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 Edward Amos ('Ted') Perry, 39940, London Regiment (1st Surrey Rifles), died in a casualty clearing station in France on September 2nd, 1918, from wounds sustained in action.

Born in Slip End in 1899, he was a son of George and Emily Perry, of Summer Street, Slip End. He enlisted on March 31st, 1917, and went to France the following March.

Prior to enlisting, he had worked for T. Lye & Sons in Luton.

L-Cpl Reginald William Wiley, 78463, 4th Battalion London Regiment (Royal Fusiliers), was killed in action in France on August 31st, 1918. He was aged 19 and single.

Born in Luton in 1899, he was a son of William James and Mary Ann Wiley, of 81 Selbourne Road, Luton. He worked at George Kent's and had joined up in April 1917.

The Luton News reported that he was a well-known football player who had belonged to several junior clubs.

Pte Arthur Jesse Little, 69011, 1st Battalion Devonshire Regiment, was killed in action in France on August 30th, 1918. He was aged 20.

Born in Hertfordshire, he was one of four sons of Jesse and Emily Sarah Little, who in 1911 were living at Napps Nursery, Toddington Road, Leagrave. He is commemorated on the Leagrave War Memorial.

Pte Arthur Samuel Victor Long, 22461, 2nd Battalion Bedfordshire Regiment, was killed in action in France on August 29th, 1918.

Parents Samuel and Martha Long, of 139 North Street, Luton, were informed that their son had been shot through the heart by a sniper at Combles while crossing an open space with his captain, who had just chosen him as orderly. He died in a very few minutes, and was conscious only a few seconds. Pte Long, who was aged 20, had been expecting home leave at the time.

Pte Thomas Orchard, 6260, 23th Battalion Middlesex Regiment, was reported missing on August 20th, 1918, and later listed as killed in action on August 22nd. He was aged 33 and married with a daughter.

Widow Annie, living at 172 Wellington Street, Luton, with daughter Connie Freda (born 1909), was appealing for information on his whereabouts when Thomas's picture was published in The Luton News with little information about him.

Sec-Lieut Alfred Melbourne ('Chum') Coate, 15th Battery, 36th Brigade Royal Field Artillery, third son of the nine children of Canon Harry Coate, Vicar of St Matthew's Church, Luton, and his Australian-born wife Henrietta Mercy Coate, was killed at an observation post during a battle north of Albert in France on August 28th, 1918. [Newspaper reports at the time give a date of August 27th.]

Perhaps the oldest member of the local Territorial and Volunteer units, Mr Joseph Theodore Gething, of 4 Henry Street, Luton, died suddenly at home on August 27th, 1918, as the result of a severe attack of pneumonia. He was 67.

He was a sergeant-major with the 2nd Volunteer Brigade Bedfordshire Regiment, and had been a member of the Luton Volunteers since coming to live in the town in 1874, thus having completed 42 years service.

Pte Aubrey Chance, 49556, 1/1st Battalion Cambridgeshire Regiment, was killed instantly in action when hit by a shell during fighting in France on August 26th, 1918. He was aged 19 and single.

Born in 1899, Aubrey was a son of William and Jemima Chance, of 20 Vicarage Street, Luton. He was still at school at the time of the 1911 Census.

Before joining the Colours he was employed as a carter by Mr Stanley Tilcock, of Castle Street.

Able Seaman Claud Elwyn Corrin, R/5720, Hawke Battalion, Royal Naval Voluntary Reserve, was reported by the Admiralty to have been killed in action on August 25th, 1918. He had suffered being gassed in the spring of that year.

He had joined the Navy in the summer of 1917 and was posted to the Hawke Battalion.

Born at Rushden on the Isle of Man in August 1889, he was manager of the branch of chemists Duberley & White at 215 Dunstable Road. He was lodging at 20 Dunstable Road.

L-Cpl Hubert Edley Carrington, 60126, 26th Battalion Royal Fusiliers, was killed in action on September 20th, 1917. But it was a year before the War Office confirmed his death on the Menin Road, near Ypres, to widow Ethel at 98 Cambridge Street, Luton.

Hubert had been a bandsman in the 5th Beds Volunteers. He was in camp with the regiment when war broke out, and he was mobilised with the Territorial Force (no. 40412).

Pte Archibald ('Archie') Marshall, 47728, 14th Battalion Welsh Regiment, was killed in action in France, on August 22nd, 1918, less than three weeks before his 21st birthday.

He had joined the Royal Engineers shortly before war broke out and was subsequently transferred to the Welsh Regiment. He went out to France with a draft in January 1916.

Born in Hitchin on September 10th, 1897, he had moved to Luton with parents Herbert and Mina (Minnie) Marshall and his three sisters before the 1911 Census took place. The family lived at 10 Queen Square.

Pte John Vincent Blackburn, 20731, 1st Battalion Bedfordshire Regiment, died at Gezaincourt in France on August 24th, 1918, from wounds sustained in action the previous night. He was three weeks short of his 21st birthday.

Pte Frederick Leslie Bland, 77681, 13th Battalion Royal Fusiliers (County of London Regiment), was killed in action in France on August 23rd, 1918. He was the youngest son of Martha Elizabeth and George William Bland, stationmaster at Chiltern Green [station pictured just before closure in 1952].

Frederick had been called up on December 28th, 1917, and underwent training at Brocton Camp. He was placed in the Royal Fusiliers and sent out to France at the end of March 1918. He was 18 on October 14th, 1917.