From the Luton News 9th January 1917. A WHEATHAMPSTEAD SOLDIER. Reported Missing. We are requested to publish the fact that Pte Frederick Russell of the Beds Regiment (whose sister lives at 152 North Street, Luton) has been "reported missing" since November 16th and his mother, Mrs W Russell who lives at Gustard Wood Common, Wheathampstead, would be very grateful for any news of him.  Pte Russell, who is aged 22, was employed as a groom at Welwyn prior to enlistment.  He joined the Army in August 1914 and went to France in July 1915.

From the Luton News dated 4th January 1917. LUTONIAN KILLED. Mrs A Brown of 2a Essex Street, Luton has received official information that her son, Pte Edward Brown, 19, who enlisted April 1st last year in the Northants Regiment, was killed in action on December 10th.

Prior to joining up he worked in the grocery department of the Bury Park branch of the Luton Co-operative Society and he has only been at the Front three months. Mrs Brown has also received a letter from Sec.Liet. A E Ward of the same regiment, who states

From the Luton News 22nd February 1917. SOLDIER'S WIFE'S SUICIDE. Young Mother Attempts to Strangle her Child. Sad Tragedy at Pepperstock. A particularly sad case of suicide following an attempt by a young mother - a soldier's wife - to strangle one of her two children, occurred at Pepperstock, within a couple of miles or so of Luton, during the weekend.  The unfortunate woman who took her own life was the wife of a soldier by name Ethel Margaret Field, 29 years of age, whose husband is a private in the R.A.M.C. and is stationed at Clacton.

Frederick Walter was born in Luton on 2 July 1897 to Walter & Florence.

He had 1 brother & 3 sisters.

In the 1911 census it tells us that the family are living at 24 York Street. Father Walter is a straw hat blocker, Mother Florence is a straw hat machinist alongside 15 year old Lily & Louisa Ann, 17, is a straw hat finisher. 13 year old Frederick, his brother Leonard Charles, 11 & sister Priscilla Martha aged 9 are all at school.

Joseph served with the South Staffordshire Regiment when he was killed in March 1918

His entry in the 1911 Census shows he was a father with young children, and lived in Pondwicks Street (now part of Power Court) Luton.

JOSEPH HERBERT IMPEY HEAD MARRIED 29 1882 LETTERPRESS MACHINE MINDER

EMILY IMPEY WIFE MARRIED 39 1872 BEDS LUTON STRAW HAT MACHINIST

REGINALD ARTHUR IMPEY SON - Male 3 1908

STANLEY HERBERT IMPEY SON - Male 1 1910

CLARA SPENCER NIECE - Female 13 1898

Ernest W.T. Groom was a member of the 2nd Battallion The Bedfordshire Regiment, and was killed on the 11th July 1916 during the attack on Trones Wood.

The advance started at 3:10 AM, and the advance was not spotted until the men were 400 yards from the enemy. At this moment, machine guns opened fire on the men and the battle began. The woodlands were so dense and the night so dark, that it became impossible to see more than 5 yards ahead.

Private Groom died alongside 5 Officers and 239 Other ranks.

Stuart John Webb was a son of George Webb, a dentist of Westbourne Road, Luton, and his wife Elizabeth.

Stuart was 21 when he was conscripted into the Northamptonshire Regiment in 1916, service number 45954. He was posted to France in 1917, where he was almost immediately transferred to the Manchester Regiment, service number 42359.

He was wounded in action on October 8 1917, and was transferred to the military hospital at Etaple where a few days later he succumbed to his wounds. He is buried at Etaples Military Cemetary, Pas de Calais, France.  Grave reference: XXX.F.21A.

From The Luton News 27th July 1916.  ANOTHER HERO GONE.  Well known both in his native Luton and in Ampthill and district, Pte Joseph Payne, son of Mrs E Payne of 15 Inkerman Street, Luton, has met his death in France after being nearly twelve months in the fighting line, joining the Army soon after war broke out.  He trained at Ampthill, where he made many friends and was drafted to a battalion of the Bedfordshire Regiment.  On July 1st, just after the commencement of the big advance, he was wounded and a notification has now been received that he died from his wounds on July 16th.  Privat

From The Luton News 13.7.1916.  SAVED BY HIS HELMET. Well known Luton Footballer's Experience. How the British Soldier Goes into Action.  Despite his wounds, Pte H C Preece, 2nd Battalion, Beds Regt., writes us a very cheery letter from a V.A.D. hospital at Broadstairs. Before joining the colours, Pte Preece was well known among footballers in Luton as secretary of the Ivydale F.C his home being at 207 North Street.

From the Luton News 13th July 1916.  OLD CELTIC FOOTBALLER KILLED IN THE GREAT BATTLE. Among the families plunged into sorrow in Luton as the result of the big battle begun on July 1st, is that of Mr and Mrs C T Armstrong, whose son, Pte Frederick Armstrong of the 7th Beds Regiment, has died from wounds received in that action.

From the Luton News 13th July 1916.  DEATH OF PRIVATE CUSTANCE. Escaped in Battle - succumbed to Illness.   The sad news has just been received of the death in Egypt of Private Henry Custance, of the 1/5th Bedfords, aged 21 years, and son of Mr and Mrs Custance of 15 Kings Road. Luton.

From the Luton News dated 25th May 1916.  Private Frederick Gordon Smart of Harcourt Street Luton has just been wounded after serving for nine months with the Bedfords in France.  He received a gunshot in the right arm.

Frederick was the son of Frederick and Elizabeth Smart.  He had three sisters and four brothers - with the youngest brother, Douglas, also serving with the Bedford Regiment.  They both survived the War with Frederick taking up his pre-war job as a warehouseman and marrying in 1924

Sidney Price's story is linked to Luton via finding his name in an Autograph Book that existed in Collingdon Street during WW1.

He draws a beautiful winter scene on one of the earlier pages, and so I simply had to research his story.

Pte Stanley Alfred Barton, 14196, 11th Battalion Essex Regiment, was reported missing during heavy fighting on the Somme in France on March 22nd, 1918. But it was not until the following February that parents Alfred and Victoria Elizabeth Barton at 2 Guildford Street, Luton, were informed officially that their son was killed or died of wounds on that date.

Ernest Charles Mills joined the Bedfordshire Regiment, in 1915 and transferred to the Machine Gun Corps (M.G.C.) in 1916. The M.G.C. was known as the suicide corps, but Ernest survived and was discharged in 1919.

He never spoke of his time in France except when he was dying and then said that only two members of his platoon who fought throughout the Somme, himself and another soldier he couldn't name, survived; and they were stood up to their waist in mud and barbed wire. The drawing in the linked photograph album is by Ernest, and shows cooking in a trench dugout.