Pte John Cox, 1059, Army Service Corps, died in hospital in Egypt from dysentery on October 8th, 1915, while attached to the 49th Division serving at Gallipoli.

Born at Watbridge, East Hyde, in early 1880 and a popular former footballer, he had worked for straw hat manufacturer Harry Briars at 75 May Street, Luton, prior to enlisting with the Army Service Corps at Woolwich in August 1914. He went to the Dardanelles in March 1915.

Pte George Cox, 1428, 1/4th Battalion London Regiment (Royal Fusiliers), was killed in action in Flanders on April 27th, 1915. He was aged 27.

Born at Watbridge, East Hyde, he had worked on the Luton Hoo Estate for seven years until going to London to work for about three years. He joined the Territorials prior to the war, and on the outbreak of hostilities he was mobilised as a member of the 4th City of London Royal Fusiliers.

He was reported wounded and missing on April 27 during a bayonet charge. Six months later his family were still awaiting further news.

Arthur was the son of Walter & Mary Jane of 36 Bailey Street, Luton.

He served in the Bedfordshire Regiment at Depot.

He survived the war but died on 25th February 1917.

He is buried in the cemetery on Crawley Green Road.

A Smith served in the Queens (Royal West Surrey) Regiment & Labour Corps.

He died on 19th November 1917 & is buried in the cemetery on Crawley Green Road.

Ernest Wright was born in Luton in October 1894.

In 1911 he was 16 years old & working as a straw hat finisher. He was living with his family at 98 Midland Road. His father Sidney 59 is an employer in the straw hat manufacturing trade working from home with some members of the family. Ernest's mother Jane 52, sister Ethel 21 & boarder Agnes Waller 24 are machinists. Twin brother Walter is a general engineer, whilst Beatrice 14 is assisting at home with their invalid sister 28 year old Edith Emma.

Pte George Jenkins, 18252, 2nd Battalion Beds Regt, died on September 30th, 1915, from wounds sustained two days earlier in the Battle of Loos. Some military records suggest he resided in Stopsley, but Press reports at the time described him as from Hockliffe.

Born in Newbury, Berks, on November 5th, 1893, Pte Jenkins married Florence Rose Bleaney, the daughter of Walter and Annie Bleaney, from High Street, Upper Houghton Regis [now High Street North, Dunstable], in early 1914. Their daughter, Florence May, was born in July of that year.

Pte Herbert Victor Smith, 17938, D Company, 2nd Battalion Beds Regt, was killed in action in the Battle of Loos on September 25th, 1915.

Born in Luton on June 6th, 1898, he spent most of his life in Flitwick, living with his family in Church End as a three-year-old at the time of the 1901 Census. The family later lived in Chapel Road.

He was the son of straw hat goods factory manager/manufacturer Arthur Smith and the late Mrs Rebecca Swales Smith.

Pte Albert Newbury, 18360, 2nd Battalion Bed Regt, was killed in action at the Battle of Loos in Flanders on August 25th, 1915. He had been reported missing and it was not until August 1916 that official notification of his death was received. He was aged 24.

A native of Luton, he lived at 35 Burr Street, Luton, and had married Mary Kirkwood (nee Penman) on July 26th, 1913, and the couple had one child, Alexander, born 1914. Pte Newbury was employed as an iron founder working on gas stoves pipes at the Diamond Foundry before he joined the Bedfords at the outbreak of war.

Pte Albert Hawkes, 13777, 2nd Battalion Bedfordshire Regiment, died as a result of wounds received in action on his 30th birthday - September 29th, 1915.

He was the husband of Louisa Elizabeth Hawkes, then living at 8 Tavistock Street, Luton, with two young children - Lily aged four and two-year-old Albert.

Official notification of Pte Hawkes' death arrived in October 1915, saying he had died from gunshot wounds to the abdomen. He had enlisted on September 5th, 1914, and had been in the firing line for six months.

Pte Arthur Edward Strange, 19791, 7th Battalion Bedfordshire Regiment, was killed in action at Bécordel-Bécourt on September 20th, 1915. He was aged 20.

Born and living in Wiltshire most of his life, he had worked in the Air Department at George Kent's in Luton for about a year before enlisting with comrades from the factory at the beginning of 1915. Flags at the Biscot Road factory were flown at half-mast in his memory.

Pte Harry Gillman, 19065, 2nd Battalion Beds Regt, was killed in action at the battle of Loos in France on September 27th*, 1915. He was aged 25.

That, at least, was the eyewitness account of "a great friend" who wrote that he saw him killed instantly by a bullet through his head shortly after 9 am on September 27th. He added that Pte Gillman was buried that night in a nice little grave with a wooden cross on it.

H Davis was born in 1868.

He joined the 57th Protection Company of the Royal Defence Corps & on 29th April 1915 was perfoming railway duties.

He died on 7th February 1917 & was buried in the cemetery on Crawley Gren Road.

James Webb was born in St Pancras, Middlesex in 1873.

In 1892 at the age of 19 James joined the 1st Battalion Kings Shropshire Light Infantry. He served only a year in Hong Kong because the battalion had to leave as there was an outbreak of bubonic plague, but before they left, the battalion helped with sanitary work for the expatriate community, which they were later given an unofficial medal for. James was then sent to India, where he served 10 years.

On 23 December 1903 James married Mary Ann Martin at St Matthews in Luton.

Sidney Ward was 1 of 3 children born to William & Mary in Grantham, Lincolnshire in 1882.

He married Mary Elizabeth Cottam in Nottingham in 1902.

In 1911 he is working for Raleigh as a cycle hand & living with his family at No 4 Nugent Street, Nottingham. Mary is 28 & at home looking after Lillian 8, Doris 4 & 2 year old son Francis.

On 8th January 1912 William joined the 7th Battalion Notts & Derby (Sherwood Foresters) giving his home address as 44 Calcutta Street & his father as next of kin.

William Henry Shaw was born in 1884.

On 12 April 1909 he married Rosa Ada Fensome.

On 11 December 1915 he joined the 3rd Battalion Northamptonshire Regiment. He is working as a labourer in the straw hat trade for T Lye & sons of New Bedford Road & living at 53 Ash Road with Rosa & their 2 sons, 8 year old Leonard Collier Fensome Shaw & 5 year old William Henry.

William was sent to France on 1 November 1916 & served there until 26th April 1917 as on 15th April 1917 he was wounded by a shell in the head & jaw.