Luton's People 1914-1918
This page contains a list of soldiers/civilians from Luton and surroundings 1914-1918, and the ancestors of people who live in Luton today. It has been compiled from the 1918 Luton Absent Voters List, Rolls of Honour; and information researched and uploaded by project volunteers and members of the public.
If you find your ancestor here, and there is only basic information available, then feel free to use the comment box to add further information you may already know. The WWI Project Team, can then add this further information to the basic data we already hold.
The sources of this information can be found via the links below. Please feel free to download and use this information, but please please search for and upload your ancestor to the site if/when you find them:-
Absent Voters List
Luton Roll of honour
Before adding anybody to the site, it is always advisable to search for your ancestor first.
Pte George Bunyan, 8601, Highland Light Infantry, died on November 5th, 1914, from wounds received in action the previous day. He was aged 28.
Pte Sidney James Whittemore, 6710, of the 1st Battalion, Beds Regt, was killed in action in the neighbourhood of Ypres on November 7th, 1914. He was aged 34.
Pte Bert Spacey, 10281, A Company, 1st Battalion, Beds Regt, was killed in action at Ypres on November 7th, 1914. His age is recorded as 19.
Born in 1894, he lived with his mother Ellen and brother Percy, at 1 East Avenue, Park Street, Luton.
Pte James Brown, 3/6100, 1st Battalion, Beds Regt, was posted missing, believe killed in action, on November 5th, 1914. He was born in Lilley in 1889 and was living at 5 Chase Street, Luton, in 1911.
Pte Percy Worboys, 7144, 1st Battalion, Beds Regt, was killed in action on November 7th, 1914. He was born in Lime Kiln Lane, Ashwell, Herts, and lived at 51 Cobden Street, Luton.
Pte Frederick John East, 3/6435, 1st Battalion Bedfordshire Regiment, was killed in action on November 7th, 1914. He was killed by a shell during the retreat from Mons.
Pte George William Field, 7028, 1st Battalion, Beds Regt, was killed in action on November 7th, 1914.
Pte Frederick Charles Webb, 8136, 1st Battalion, Beds Regt, was killed in action at Ypres on November 9th, 1914.
Corporal Frederick Chalkley, 9531, 1st Battalion, Beds Regt, was killed in action on November 9th, 1914. He was aged 22.
Born in Markyate in 1892, he was the son of William Chalkley, of 5 Church Street, Slip End.
Private Archer (Archie) Godfrey, 3/6526, 1st Battalion, Beds Regt, was killed in action on November 9th, 1914. He was aged 23.
Private Joseph Harcourt, 3/5014, 1st Battalion, Bedfordshire Regiment, was killed in action on November 9th, 1914.
Pte Horace Alfred Ward, 7269, 1st Battalion, Beds Regt, was killed in action at the first Battle of Ypres on November 14th, 1914. He was aged 30 and the husband of Alice, of 219 Castle Street, Luton, whom he married in 1905.
Pte Archibald (Archer) Punter, 5604, 1st Battalion, Beds Regt, was killed in action on November 16th, 1914, in the First Battle of Ypres. He was a married man aged 33, whose wife lived at 24 Dane Road, Luton.
First-class Petty Officer Charles Dimmock, 192556, an old boy of Queen Square School, Luton, was one of the crew of HMS Good Hope missing with all hands following the Pacific naval battle of Coronel, off the Chilean coast.
Pte Albert Frederick Holland, 1353, B Company, 1st Battalion, Manchester Regiment, was killed in action on November 28th, 1914. He was aged 23.
Pte Walter O'Brien, 10119, A Company, 2nd Battalion, Beds Regt, was killed in action at Ypres on October 26th, 1914. He was aged 20.
Seaman George O'Brien, J26306, HMS St Vincent, died on his ship in the North Sea on November 15th, 1914. He was aged 18.
Pte Frederick William Miller, 7469, 1st Battalion, Beds Regt, was killed in action near Ypres on November 7th, 1914. He was aged 35.
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.
From 09/1914 to 25/03/1919, Nora Durler (nee Cumberland) was the Joint Commandant of Wardown VAD Hospital Luton, responsible for its management and supervising its administration. The other Commandant was her auntie, Mrs Green.
Pte John Harris Conway, 7869, 1st Battalion Norfolk Regiment, was killed in action near Ypres on November 20th, 1914. He was born in 1891.
Mary Anne Green, centre, flanked by her daughters who all worked at Wardown V.A.D. hospital during WW1.
Walter Smith was captured on the 22nd October 1914, and interned in a POW camp near Munster when he wrote to his sister asking for food.
He was found by the Germans suffering froma grenade wound to the right shoulder.
Walter Barton was captured at Arras, unwounded, by the Germans on the 23rd March 1918.
In 1911 Walter was living with his father Albert Barton & his Scottish wife Mary Ann, at 13 Henry Street.
Alfred Barton was captured at Cremery (France), unwounded, by the Germans on the 26th May 1918.
In 1911 Alfred was living with his father Albert Barton & his Scottish wife Mary Ann, at 13 Henry Street.
Lance-Corporal Alfred Ward, 5697, 1st Battalion Bedfordshire Regiment, was killed in action near Wulvergem in Belgium on January 31st, 1915. He was aged 24.
Pte Henry George Pateman, 13260, 2nd Battalion Beds Regt, was killed in action near Ypres on February 24th, 1915. He was aged 19.
Luton-born Pte Alfred William Simpson, 8928, 2nd Durham Light Infantry, was killed in action in France on February 24th, 1915. He was aged 38.
William Henry Payne was 1 of 10 children born to Arthur, a brass finisher & Mary. He was born in Luton in January 1890.
Rifleman Sidney George Lewin, 2154, 4th Battalion Rifle Brigade, was killed in action on March 1st, 1915. Only son of Sarah Lewin and the late George William Lewin, of 23 Winsdon Road, Luton, he was aged 24.
Thomas Alfred Ernest Rickard was the eldest of 4 children born to Thomas Ernest an iron foundry labourer & Charlotte Eliza a straw hat machinist.
Pte Herbert George Ayres, 27915, 6th Battalion Northants Regiment, who died from double pneumonia on October 26th, 1918, was buried at Luton Church Cemetery in Crawley Green Road on October 31st.
It was reported in the Luton News on 21st September 1916 of the death of 2/Lieutenant Alexander Pigott Wernher, youngest son of Sir Julius & Lady Wernher.
Lieutenant John Wilfrid Staddon of the East Surrey Regiment was the eldest son of John Henry Staddon, the Mayor of Luton & his wife Kate Elizabeth.
Sidney Strapp was born in Luton in July 1893.
In 1911 he was 17 years old, living at 20 Ridgway Road & working as a hat blocker.
Charles Strapp was born in Luton in 1892.
He served in the Labour Corps.
He survived the war & in 1922 married Ida A Long.
He died in Luton in 1967.
Bertie Strapp was born in Luton in October 1895.
He served in the Machine Gun Corps.
He survived the war & died in 1959.
George Strapp was born in January 1898 in Luton.
He served in the East Surrey Regiment.
He survived the war & in 1922 married Emily Philpott.
He died in Luton in March 1963.