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.

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.

Six weeks later, parents Henry Arthur and Emily Ward, of 10 Moreton Road, Round Green, appealed to his chums through The Luton News for any news they might have of him.

Prior to the war Albert, who was born in Mangrove in 1891, had worked at the Great Northern Railway goods yard in Luton.

Pte William Plater, 43459, 1st Battalion Bedfordshire Regiment, was killed in action in France on October 23rd, 1918. He was aged 24 and single.

He was a son of Frederick (died 1902) and Annie Plater, of 2 Chase Street, Luton. William had previously served in the Machine Gun Corps (26296).

At the time of the 1911 Census William was living with his widowed mother and two brothers at 12 Langley Place, Luton, and was employed as a general labourer. Before enlisting he had worked for Mr James Pollard, of May Street.

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.

He had joined the Territorials in 1911 and was called up at the commencement of war. The 27-year-old had previously been invalided home with trench fever.

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.

A chum wrote to widow May: “He was going back from the battalion to brigade headquarters after delivering a message and was hit by a machine gun bullet. His death must have been instantaneous.

“He was sent back behind the firing line and buried in a British cemetery in a little village.”

Sgt Frederick William Dawzie Rowley MM, 6535, 1st Battalion Bedfordshire Regiment, was killed in action during the advance on Bapaume on August 21st, 1918. Born in Luton in 1880, he had lived in the Middlesex area since serving in the Boer War and had completed almost 21 years in the Army.

Frederick had won the Military Medal for his devotion to duty at Vimy Ridge, and had been recommended for the Distinguished Conduct Medal.

Pte James Barnard Watkins, 11021, 1st Battalion Bedfordshire Regiment, died on September 3rd, 1918, from wounds sustained in action at Gezaincourt in France. He had returned from home leave only a week earlier, and had crossed over from Dover on August 29th.

A letter of sympathy from a Chaplain informed parents James Barnard and Alice Maud Watkins, of 125a North Street, Luton, that he had would be burying their eldest son on September 4th at a military cemetery. In due course a cross would be erected over his grave.

L-Cpl Edward Stanley Davis, 170, 1st Battalion Bedfordshire Regiment, was killed in action in France on September 2nd, 1918. The 35-year-old was the only son of aged widowed mother Margaret, who lived at the rear of 23 Duke Street, Luton.

Edward had enlisted when only 16 years old and had gone through the Boer War in South Africa. He was later employed as a general labourer before re-enlisting at the outbreak of war in August 1914, doing 18 months transport service ahead of being placed in the firing line.

Pte Andrew Wood MM, 12951, 1st Battalion Bedfordshire Regiment, is recorded as having been killed in action in Flanders on November 13th, 1917, although in a letter to his parents an officer said his death occurred on the morning of the 14th.

Second Lieut Vivian E, Farr wrote: "It is with infinite regret I have to inform you of the death of your son, Pte Wood (reserve stretcher-bearer) on the morning on November 14th. The battalion was holding a newly captured position, and was being subjected to heavy machine gun fire.

Pte Gerald Noel Lovell, 31617, 1st Battalion Bedfordshire Regiment, was killed in action in Flanders on October 9th*, 1917, according to military records.

He had enlisted in the Bedfords in November 1916 and was drafted to the Front the following April. His death came when a shell burst near him, also wounding two comrades.

Pte John Anderson, 37585, 1st Battalion Bedfordshire Regiment, was killed in action in France on June 28th, 1917. It was nearly a further two months before widow Annie learned from a chaplain that her husband's body had been found on the battlefield by a member of another regiment.

The chaplain wrote that Pte Anderson had taken part in the successful attack on enemy trenches on June 28th and was killed as the Bedfords were coming out of the line. He had been shot through the head. John had enlisted in February 1917 and had been in France only six weeks.

Pte Horace Fensome, 203933, 1st Battalion Bedfordshire Regiment, was killed in action in France on June 28th, 1917.

A battalion chaplain wrote to widow Mrs Florence Annie Fensome, at 100 Baker Street, Luton, to say her husband had been killed in a successful attack, but he suffered no pain. He was buried in a little cemetery close behind the line, and the battalion were erecting a cross over his grave.

Pte Fensome had joined up just over a year earlier, and had been in France only 11 weeks, seven weeks in the trenches.

Pte Frederick (Fred) Davis, 27629, 1st Battalion Bedfordshire Regiment, was killed in action at Arras in France on June 17th, 1917. He was aged 21.

He was born in his mother's home town of Croydon, Surrey, in 1896, and regimental records say he resided at Leagrave. Unfortunately, his death is totally unrecorded in Luton newspapers, although he is included on the Luton Roll of Honour with an address of 19 Tavistock Street, Luton - the post-war address of parents Henry (Harry) and Annie Davis.

Pte Albert Charles Smith, 3/6620, 1st Battalion Bedfordshire Regiment, was killed in action on or soon after May 14th, 1917. He was aged 22 and left a widow, Daisy, living at 3 Surrey Street, Luton.

The eldest son of Albert and Elizabeth Smith, of 25 Buxton Road, Luton, he enlisted in the Beds Regiment at the outbreak of war. He was drafted to France in October 1914 and received a bayonet wound just below the heart three weeks after his arrival. In August 1916 he was again wounded, by a shotgun wound to the leg.

Pte Harold Alfred Lake, 31484, 1st Battalion Bedfordshire Regiment, was killed in action during the Battle of Arras on or soon after April 23rd, 1917. He was aged 27 and had been married a little over a year.

Lieut G. C. Sharpe, of Pte Lake's company, wrote to Mrs Lake at 100 Ash Road, Luton, to inform her that her husband had gone missing in action on April 23rd but could gather no further information. It was possible he had been taken as a prisoner of war.