Pte Albert Hughes, 42733, 10th Battalion Worcestershire Regiment, was killed in action in Flanders on May 7th, 1917. He was an old Territorial who had served for over 10 years in India with the Bedfordshire Regiment before being called up at the outbreak of war for service with the Worcesters.

Second Lieut Macleod, writing to his family at 39 North Street, Luton, said that Pte Hughes had been buried behind the lines. His death had been practically instantaneous, thus causing no pain.

Gunner Charles Hobbs, 315375, Royal Garrison Artillery, died in action in Flanders on May 6th, 1917. He was aged 29 and had been killed instantly by a shell, the first man in his battery to die by enemy fire.

Charles and his wife Elizabeth (nee Webb) lived at 82 Highbury Road, Luton. The couple had married in 1911, and Charles was an employee of the CWS Cocoa factory in Dallow Road, Luton, prior to enlisting.

L-Cpl Aubrey Oliver Pryer, 23418, 14th Battalion Royal Warwickshire Regiment, died on May 6th, 1917, from wounds sustained in the Battle of Arras. He was aged 23.

Comrade Pte A. J. White wrote to parents John and Emily Agnes Pryer at 51 Belmont Road, Luton, to inform tham that 'Monty' [L-Cpl Pryer] had died from serious wounds. News came down the line that he was wounded and was being conveyed down later in the day.

Pte William Hankin, 307038, 2/7th Battalion Duke of Wellington's (West Riding Regiment), was killed in action in France on May 3rd, 1917. Older brother, Alfred (Beds Regiment), had died from wounds in France on October 30th, 1914.

Dunstable-born William had enlisted in the West Riding Regiment in March 1916 and went to France the following January. Parents Alfred and Alberta Hankin had moved from Dunstable and were living at 64 Ivy Road, Luton.

Pte Archie Walter Patten, 32151, 6th Battalion Bedfordshire Regiment, died in Etaples Hospital, France, on May 4th, 1917, from serious wounds sustained in the Battle of Arras on April 23rd. He was single and aged 24.

He had enlisted in the 1/5th Bedfords at the outbreak of war and took part in the Dardanelles campaign. He was invalided home with dysentery and spent three months in the Mile End Hospital. In November 1916 he was drafted to France.

Pte William Souster, 25633, 8th Battalion East Surrey Regiment (ex-3455 Middlesex Regiment), died on May 2nd, 1917, from wounds sustained near Arras earlier the same day. He was aged 33.

William married Emily Hatton, from Dorking, Surrey, at St Cuthbert's Church, Kensington, on August 6th, 1908. The couple lived at 446 Hitchin Road, Luton, and they had five children.

Before enlistment, William was employed as a straw hat factory foreman by Gilbert Brown & Co, 28 Victoria Street, Luton.

Sapper Harry Jeakings, 524257, 484th Field Company Royal Engineers, died on May 1st, 1917, from shrapnel wounds sustained in action in Egypt. He had enlisted in the E.A.R.E. in September 1915 and, after training at Maidenhead, he proceeded to Egypt at Easter 1916.

The son of fruiterers George and Louisa Jeakings, of 94 High Town Road, he was employed at the Davis, Clements & Co hat factory in Frederic Street.

Pte Henry Andrews, 32099, 6th Battalion Bedfordshire Regiment, was killed in action in France on April 29th, 1917.

He is commemorated on the Luton Roll of Honour with an address given as 43 Langley Street, Luton, although street directories from the time of his death suggest that may be a post-war family address. There appear to be no reports of his death in the local Press to provide further information.

Pte Frederick William Pestell, 30915, 7th Battalion Bedfordshire Regiment, was killed in action on April 28th, 1917. He was aged 39.

He was called up in July 1916 and, after a spell of training at Landguard on the East Coast, returned home before being drafted out to France in October. His widow, Elizabeth, received official notification of his death two weeks later at her home at 98 Cobden Street, Luton.

L-Cpl George Kidman, 12387, 6th Battalion Bedfordshire Regiment, was killed in action on April 23rd, 1917, during the Battle of Arras. He was aged 22.

In a letter to widowed mother Mrs Amelia Kidman, living at 16 Ashton Road, Luton, company commanding officer Lieut D. M. Saunders said L-Cpl Kidman and two friends were killed by a shell while sitting in a trench on April 23rd. He died instantly and suffered no pain.

Pte William Burkitt, 90012, 136th Field Ambulance, Royal Army Medical Corps, was killed on April 28th, 1917, by a shell which made a direct hit on the cellar in which he and four comrades were sheltering during the Battle of Arras. Three of the friends were killed outright.

Pte Walter George Catlin, 76700, 104th Field Ambulance, Royal Army Medical Corps, died of wounds in action on April 28th, 1917, during the Battle of Arras. He was a stretcher-bearer aged 19.

A Forces Chaplain wrote to bereaved parents Walter Henry and Maria Catlin, of 65 Clarendon Road, Luton, to tell them that their son was stretcher-bearing when a shell struck in the early morning, killing Walter and wounding four comrades. His body was taken to Haute-Avesnes and buried the same evening during a service attended by his commanding officer and other officers and men.

Second Cpl Eli Thomas Wilson, 522361, 486th Field Company Royal Engineers, was killed in action in Egypt on April 21st, 1917. He was aged 33 and had been in Egypt for nearly two years.

A letter to his widow, Rose Gertrude Wilson, at 14 Maple Road, Luton, said her husband was at work with a small party when a shell dropped among them, killing Cpl Wilson instantly. He was buried by the Brigade Chaplain, the Rev C. F. Johnson, in the evening.

Pte George Alfred Folks, 32117, 6th Battalion Bedfordshire Regiment, was killed in action in the Battle of Arras on April 23rd, 1917. He was aged 22.

A letter to parents George Edward Oliver Folks and Josephine Folks, of 20 Salisbury Road, Luton, from Sgt S. C. Lawrence, George's platoon sergeant, said their only son had been killed in action on April 23rd and he was sorry to lose such a good soldier.

Pte Folks had joined the Bedfordshire Regiment in November 1915 and went to France a year later.

Cpl Ralph Marshall, 31508, 6th Brigade Machine Gun Corps, died in the 16th General Hospital in France on April 22nd, 1917, from wounds received in action two weeks earlier. He was aged 22.

His fiancee, Lily Wildman, had been granted a permit to travel from Luton to France to be with him in his final hours. The couple had planned to marry when Ralph was next on leave, but that never happened. Lily was living with Ralph's parents, John and Elizabeth, at 44 Cambridge Street, Luton.