Pte Charles William Webb, 13085, B Company, 6th Battalion Bedfordshire Regiment, was killed in action around Trones Wood on the Somme at the age of 18. Military records say he was killed on July 10th, while in a letter home his brother Eli in the same regiment said it happened on Sunday, July 9th.

Military records also say Charles was born in Barton, whereas the 1901 and 1911 Census returns say he was born in the parish of Caddington and he and his family were living at Farley Green, near Luton.

Pte Herbert Graves, 20098, 7th Battalion, Bedfordshire Regiment, was killed in action on the Somme on July 1st, 1916. He was aged 25.

A memorial service for him was held at Breachwood Green Baptist Church on July 23rd, 1916, after one of his chums from Darley Hall said in a letter home that Pte Graves had failed to answer the usual roll-call three times in succession. His death was recorded in a list of Beds Regiment casualties issued on July 26th.

Pte Percy John Clark, 2872, 5th London Regiment (London Rifles), died in the Military Hospital, Le Tréport, France, on July 7th, 1916, from wounds received on July 1st, the first day of the Battle of the Somme. He had been in the fighting line for two or three months.

Born in Surrey in 1895, he was the son of Mr John Clark, of 243 Dunstable Road, Luton, who was formerly manager of the Luton Labour Exchange but had since moved to take up important munition work at Woolwich Arsenal.

Pte Arthur Edward Gadsby (served as Gadstone), 3/4165, 2nd Battalion Hampshire Regiment, was killed in action on July 5th, 1916. He was aged 32.

Born in Camberwell, London, he was the third son of Georgina Isabella and the late William Gadsby. At the time of the 1911 Census he was a milkman at Apsley End, Hemel Hempstead.

On arrival in Luton his family lived at 34 Stuart Street. He became a member of Luton Parish Church and was employed as a carman (delivery driver) by Mr Matson, of High Town.

Private Thomas George James Smith, 15123, 2nd Battalion Bedfordshire Regiment, was killed in action on the Somme on July 3rd, 1916. He was aged 23.

Born in 1892, he was the son of William Arthur and Margaret Rebecca Smith, of 62 Cardigan Street, Luton. At the time of the 1911 Census he was a straw hat dispatcher, with an older sister and a younger brother and sister living at home.

Pte Horace Bleaney, 22762, 2nd Battalion Bedfordshire Regiment, was killed in action at Trones Wood on the Somme on July 3rd, 1916. He left a widow and two boys.

He had enlisted in October 1915 and was trained at Landguard and Felixstowe before going to the Front the following June. Prior to joining up, he was employed by hat manufacturer Miss Pattie Longstaffe, of Guildford Street, Luton,

Pte William Fensome, 18837, Machine Gun Corps, and formerly with the Essex Regiment (9882), was killed in action on July 1st, 1916, in the "Big Push" at the start of the Battle of the Somme.

Military records show him to have been the son of widower Mr Thomas Fensome, of 5 Ebenezer Street, Luton, and give his age as 28. The Ebenezer Street address is included on the Luton Roll of Honour.

Pte Frank Gates, 13335, 7th Battalion Bedfordshire Regiment, was killed in action in the "Big Push" on the Somme on July 1st, 1916. He was aged 23.

The son of the late Benjamin (died 1908) and Elizabeth Rose Gates, of 82 Burr Street, Luton, he was before the war employed by George Kent's Ltd and was a regular attendant at the Wesleyan Central Mission Brotherhood. He enlisted with the Colours at the outbreak of war.

Pte Lionel Ralph Worsley, 3/7730, 7th Battalion Bedfordshire Regiment, was killed in action in the Big Advance at the start of the Battle of the Somme on July 1st, 1916. He was aged 33, married and lived at 24 Ash Road, Luton.

He and his comrades had leapt over the parapet, and Lionel, a bomber, was pointing out to his gunner pal a number of enemy troops in a trench when a sniper shot him in the head. He fell back into his comrades arms and died instantly. The Beds & Herts Saturday Telegraph said he had been buried in a hero's grave at Carnoy.

Pte Stanley Walter Fensome, 15296, 7th Battalion Bedfordshire Regiment, was killed in action on July 1st, 1916. He was aged 20 and the eldest son of Luton bootmaker Mr Walter Fensome and his wife Elizabeth, of 63-65 Duke Street, High Town.

The sad news for his family was contained in a letter from the Wesleyan Chaplain to the battalion, the Rev G. Jarvis Smith. He said Stanley was killed in action on the Saturday morning and he had found his body soon after the battle was over. Stanley was given a Christian burial and the spot where he fell had been carefully marked.

Pte Frederick Herbert Carter, 15249, D Company, 7th Battalion, Bedfordshire Regiment, was killed in action on the Somme on July 1st, 1916. He never again got to see his wife, Jessie (nee Walters), of King's Road, Luton, after he married her while on leave a year earlier and had had to make a hurried return to his regiment.

Jessie received the official notification of he husband's death on July 20th. He had gone to France on July 26th, 1915, and was never fortunate enough to get home leave afterwards.

Pte Frederick William Armstrong, 19794, 7th Bedfords, was killed in action on July 1st, 1916 - the first day of the Battle of the Somme. He was aged 20.

Born in a cottage at Eaton Green Farm, Stopsley, in 1896, he was the son of Thomas and Annie Elizabeth Armstrong. His brother Charles, also a private in the 7th Bedfords, wrote to his parents with the sad news of his death. Frederick had been homes on leave five weeks before his death.

Killed - Bedfordshire Regt - 12250 R. Franklin (Luton). This brief mention on a War Office casualty list appears to have been all that was reported in Luton on the death of Pte Reginald John Franklin, 6th Battalion, Bedfordshire Regiment, on June 30th, 1916.

Pte Harry Bacchus, 9272, 2nd Battalion Bedfordshire Regiment, was killed in action near Maricourt, on the Somme, on June 29th, 1916. He was aged 29.

Pte Bacchus was employed by coal merchants John Facer and Son until about 1908, when he joined the 2nd Bedfords. Since then he had spent a considerable amount of time abroad, serving in Bermuda, Malta and South Africa. He had returned from Africa at the beginning of the war.

Pte Frank Herbert Lewin (Lowin*), 5349, 5th Bedfords, died in hospital in Egypt on June 28th, 1916, a few days after being admitted suffering from heat stroke. He was aged 35 and was familiarly known as "Larry".

Born in October 1880, he was the son of the late Solomon and Mary Ann Lowin. He married Amelia (nee Watson) in 1901, his wife and eight children - seven aged under 14 - living at 33 Brunswick Street, Luton.