Details imported from Luton Absent Voters list and National Roll of the Great War (Section V)

Details imported from Luton Absent Voters list and National Roll of the Great War (Section V)

The National Roll (mostly submitted by families) describes his service as follows: 1st Air Mechanic Royal Air Force ( late RNAS) - he volunteered in June 1915 and after his training served on important duties with a Handley Page Bombing Squadron until 1917 when he was sent to France where he served until the end of the war and rendered valuable services. He was demobilised in October 1919 and holds the General Service and Victory Medals.

Details imported from Luton Absent Voters list and National Roll of the Great War (Section V).

The National Roll (mostly submitted by families describes his service as follows: He joined the 4th Bedfordshire Regiment in June 1916 and at the conclusion of his training early the following year was sent to France. While in this theatre of war he was engaged in fighting in the Arras sector and as a consequence of severe illness was for some time in hospital. He was demobilised after his return to England in September 1919 and holds the General Service and Victory Medals.

Details imported from Luton Absent Voters list and National Roll of the Great War (Section V).

The National Roll, (mostly submitted by families) describes his service as follows: He joined in March 1916 and after his training was drafted to France, where he took part in various engagements, and was invalided home through causes due to his service. On his recovery he was drafted in 1917 to Mesopotamia, where he rendered valuable service until 1919. He returned to England for his demobilisation in April 1919 and holds the General Service and Victory Medals.

Eldest son of Edwin Frank Thompson (Lithographer) and Adelaide Thompson (nee Eves), residents of 5 West View Road, St Albans, formerly of Maidstone, Kent.

Married Mary Everard on 23 October 1915 at Christ Church, St Albans. Eldest son, Douglas Frank Thompson, born on 6 January 1917 at 63 Wellington Street, Luton.

A postcard sized photograph of Frank Thompson's Confectionery & Tobacconist shop at 63 Wellington Street, Luton is held by Bedfordshire & Luton Archives & Records Service, Catalogue Reference Z1089/1

Leonard was a professional soldier aged 28 when war broke out in 1914. He was one of the original old contemptibles. He saw action from 1914 to 1918 and survived the war.

Stanley was the son of George Glenister of Adelaide Terrace, Luton. He drowned when the troop carrier Arcadian was torpedoed by an enemy submarine on 15th April 1917 in the Aegean Sea on the way to Egypt. His body was not recovered.

A survivor's account of the sinking can be found here.

Cyril was the son of William Scoats, a straw hat manufacturer of 70 Burr Street, Luton. He joined the Royal Army Medical Corps in 1915 and was sent to Egypt in 1917. He drowned when the troop carrier Arcadian was torpedoed by an enemy submarine on 15th April 1917 in the Aegean Sea. His body was recovered and he is buried in a military cemetery on the Greek island of Syra with other casualties from the Arcadian.

An account of the sinking by a survivor can be read here.

Sergeant William Ellingham was the son of Arthur and Annie Ellingham of Jubilee St, Luton. He won the Distinguished Conduct Medal in 1915 for Conspicuous Devotion to Duty near Ypres. His letter home to his parents telling them about the award was published in the North Buckinghamshire Times. He was killed in action on 18th August 1916, aged 28.

Sidney Hoar was a professional footballer for Luton Town FC who played for several local teams and the the Luton youth team before signing professionally  in January 1914 aged 18. He served in the Bedford Regiment and the Royal Field Artillery and was gassed in August 1917 in France. He recovered and returned to play for Luton Town in 1919-20.

Westby Heath was a professional footballer for Luton Town FC in the 1914-15 season. He joined the Royal Army Medal Corps and was wounded. He did not return to play for Luton in 1919-20.

All images are used with kind permission of Roger Wash, Luton Town Football Club Historian.

Frank Gilder was a pre-war amateur player with Luton Town FC. He enlisted with the London Regiment and was sent to France in March 1915. He was killed in action at Loos on 30th December 1915, aged 19.

Ernest J Dodd of East Common, Harpenden was a pre-war amateur player for Luton Town FC. He was killed in action on 17th July 1917, aged 25 whilst serving with the Royal Field Artillery in Belgium.

All images are used with kind permission of Roger Wash, Luton Town Football Club Historian.

Jock Jarvie was a professional footballer for Luton Town FC in the 1912-13 and 1913-14 seasons. At the end of the 1914 season he returned to his hometown of Glasgow. He enlisted and was killed in action in January 1916, aged 27.

Arthur Wileman was a professional footballer at Luton Town FC when he enlisted in the Footballers' Battalion of the Middlesex Regiment at Kingsway on 16th December 1914 with his Luton team mates Simms, Frith, Roe, Dunn and Wilson.

In doing so he was following the example set by his team mates Roberts and Lindley who had signed up the day before. Wileman was the top-scorer in the promotion winning team of 1913-14 and continued to play for Luton in the 1914-15 season whilst training with his battalion.