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 Ernest Farrigh Napier, 291545, 1st Herts Regiment, was killed in action in France on September 21st, 1918. Aged 24, he was the youngest of seven sons of James and Anne Napier, who ran the Moor Path Tea Rooms in New Bedford Road, Luton.
Pte Harry Ford, 41898, 1st Battalion Northants Regiment, Machine Gun Section, became the third son lost to his family when he was killed in action in France on September 24th, 1918, a month before his 19th birthday.
Capt Arthur George Starkings, 38th Canadian Infantry (Eastern Ontario Regiment), was killed in action instantly by a machine gun bullet through the heart while serving in France on September 27th, 1918. He was born in Luton and went to Canada as a missionary in 1913 at the age of 25.
Pte Reginald Barton, 14510, 2nd Battalion Royal Sussex Regiment, was killed in action in France on September 24th, 1918. He was aged 20.
Gunner William Ewart Waller, 125244, 317th Brigade Royal Field Artillery, was killed in action on September 12th, 1918. He was aged 20.
Luton-born son of George and Mary Ann Waller, he was by 1911 living with his uncle and aunt, Elijah and Rebecca Rickard at 95 Boyle Street, Luton.
Pte Reginald Bass, 30585, 6th Battalion Royal West Kent Regiment, was killed in action in France on September 21st, 1918. He was single and aged 19.
He was a son of Eli and Ellen Bass, of 54 Cromwell Road, Luton, living there in 1911 with two brothers and ten sisters.
Pte Herbert John Savage, 99640, 8th Battalion King's Liverpool Regiment, was killed in action on September 11th, 1918. The 30-year-old was born in Bedford and moved to Luton following his marriage in 1912.
Pte Cyril Long, 52254, 1st Battalion Lincolnshire Regiment, was killed in action in France on September 29th, 1918. He was aged 19 and single.
Pte Bernard Andrews Bone, 57804, 1/5th Battalion Cheshire Regiment, died in No. 4 Canadian Casualty Clearing Station in France on September 30th, 1918, the day after he was struck by an enemy shell.
Gunner Daniel Thomas Martin, 277580, 119th Heavy Battery, Royal Garrison Artillery, died in the 12th General Hospital at Rouen in France on September 30th, 1918. He had been severely wounded in the chest and right arm at the beginning of August.
L-Cpl William Perrins, 80174, 23rd Royal Fusiliers, was killed in action in France on September 30th, 1918. He left a widow and a child living in Luton.
Cpl William Hart, 17369, 6th Battalion Northants Regiment, died in hospital at Rouen in France on October 1st, 1918, after sustaining a wound in the left arm in action on September 22nd. He was aged 34.
Gunner Frank Fairbridge Moate, 641, 3rd Australian Machine Gun Corps, was killed in action in France on September 18th, 1918.
Pte Clement Philip Ernest Rash, 51377, 2nd Battalion Manchester Regiment, was killed in action on October 1st, 1918. He was aged 24 and a native of Haverhill, Suffolk, who had been working as a fitter at George Kent's Ltd.
Gunner Wallace Cooke, 43618, 187th Brigade Royal Field Artillery, was killed in action in France on October 2nd, 1918. He was one of five men killed in the 8pm attack, with many more injured, including Sgt W.
Acting Lieut-Colonel (Rev) Bernard William Vann VC, MC, DSO, 8th Battalion Sherwood Foresters (Notts & Derby Regiment), was killed in action in France on October 3rd, 1918.
Sapper William Henry Trotter, 524322, 4th Foreway Coy Royal Engineers, was killed by a shell in France on October 7th, 1918, while at a medical station going through the formalities for being granted home leave. He was aged 20 and single.
Pte Archie Alec Champkin, 76499, 4th Battalion London Regiment (Royal Fusiliers), was killed in action in France on October 8th, 1918. He was aged 19 and prior to enlistment had worked for Commercial Cars in Biscot Road, Luton.
Pte John Walker Langford, 27657, 4th Battalion Bedfordshire Regiment, was killed in action in France on October 8th, 1918. He was aged 38.
Pte George Butterfield, 17000, 1st Battalion Bedfordshire Regiment, was killed in action in France on September 27th, 1918. He was born in Luton and had been married for almost two years.
Pte Percy James Costin, 52084, 1st Battalion Middlesex Regiment, died of wounds sustained in action in France on October 10th, 1918. He was aged 20 and single.
Rifleman Wilfred Cyril Bywater, 44378, 13th King's Royal Rifles, was killed in action in France on August 24th, 1918.
L-Cpl Sidney William Farr, 31137, 1st Battalion Bedfordshire Regiment, was killed in action in France on September 29th, 1918. He died instantly from a gunshot in the head.
Spr John Winfield Trussell, 489931, 46th Division Signal Coy, Royal Engineers, died in a casualty clearing station in France on October 7th, 1918, from wounds sustained in action. Poignantly, he was due to receive the Military Medal he had been awarded.
Driver Frederick Leslie George Braybrook, 528055, 54th Division Signals Coy Royal Engineers, died from typhoid fever in the 48th Stationary Hospital in Egypt. He was aged 25 and single.
Driver Bertie Frederick Eales, 797123, 246th Brigade Royal Field Artillery, was killed in action on October 14th, 1918. In a letter of sympathy widow Ellen Emma Eales, Sgt W. H. Senior wrote: “It was caused by hard luck, just a chance shell that happened to be fatal for that team.
Pte Percy Stanbridge, 19686, 8th Battalion Royal West Kent Regiment, was killed in action at Housey in France on October 16th, 1918. He had joined up about 20 months earlier from Vauxhall Motors, where he was working as a car builder.
L-Cpl Horace Frederick Alfred Hudson, 023764, 93rd Coy, Army Ordnance Corps, died from influenza in a stationary hospital in Italy on October 16th, 1918. He was aged 26.
Sec Lieut Reginald Sydney Strange, attached 1st Battalion Northants Regiment, was killed in action at Le Cateau in France on October 17th, 1918. He was single and a month short of his 24th birthday.
Pte Percy Mead, 46998, 12th Battalion King's Royal Rifles, died of wounds in the 17th Casualty Clearing Station in France on October 17th, 1918. He was aged 19 and had previously served in the Beds Regiment (11038).
Pte William Fensome, 307015, 16th Battalion Tank Corps, was killed by a shell in action in France on October 17th, 1918. According to his commanding officer, he was buried at the time at Regincourt. [His body was probably later exhumed and reburied.]
L-Cpl Sidney Baines, 83889, Machine Gun Corps, died in the Middle East from malaria on October 19th, 1918. He was aged about 34 and left a widow Nellie, whom he had not officially married, plus two children living at 14 Windmill Street, High Town.
Pte Richard (Dick) Swift, 58923, 1st Battalion Northants Regiment, was on sentry duty in France when he died from the shock of a shell exploding close to him on October 20th, 1918.
Pte Charles Cole, 50684, 1/6th Battalion Cheshire Regiment, died on October 20th, 1918, from wounds sustained in France. [Some military records give his surnames as Coles.]
Pte Henry Turner (known as Happy Harry), 32121, 1st Battalion East Surrey Regiment, was killed in action in France on October 20th, 1918. He was a nephew of Luton Town FC trainer Billy Lawson, and was due to have been married at the end of November. His fiancee had made all the preparations.
Pte William Plater, 43459, 1st Battalion Bedfordshire Regiment, was killed in action in France on October 23rd, 1918. He was aged 24 and single.
Pte Reginald Thomas Ashby, 47056, 9th Battalion Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers, was killed in action in France in the advance at Le Cateau on October 15th, 1918. He was aged 20 and single.
Pte Albert George Ward, 47988, 1st Battalion Bedfordshire Regiment, was presumed killed in action in France on October 23rd, 1918, the day he was reported missing by the War Office.
Pte Arthur Kiff, 73413, 23rd Battalion Royal Fusiliers, was reported missing and then “killed in action or died of wounds received in action, on October 8th, 1918, or shortly after”.
Pte Albert Edward (Bert) Gadsby, 25430, 1st Battalion Bedfordshire Regiment, died from wounds at Rouen on October 29th, 1918, six days after combat that had included the liberation of Lille and surrounding French villages.