Sgt Edward Norton, 277640, 15th Battalion Durham Light Infantry, was killed in action in France on September 10th, 1918. He had been in France only five weeks, was married and his widow was residing at 22 Pondwicks Road, Luton.

In the absence of official notification of her husband's death, Mrs Norton had received a letter with a wallet and her photograph which had been found by a soldier on her husband as he lay, shot through the head.

Born to Augustus and Mary Ann Norton at Stotfold, Beds, in 1881, Edward had previously worked for Hayward Tyler in Luton. He had married Susan Agnes Bushwell at St Matthew's Church, Luton, on September 14th, 1907.

Edward was an old Volunteer who had started in the bugle band in his youth, and rose with the Bedfordshire Regiment to the rank of sergeant, serving in two of the regiment's battalions. He was later transferred to the Durham Light Infantry.

Nearly 100 years later, human remains of two soldiers were discovered during excavations near Gavrelle in France, including possibly those of Edward Norton. The results of an appeal for family members to provide DNA in an attempt to confirm that the remains were those of Edward, proved inconclusive. The remains of the two men were reburied as unknown soldiers, but with full military honours, at Orchard Dump Cemetery, Arleux-en-Gohelle, in France on March 15th, 2018.

Edward is commemorated on the Vis-en-Artois memorial in France, on the Luton Roll of Honour/War Memorial and in the Book of Life compiled at Luton Parish Church.