Luton's first reported Territorial non-commissioned fatality of the Gallipoli campaign, Pte Cyril Bert Barton, 3120, 1/5th Battalion Beds Regt, died on August 17th, 1915, from wounds received in action.

Born towards the end of 1895, he was the son of  Edward and Charlotte Barton, of 18 Brache Street, Luton, who enlisted in the Territorial three years earlier. He went into training in August 1914 and, volunteering for active service, went out with his battalion to the Dardanelles. The official intimation of his death read: "Reported from the 3rd Echelon, Alexandria, Egypt, on the 17th August, died of wounds received in action."

Prior to the war, Pte Barton - known as Bert - and his older brother Frederick were moulders employed by Messrs Brown and Green at Windsor Street, Luton. His father, a bricklayer by trade who was formerly employed by Messrs A. Cain and Co, was now with B. Laporte Ltd, Park Street.

Pte Barton had two brothers serving with the Colours. Pte Fred Barton was with the East Anglian Divisional Engineers at the Dardanelles, and Pte Reginald Barton, 17, was with the 2/5th Bedfords at Newmarket.

Reginald was also destined to lose his life, serving as a lance-corporal with the 2nd Royal Sussex Regiment on September 24th, 1918. He is commemorated on the Vis-En-Artois Memorial between Arras and Cambrai.