Pte Henry Steer, 31483, 1st Battalion Bedfordshire Regiment, was killed in action in France on April 23rd, 1917. He left a widow, Clara May, and two children, Henry William and Marjorie Louise, living at 144 Baker Street, Luton.

Although no official news had initially been received, one of his officers wrote to Clara to say her husband had been killed in action on April 23rd. He did not suffer any pain as his death was instantaneous.

Henry Steer was for many years employed as a footman by the late Squire Crawley at Stockwood House. But for 11 years before enlistment in September 1916 he was employed by the Luton Industrial Co-operative Society as a bakery van man.

After joining up he was trained at Felixstowe before being drafted to France just before Christmas 1916. On the day before his death, Pte Steer wrote to his wife that he was all right, apart from feeling slightly unwell, and that he was just going up to the front line again.

Henry Steer was born in Horsell, Woking, Surrey, in 1881 and married Clara May Burgess in Luton in 1908.