Lance Corporal Harry Hack, 9564, 1st Battalion, Beds Regt, was killed in action near Wulvergem in Belgium on January 8th, 1915. He was aged 26.

For his widow, who was living at 71 Ivy Road, Luton, it was the first of two tragedies within a week - the couple's only child, Harry Robert, died on January 14th, aged just five months.

Lance Corporal Hack joined the Bedfordshire Regiment six years previously and had intended to serve 12 years with the colours. When war was declared he was with the 1st Battalion at Mullingar in Ireland and went from there straight to the front. The couple had not seen each other for nearly 14 months.

First news of the death came from a chum, Drummer C. Dimmock, of Bolton Road, Luton, who wrote to Mrs Hack: "Just these few sorrowful lines to you, with deepest sympathy for the loss of your husband, as he was killed in action on January 8th. He was shot in the left eye, the bullet coming out of the right temple. He died two minutes afterwards, and never murmured. I am very sorry to lose him as he was my best pal and we both came from Luton."

Lance Corporal Hack is commemorated on the Menin Gate Memorial, Ypres.