Pte Harry (Henry) Sharp, 228138, 1st City of London Regiment (Royal Fusiliers), died of wounds sustained in Flanders on September 5th, 1917. He was attached to the 13th Battalion Royal Fusiliers.

Tragically for parents Harry and Edith May Sharp, of 5 Windmill Street [later Welbeck Road], Luton, Pte Sharp's death occurred on the day news reached them that their other son Horace had been killed in a German bombing raid over Chatham Dockyard on September 3rd.

Pte Alfred Large, G/14842, 12th Battalion Royal Sussex Regiment, was killed in action in Flanders on July 31st, 1917.

A son of Mrs Susan Large and the late Frederick Large, he had enlisted in the Bedfordshire Regiment in October 1914 and was transferred to the Royal Sussex Regiment after his training at Newmarket and being drafted to France in August 1916. He was wounded the following November and sent back to England to be treated at the Ontario Military Hospital in Orpington, Kent. He had returned to France in May 1917.

Pte James Lamb, 235257, 8th Battalion Lincolnshire Regiment, was killed in action on July 29th-30th, 1917, when a shell fell on his trench. A comrade with him escaped simply because he had gone to get his rifle.

Pte Joseph William Hare, 33634, 2nd Battalion Bedfordshire Regiment, was killed in action in Flanders on July 28th, 1917. He left a widow, Alice, and had been married for only 16 months.

Joseph had joined the Bedfordshire Yeomanry in 1915 and was quickly promoted to lance-corporal. At Christmas 1916 he was transferred to the Bedfordshire Regiment and reverted to the ranks. With them he went to France. On April 20th, 1917, he was wounded but returned to the fighting line after a three weeks stay at the base, and remained in service until his death at the age of 26.

Pte Albert George Taylor, 8459, 1st Battalion South Staffordshire Regiment, was killed in action at Ypres on November 7th, 1914. His widowed mother Sophia and sister Mabel were then living at 42 Collingdon Street, Luton.

Pte Oswald Simmonds, 7948, 1st Battalion, Loyal North Lancashire Regt, was presumed killed in action on October 31st, 1914. But it was 15 months later before his wife Rose Lilian received official notification of his death.

Pte Simmonds, who was aged about 30, was included in the lists of men who had joined the colours that were printed in the Luton News in 1914. His address was given as 56 May Street, Luton, the address also included on the Luton Roll of Honour.

Pte George Cox, 1428, 1/4th Battalion London Regiment (Royal Fusiliers), was killed in action in Flanders on April 27th, 1915. He was aged 27.

Born at Watbridge, East Hyde, he had worked on the Luton Hoo Estate for seven years until going to London to work for about three years. He joined the Territorials prior to the war, and on the outbreak of hostilities he was mobilised as a member of the 4th City of London Royal Fusiliers.

He was reported wounded and missing on April 27 during a bayonet charge. Six months later his family were still awaiting further news.

Pte Horace Hammett, 3/7435, 1st Bedfords, was killed in action at Hill 60 in France on May 5th, 1915. He was posted "missing and wounded" on June 9th but it was not until September that his parents received official notification of his death.

Pte George Draper, 10763, 1st Battalion Beds Regt, was killed in action near Hill 60 on July 11th, 1915. He was aged 20.

The son of John and Annie Draper, who were living at 128 Chapel Street [Farley Hill], Luton at the time of the 1911 Census, he was a plumber before enlisting shortly after war broke out. He was killed at a listening post which the Germans blew up at 7 o'clock in the evening.

Pte John Devereux, 3071, 1/5th Lincolnshire Regiment, was killed in action on August 14th, 1915. Born in Bow Brickhill in October 1887, he had come to Luton four years previously and lived with his wife Gertrude, whom he married in the summer of 1909, and three children at 63 Hampton Road.

At the time of the 1911 Census he was a brickyard labourer living in Wavendon, and at that stage had two young children, toddler Walter and eight-month-old baby Margery.

Sgt Herbert Bunyan, 11446, 2nd Battalion Sherwood Foresters (Notts and Derby Regiment), was killed in action at Hooge in Flanders on August 9th, 1915, and was buried in Sanctuary Wood.

He enlisted in the Midland Regiment about four years earlier when his family lived at 16 Park Place, Park Street, Luton. He was born in Caddington in 1891, although Press reports gave his age as 22.

News of Sgt Bunyan's death had reached parents Hugh and Eliza Bunyan, then living at 84 Langley Road, Luton, three weeks before the official notification arrived on August 31st.

Lance-Corporal Percy Edward Woodcroft, 9353, 2nd Beds Regt, was killed in action on October 31st, 1914. He was aged 23 and son of Mr and Mrs Edwin Woodcroft, of 73 Ivy Road, Luton.

A native of Colchester, he came to Luton with his parents and, with his brothers and sister, went to Surrey Street School. After leaving school he joined the Volunteers as a bugler boy, and when old enough enlisted with the Bedfords, going to Aldershot and from there to South Africa.

Pte Sidney Cain, 3/7393, 2nd Battalion, Beds Regt, was killed in action on October 31st, 1914. He was 28 years old.

Parents Mr and Mrs Alfred Cain, who lived at 54 Duke Street, Luton, learned from Pte Bates, who had been serving with Pte Cain, that their son was killed instantly by a rifle bullet in one of the big engagements during which the 2nd Bedfords were in the thickest of the fighting and suffered heavy casualties.