Sapper Nathaniel John Fowler, 1511, 1st/2nd (North Midland) Field Company, Royal Engineers, died on April 21st, 1915, from abdomens wounds received in action on April 18th. Aged 31 and a native of Harpenden, he lived at Leagrave and left a widow and two children.

Sapper Fowler was the son of the late Mr James Fowler, a bootmaker, of Wheathampstead Road, Harpenden, and his widow, and had three brothers living in Harpenden.

Cpl Henry George Smart, 7018, 1st Battalion North Staffordshire Regiment, was killed in action near Armentieres on March 21st, 1915. He was aged 28.

But for the outbreak of war his time as a reservist would have expired in November 1914. While in the Army he had served eight years in India.

Lady Alice Wernher, as she was known throughout the period of the First World War, was not only the lady of the manor of Luton with her country residence at Luton Hoo, she was also one of the town's biggest benefactors.

Almost every charitable list included her name among the donors, be it meat and vegetables for local hospitals, uniforms for the Luton Volunteer Training Corps, ambulances for the Red Cross at the front, gifts for front-line troops, or paying for buildings in Luton to be converted for military purposes such as hospitals.

Pte Frederick Lawrence, 3/6115, 1st Battalion, Beds Regt, was killed in action near Ypres on March 29th, 1915.

Born in Luton in 1889, he married Nellie Eliza Evans in 1906 and lived at 32 Duke Street, Luton. At the time of the 1911 Census he is described as a dye yard labourer with a son, Leslie aged three, and daughter Violet Maisie, aged six months. The family then lived at 22 Duke Street.

Nellie remarried after Frederick's death and continued to live at 32 Duke Street.

Horace Battams was born in Luton in 1895.

In 1911 he was 16 years old, working as a builder's labourer & living with his family at 51 Hartley Road, Luton. His father William was a straw plait bleacher. He was the eldest of 7 children. Arthur 12, Winifred 10 & 8 year old Percy were at school & Lilley 6, Willie 4, & 1 year old John were at home with their mother Agnes.

Horace Victor Barton was the eldest of 2 sons born to Alfred & Sarah.

He was born in Luton in January 1891.

In 1911 he was 20 years old & working in the iron foundry as a moulder making stove grates. His father is 44, a straw hat blocker, his mother Sarah is 42 & a straw hat machinist. His brother Percy is a 15 year old errand boy & they are all living at 52 Guildford Street.

In 1915 Horace married Emily Lamb.

George Cuthbert Patten was born in Essex in 1895.

He came from a large family. He had 2 brothers, Archie Walter & William & 5 sisters, Marjorie, Ida Winifred, Isabel, Annie Maude & Gertrude.

In 1911 he is living with 3 of his siblings, his father Alfred, a publican & his mother Mary Elizabeth at Rads End, Eversholt, Woburn. George is 16 years old & working as a general labourer.

Lieutenant Edmund Elgood Punchard, son of a former Vicar of Christ Church, Luton, was killed in action with the 2nd Battalion Beds Regt (21st Brigade, 7th Division) at Ypres on October 31st, 1914. He had just celebrated his 24th birthday.

He was shot leading his platoon in an attack on a ridge near Zandvoorde and was buried at Kruiseck, near Gheluvelt [Geluveld]. He was mentioned in Sir John French's despatch on January 14th, 1915.

Cpl Percy William Graham, 9200, 2nd Battalion West Yorkshire Regiment (Prince of Wales's Own) was killed in action at Neuve Chapelle On March 10th, 1915. He was aged 22.

He was the son of Mrs Mary Jane Graham, licensee of The Harrow pub in Hitchin Road, Luton, whose husband James William, an old soldier, had died eight weeks earlier at the age of about 74.

Cpl Graham was born in Luton and was a pupil at Waller Street Schools. He attended St Matthew's Church, High Town, and had worked in a local foundry.

John William Dolling spent 3 hours lying in water in a trench in France. His experience was reported in the Luton News on 1st December 1914. (see attached file)

John was born in Ampthill in January 1893, 1 of 6 children to James & Mary Jane.

Pte Samuel Snoxell was taken prisoner of war on 22 March 1918.

He was born in Luton in 1888 to William & Susan. He had 2 brothers, Thomas & Charles & 3 sisters, Emily, Elizabeth & Mary.

In 1911 he is living at 31 Chase Street with his widowed mother who is working as a servant & his sister Elizabeth who is a straw hat manufacturer. Samuel is working for E W Hart & Co Dye Works as a plait buncher.

It was reported in the Luton News on 2nd May 1918 that he had been captured by the Germans, but was quite well.

Walter Tottingham was born in 1867 in Luton.

His parents Isaac & Caroline were also born in Luton & were working in the straw hat trade as a blocker & a sewer. In 1871 Walter is 5 years old & living with his parents & 8 year old sister Sarah at 36 Spring Place.

In October 1891 Walter married Sarah Ann Day.

Artificer Engineer Arnold Wharton was one of three Royal Navy officers killed in action during the bombardment of the Dardanelles when HMS Irresistible hit a mine on March 18th, 1915, and eventually sank. He would have been aged 35 in April 1915.

A message later from Athens said the three had been buried at sea within sight of Tenedos, where women on the shore cast flowers and incense into the sea as a sign of mourning, flags flew at half-mast and bells tolled on land and at sea.

Ernest Sydney Crick was born in Luton in 1886 to William & Elizabeth.

He was the youngest of 7 children.

In 1891 aged 5 he is living with his parents & 5 of his siblings Emma 19, Eli 16, Albert 14, Arthur 11 & 8 year old Joseph at 64 Stopsley Green. His father is a Horse keeper, his mother & sister Emma are straw hat machinists, Eli is a farm labourer & Albert is a ploughboy. Ernest is at school with his brothers Arthur & Joseph.

Company Quartermaster Sgt Joseph Horne, 6006, 2nd Battalion Beds Regt, was killed in action at Neuve Chapelle on March 12th, 1915. He had served in the Army for 18 years and he and his family had returned with the battalion from South Africa at the outbreak of war. He was reportedly in line for a commission at the time of his death.

The above photograph was returned to his family from the battlefield with the message "Anyone finding this, please return to my wife, Mrs J. Horne, 52 Grange Road, Luton, Beds" written on the back.