Pte William Fensome, 18837, Machine Gun Corps, and formerly with the Essex Regiment (9882), was killed in action on July 1st, 1916, in the "Big Push" at the start of the Battle of the Somme.

Military records show him to have been the son of widower Mr Thomas Fensome, of 5 Ebenezer Street, Luton, and give his age as 28. The Ebenezer Street address is included on the Luton Roll of Honour.

Sgt William Hyde, 13379, 7th Battalion Bedfordshire Regiment, died in the 21st Casualty Clearing Station in France on July 2nd, 1916, from wounds sustained the previous day at the start of the Battle of the Somme.

Born and living in Toddington, he was the son of George and Mary Ann Hyde. He left a widow, Alice, and one child, Alice Elizabeth, who were later living at 45 Collingdon Street, Luton. He is included on the Luton Roll of Honour.

L-Cpl Charley George Cox, 19213, 7th Battalion Bedfordshire Regiment, was killed in action on the Somme on July 1st, 1916. He would have been 22 years old the following week.

Born in Barkway, Herts, he was single and the eldest son of Walter and Elizabeth Sophia Cox, of 166 North Street, Luton. Prior to enlistment he worked at the hat manufacturing premises of Messrs G. Dimmock & Co, Melson Street, Luton, in the felt department.

Pte Frank Gates, 13335, 7th Battalion Bedfordshire Regiment, was killed in action in the "Big Push" on the Somme on July 1st, 1916. He was aged 23.

The son of the late Benjamin (died 1908) and Elizabeth Rose Gates, of 82 Burr Street, Luton, he was before the war employed by George Kent's Ltd and was a regular attendant at the Wesleyan Central Mission Brotherhood. He enlisted with the Colours at the outbreak of war.

Pte Lionel Ralph Worsley, 3/7730, 7th Battalion Bedfordshire Regiment, was killed in action in the Big Advance at the start of the Battle of the Somme on July 1st, 1916. He was aged 33, married and lived at 24 Ash Road, Luton.

He and his comrades had leapt over the parapet, and Lionel, a bomber, was pointing out to his gunner pal a number of enemy troops in a trench when a sniper shot him in the head. He fell back into his comrades arms and died instantly. The Beds & Herts Saturday Telegraph said he had been buried in a hero's grave at Carnoy.

Prominent Luton athlete Sgt Percy Edward Rickard, 3/8141, 7th Bedfords, was killed instantly while in action on the first day of the Battle of the Somme - July 1st, 1916.

Well before official confirmation was received, parents William and Lucy Rickard, of 45 Crawley Road, Luton, had had letters from comrades who saw him fall.

Rifleman Arthur Thomas Mahon, 301057, London Regiment (London Rifle Brigade), was killed in action on July 1st, 1916, at the age of 19. Born in Aberdeen, he was the son of the Rev Edward Mahon, Pastor of King Street Congregational Church, Luton, and Mrs Agnes Catherine Mahon, of 48 Napier Road, Luton.

Pte Stanley Walter Fensome, 15296, 7th Battalion Bedfordshire Regiment, was killed in action on July 1st, 1916. He was aged 20 and the eldest son of Luton bootmaker Mr Walter Fensome and his wife Elizabeth, of 63-65 Duke Street, High Town.

The sad news for his family was contained in a letter from the Wesleyan Chaplain to the battalion, the Rev G. Jarvis Smith. He said Stanley was killed in action on the Saturday morning and he had found his body soon after the battle was over. Stanley was given a Christian burial and the spot where he fell had been carefully marked.

Pte Frederick Herbert Carter, 15249, D Company, 7th Battalion, Bedfordshire Regiment, was killed in action on the Somme on July 1st, 1916. He never again got to see his wife, Jessie (nee Walters), of King's Road, Luton, after he married her while on leave a year earlier and had had to make a hurried return to his regiment.

Jessie received the official notification of he husband's death on July 20th. He had gone to France on July 26th, 1915, and was never fortunate enough to get home leave afterwards.

Pte Frederick William Armstrong, 19794, 7th Bedfords, was killed in action on July 1st, 1916 - the first day of the Battle of the Somme. He was aged 20.

Born in a cottage at Eaton Green Farm, Stopsley, in 1896, he was the son of Thomas and Annie Elizabeth Armstrong. His brother Charles, also a private in the 7th Bedfords, wrote to his parents with the sad news of his death. Frederick had been homes on leave five weeks before his death.

Killed - Bedfordshire Regt - 12250 R. Franklin (Luton). This brief mention on a War Office casualty list appears to have been all that was reported in Luton on the death of Pte Reginald John Franklin, 6th Battalion, Bedfordshire Regiment, on June 30th, 1916.

Pte Harry Bacchus, 9272, 2nd Battalion Bedfordshire Regiment, was killed in action near Maricourt, on the Somme, on June 29th, 1916. He was aged 29.

Pte Bacchus was employed by coal merchants John Facer and Son until about 1908, when he joined the 2nd Bedfords. Since then he had spent a considerable amount of time abroad, serving in Bermuda, Malta and South Africa. He had returned from Africa at the beginning of the war.

Pte Thomas Frederick Harris, 17671, 6th Bedfordshire Regiment, died on June 25th, 1916, from wounds sustained in action. He was aged 28 and left a widow and three young children living in Slip End.

Born in Bricket Wood, he was the son of Thomas and Jemima Harris, of Front Street, Slip End. The former clay miner at a brickworks had been in France for about 11 months. He was married in 1909.

Ernest W.T. Groom was a member of the 2nd Battallion The Bedfordshire Regiment, and was killed on the 11th July 1916 during the attack on Trones Wood.

The advance started at 3:10 AM, and the advance was not spotted until the men were 400 yards from the enemy. At this moment, machine guns opened fire on the men and the battle began. The woodlands were so dense and the night so dark, that it became impossible to see more than 5 yards ahead.

Private Groom died alongside 5 Officers and 239 Other ranks.

Sidney Price's story is linked to Luton via finding his name in an Autograph Book that existed in Collingdon Street during WW1.

He draws a beautiful winter scene on one of the earlier pages, and so I simply had to research his story.