16th, 1919, in the 55th General Hospital, Boulogne, suffering from broncho-pneumonia. He was aged 27 and had one wound stripe.

A son of Annie Dimmock, of 32 Albert Road, Luton, Archibald had attested under the Derby scheme while working on munitions at Chaul End. Early in 1916 he joined the Bedfords, with whom he went through the Battle of the Somme.

Guardsman Thomas Lawrence Letting, 31944, 5th Reserve Battalion Grenadier Guards, died in the Connaught Hospital, Aldershot, on February 15th, 1919, after an illness lasting six weeks. He was buried at Biscot churchyard six days later. He was aged 19.

Rifleman Thomas Wilfred Hall, 5624, 9th King's Royal Rifles, was killed in action at Arras in France on April 9th, 1917, aged 19. He was the second of three brothers to die in the war.

At the time of the 1911 Census, Thomas plus four brothers, two sisters, father Joseph Henry and stepmother Annie were living at Stockton, Warwickshire, where Thomas was born in 1896.