Rifleman Frederick Horace Rookwood, 3253, 17th Battalion London Regiment (Poplar and Stepney Rifles), was killed in action on the Somme on October 1st, 1916. He was aged 27.

Widow Kate and parents James and Clara, of 14 Ashton Street [later Gillam Street], Luton, heard the news first from Frederick's brother-in-law, who said he had seen Frederick's grave, "which is very nicely laid out". [The grave was probably lost as Frederick is recorded on the Thiepval Memorial for soldiers with no known grave].

Pte Ernest Brandom, G/14511, 2nd Battalion Royal Sussex Regiment, was killed in action on the Somme on September 9th, 1916. He was aged 20.

He joined up soon after war broke out and left for the Front just a couple of months before his death. Parents Frederick George and Sarah Ann Brandom lived at 38 Duke Street, Luton.

At the time of the 1911 Census, 15-year-old Ernest was described as a grocer's assistant.

L-Cpl Bert Holdstock, 2836, 1/24th County of London Regiment (The Queen's), was killed in action on the Somme on September 16th, 1916. His role was as a bomber.

Born around Christmas 1894, he was the youngest of five serving sons of Charles and Annie Holdstock, of 22 South Road (formerly Foundry Lane), Luton. He was single, aged 21 and 6ft 2in tall.

Prior to enlistment in the Londons when war broke out, he worked in the straw trade. He trained at St Albans and was wounded twice while serving for nearly two years in Flanders.

Pte William Dovaston, 3848, 9th Battalion Middlesex Regiment, was killed in action on the Somme on September 11th, 1916. He was aged 19.

Born at Islington, London, he was the son of Robert William and Caroline Dovaston, of 18 Selbourne Road, Luton. He enlisted in the Bedfordshire Regiment at the age of 17 and had served in Gibraltar and Egypt before being transferred to the Middlesex Regiment and sent to France.

William was formerly employed by Commercial Cars Ltd and was a member of All Saints Church choir. He played football for the church club.

Rifleman William Ernest Ratcliffe, S/11035, 3rd Battalion Rifle Brigade, died on the Somme on August 18th, 1916.

He is recorded as having been born in Luton around 1895 and is on the Luton Roll of Honour, but without an address. It is likely that his family had left Luton before the time of his death. The 1911 Census suggests that 16-year-old William was a boarder in a boys' home in London.

The Luton News carried a picture of the late Rifleman Ratcliffe, of Luton, in its October 5th, 1916, edition, but without further details.

L-Cpl Alfred Warren, 8134, 1/2nd Battalion London Regiment (Royal Fusiliers), was killed in action on the Somme on September 23rd, 1916. He was the son of Frederick William Warren of and his wife Jane (nee Williams), of 3 Dunstable Road, Leagrave.

Born at Olton, near Solihull, Warks, in 1897, he enlisted in the Bedfordshire Regiment (3548) at the age of 17, but before going to France was transferred to the London Regiment.

Bombardier Charles William Asbury, 33560, 39th Brigade, Royal Field Artillery, was killed in action on September 12th, 1916, on the Somme. He was aged 32.

Born in Harlington, he became an assistant porter with the Midland Railway at Flitwick in 1899 when aged 15. He attested as a 20-year-old with the R.F.A. in 1904 and served in India before joining the Reserve.

Second Lieut William Samuel Scruby, 12th Battalion Middlesex Regiment, was killed in action near Thiepval on the Somme on September 26th, 1916. He was aged 25 and had planned to marry during his next leave.

He had joined the Coldstream Guards in the ranks (Pte 11338) at the outbreak of war and only received his commission three months before his death in recognition of meritorious conduct in the field. He was gazetted to the Middlesex Regiment.

Temporary Sec-Lieut Herbert George Merchant, 9th Battalion Bedfordshire Regiment attached to the 7th Battalion, was killed in action on the Somme on September 28th, 1916. He was aged 22.

Pte Ernest William Furr, 3/7722, 7th Battalion Bedfordshire Regiment, was killed in action on the Somme on September 27th, 1916.

Born in Stopsley in 1897, he was the son of Selina and the late Alfred Furr, who in 1911 were living at Ramridge End with the surviving 12 of their 16 children. Alfred died in 1913, after which Selina and family moved to Hitchin Road, Luton.

In a 1915 street directory Selina is shown as living at 440 Hitchin Road, and on the Luton Roll of Honour commemorating Ernest the address is given as 454 Hitchin Road.

Company Sgt Major Arthur Fountain, 15400, 7th Battalion Bedfordshire Regiment, was killed in action on the Somme on September 27th, 1916.

Born in Markyate in 1881, he was a son of the late William Richard and Sarah Ann Fountain,of Luton Road, Markyate. He enlisted on September 7th, 1914, and had served at the Front without a scratch for about 18 months, with just one brief spell of home leave.

Pte Percy George Lane, 14614, 7th Battalion Bedfordshire Regiment, was killed in action on the Somme on September 27th, 1916. He was aged 22 and the only son of George and Elizabeth Lane, of 212 High Town Road, Luton.

Born in Coleshill, Amersham, Bucks, he was familiarly known as 'Mandy' to football comrades in Luton Victoria Rangers FC. Prior to enlistment he was a moulder at the Borough Engineering Works in Luton.

Pte Thomas James Swain, 18970, 1st Battalion Grenadier Guards, was killed in action on the Somme on or shortly after September 10th, 1916. He was aged 21.

The son of Luton Corporation employee Arthur Swain and his wife Jane, of 30 Arthur Street, Luton,

he had enlisted in August 1914. Previously he had been employed for 18 months by Messrs Powdrill.

Pte Christopher Perry, 22395, 8th Battalion Bedfordshire Regiment, was killed in action on the Somme on September 15th, 1916. He was aged 47.

Born in Luton in 1869, he married Emily Jane Crook in Luton in 1893. He had a married daughter, Rose, and a son, William, and in 1911 the family were living at 24 Spring Place, Luton. The address on the Luton Roll of Honour is given as 4 Park Place, Luton.

Pte Walter Henman, 19546, 8th Battalion Bedfordshire Regiment, was killed in action on the Somme on September 15th, 1916. He was aged 21 and the second son of William and Alice Henman, of Breachwood Green, to die in France in 11 days.

Born on April 24th, 1895, Walter Henman had undergone 11 months of training at Ampthill before going to the Front in January 1916. Prior to enlistment he worked as a farm labourer for Mr W. Ivory at Winch Hill Farm, near Luton.