Pte George Hermon Hart, 2899, 1/24th County of London Regiment (The Queen's), was killed in action in France on May 24th, 1916. He had recently celebrated his 21st birthday while in the trenches.

He was the son of bleacher and dyer Mr Baxter Herbert Hart and his wife Emily Agnes, of 'Homah,' 75 New Bedford Road, Luton. At the outbreak of war he was employed as a warehouse assistant by hat manufacturers Messrs F. J. Elliott in Guildford Street, Luton. He also played half-back for Luton Casuals FC.

Initial reports from comrades at the Front was that George was missing, giving his parents hope that he had been taken as a prisoner of war.

Fellow Lutonian with the Londons, L-Cpl Percy Stimson, of Alma Street, wrote that they had been through a very rough time. He was among those out the next night searching for those who were missing but he was afraid there was very little hope for George Hart.

Cpl Harry Webb, who was captain of the Luton Casuals team and a great friend of George Hart, wrote: "I can't help worrying about old George. I shook hands with him just before we went over, and wished him luck, for he had to go before me. Shortly after that I was wounded [in the knee] and I had to wait two hours before I could get to the dressing station owing to the terrible shell fire."

Another friend and comrade, Drummer A. Lovethorp, said George Hart failed to report after a counter-attack on Germans who had tried to take front line British trenches. He and several others went out on a thorough search but failed to find him.

Pte Hart's fate was finally confirmed in October 1916 in a letter to his parents from a report by Pte L. H. Lee, of C Company, The Queen's, who was in hospital in France. He said he saw George instantly killed by a shell near the German barbed wire at Givenchy.