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 Carter, aged 24, was the second son of Mr and Mrs Herbert Carter, of 8 Lyndhust Road, Luton, and old boy of Chapel Street School. Before joining up he had a baker's round with the Co-operative Society after working for hat manufacturer Mr Richard Coles in Buxton Road.

Pte Carter had enlisted on September 7th, 1914, with his chum Horace Day, of Slip End. Pte Day was by Pte Carter's side as best man at his wedding, and Pte Carter was by Pte Day's side when he was killed on outpost duty in January 1916.

Mr Carter Snr had been Luton's poor rate collector before joining Mr Barnard, the registrar of births and deaths.