Pte John Wood, 30700, 4th Battalion Bedfordshire Regiment, was killed in action in France on March 27th, 1918. He had joined the Beds Regiment in July 1916 and was wounded about a year before his death.

Born in Luton in 1882, a son of George and Louisa Wood, he married Annie Louisa Young at St Matthew's Church, Luton, on October 7th, 1908. The couple had one child, Percy John, born in late 1909.

Pte Frederick William Hoar, 25528, 2nd Battalion Bedfordshire Regiment, died of wounds in France on March 27th*, 1918. He was aged 23, single and a member of the Lewis gun section.

He was the son of Alfred and Ellen Hoar, of 37 Cowper Street, Luton. Before the war he was a boot maker employed by Mr Edward Hudson, of Dunstable Road.

Newspaper reports said his family had been informed that Frederick died on March 22nd. A family announcement in The Luton News from his "devoted sweetheart Edith" also carried a date of March 22nd.

Pte Albert Joseph Tomlinson, 41419, 11th Battalion Suffolk Regiment, was killed in action on March 21st, 1918, the opening day of the German spring offensive.

He was the only son of Alfred Joseph and Harriet Ann Tomlinson, of Sundon, and had worked for Luton butcher Mr William Panter in Park Street before enlistment. [Mr Panter died soon afterwards, on April 16th, after a long illness.]

Albert had joined a Training Reserve in February 1917 at the age of 19, and was transferred to the Suffolk Regiment in the following September.

Pte Walter Henry Halsey, 37787, 7th Battalion Suffolk Regiment, was killed in action in France on March 26th*, 1918, during the German spring offensive. He was aged 37 and been married a little over a year.

He had married Alice Maud Womwell by special licence at Christ Church, Luton, on January 24th, 1917. In a letter to Alice at 20 Ivy Road, Luton, her husband's captain wrote: "Your husband was unfortunately killed on the evening of the 26th. It will console you to know that he suffered no pain, as he was killed instantly by a machine gun bullet."

Pte Leonard Arthur Maynard, 118324, 56th Battalion Machine Gun Corps, died of gas shell wounds in hospital in France on March 25th, 1918. He was aged 24 and newly married.

Pte William James Bass, 29668, 2nd Battalion Bedfordshire Regiment, was killed in action on the Somme on March 24th, 1918, early in the German spring offensive.

He had seen 18 months service in France and was previously employed by Mr T. G. Hobbs in Luton.

The 1911 Census shows him living in Limbury Road, Leagrave, one of eight surviving children of James and Clara Jane Bass.

On July 29th, 1912, he married Louisa Scrivener, who also lived in Limbury Road, and records suggest they had two children - Elsie born in 1914 and William in 1916.

Pte John ('Jack') Poole, 52107, 12th Battalion Middlesex Regiment, was killed in action in France on March 24th, 1918, during the German spring offensive of that year. He would have been aged 19 on May 12th and was single but with "a sorrowing sweetheart".

Sgt G. Hamilton wrote to parents John and Mary Poole, of 100 Albert Road, Luton, informing them of their son's death, stating that he died gallantly at his post.

Pte Albert Claude Woodward, 41541, 7th Battalion Bedfordshire Regiment, was killed in action on March 22nd, 1918, during the German spring offensive on the Somme. He was aged 19 and single.

At the time of enlistment at the age of 18 in February 1917, Albert was employed by cycle dealer Ernest Starke, of 44 Castle Street.

He was one of ten surviving children of Thomas Robert and Emma Woodward, of 132 Dallow Road, Luton. He was an old boy of Waller Street School, attended King Street Congregational Sunday School and had been an amateur footballer.

Pte Harold Edward Steevens Phillips, 8344, 2nd Battalion Bedfordshire Regiment, was posted missing, later presumed killed in action, on March 21st, 1918, at the start of the German spring offensive on the Somme.

Shortly before being missed, Ted, as he was known, was escorting prisoners when heavy shell and machine gun fire broke out and the escort were ordered to take cover. Since then there had been no trace of him.

Pte Sidney Louis Felks, 33000, 2nd Battalion Bedfordshire Regiment, was posted missing, later presumed killed in action, in the German spring offensive on the Somme on March 22nd, 1918.

After joining the Bedfords in September 1914 and undergoing training at Newmarket and Darlington, he went to France in December 1916. On December 1st, 1917, he was wounded at Marcoing in the battle of Cambrai.

Prior to enlistment, Luton-born Sidney was employed by George Kent Ltd. Parents Albert and Clara Felks lived at 39 Collingdon Street, Luton.

Pte Alfred Edward Draper, 80023, 16th Field Ambulance, Royal Army Medical Corps, was killed in action in France on March 21st, 1918, the first day of the final major German offensive of the war.

He was one of six sons of Emma Clara and the late Frederick Draper, of 13 Newcombe Road, Luton, and had been employed in the warehouse of hat manufacturer Mr H. Clark, of Dumfries Street, before joining up.

Pte Frederick George Sheppard, 31533, 55th Battalion Machine Gun Corps (Infantry), was killed in action in France on March 18th, 1918. He was aged 23 and single.

In a letter to parents John and Annie Sophia Sheppard at 287 High Town Road, Luton, a lieutenant wrote: "It is with the deepest regret that I have to send you the sad news of your son's death this morning at 10 o'clock. He was walking along a communication trench with the rest of his gun team on the way to a new position.

Pte Christopher Joseph Lathwell, 235369, 1/4th Battalion South Lancs Regiment, was killed in action in France on March 15th, 1918. He left a widow and three children in Luton.

Widow Nellie, of 14 Moreton Road, Round Green, received news of her husband's death in a letter on March 16th written by Army Chaplain the Rev P. J. Fisher. He said Christopher was killed instantly by a shell while on duty just behind the trenches.

"I buried him this morning, and we were able to give him a decent Christian burial," added the Chaplain.

Pte Arthur Phillips, 33131, 8th Battalion Leicestershire Regiment, was believed to have been killed in action ten months after he was reported missing on May 3rd, 1917.

The news was given to his family at 67 Wimbourne Road, Luton, in March 1918. Pte Phillips had joined the Bedfords (5587) in 1915 and went to France in November 1916, where he was transferred to the Leicesters.

Before joining up he was employed by the Davis Gas Stove Co at the Diamond Foundry, Dallow Road.

Pte Cecil Moore Coombs, 45788, 12th Battalion Suffolk Regiment, was killed in action in France. He was reported missing on January 6th, 1918, and was still so listed by his mother when the Book of Life was created at Luton Parish Church in 1919. He had enlisted on March 31st, 1917, and trained at Felixstowe before proceeding overseas in September 1917.