Pte Cecil Harold Blaydon, 200712, 1/5th Battalion Bedfordshire Regiment, was killed instantly in a raid on enemy lines on July 20th, 1917. The 21-year-old was buried in a cemetery behind British lines.

He was the second son of Sidney and Mary Lily Blaydon, of The Knapps, Toddington Road, Leagrave, to have died in action. Youngest son Albert Edward died at Gallipoli in August 1915.

Cecil served as a stretcher-bearer with the Bedfords from the outbreak of war. Like his younger brother he had served at Gallipoli.

Pte Arthur William Purser, 13857, 7th Battalion Bedfordshire Regiment, was severely wounded on the Somme on July 1st, 1916. For the next 12 months he underwent operations in hospital. In July 1917 he was sent home on leave to prepare for a further operation. On July 20th he died in uniform at home in Toddington, at the age of 32.

Pte Samuel George Whittington, 200564, 7th Battalion Bedfordshire Regiment, was killed in action under shell fire near Ypres on July 18th, 1917. He was aged 34, married and had a daughter.

Capt S. Tabor sent the news to widow Nellie at 79 Hastings Street, Luton. Pte Whittington had seen only eight weeks service with the battalion in France, although he had joined the Beds Regiment in another battalion at the outbreak of war.

Bertie Frederick Eales was born in Luton in 1886. Eldest child of 6 born to Edwin & Kate.

In early 1911 26 year old Bertie married Ellen Emma Shaw & at the time of the census in April that year they had set up home together at 104 Bury Park Road. Both are working in the hat trade, Bertie is a warehouseman & Ellen in a straw hat finisher.

In 1912 their son Bertram Reginald was born, but sadly on 25th July 1915 he died.

Percy Gurney was born in Luton in January 1893. He was 1 of 8 children born to Tom & Emily.

In 1911 Percy is 17 & living at 48 Hartley Road with his family that are all working from home in the hat trade. His father Tom is 42 & a self employed straw hat manufacturer, his mother Emily, 40 & 19 year old sister Emily Rosa, are both straw hat finishers & younger brother, 16 year old Frederick George, is a straw hat machinist. His 12 year old sister Lizzie is at school.

Sydney Charles Powell was born in 1882 in Luton.

In 1904 Sydney married Lizzie Gregory.

In 1911 Sydney is 29 years old & living with his family at 52 Ash Road & working as a straw hat packer with A. Hucklesby & Co, by whom he had been employed from the age of 17. Lizzie is 28 & working as a straw hat machinist at home whilst looking after their children, 6 year old Doris & 4 year old Sidney Charles. Lizzie's 73 year old widowed father George Gregory is also living with them in this 4 roomed house.

Percy Luck was born in 1884 in Luton, 1 of 4 children born to William & Sarah Ann.

In 1911 Percy is 17 years old & assisting in the family business of bakers & confectioners at 38 Bury Park road. His 50 year old father, 50 year old mother & 19 year old sister Nellie May are all working at the bakery. Percy's paternal aunt Ada Williamson, 44 is living with them, so is their general domestic servant 22 year old Edith Aston.

Reginald Roland Gurney Press was born in St Albans on 4th February 1895, 1 of 3 children born to Frederick Edmond & Lillian Ada.

In 1901 aged 5 years, Reginald is living at 48 North Street, Carshalton, Surrey. His father is 42 years old & working as a tobacconist whilst his 32 year old mother is at home looking after him & his 4 month old sister Rosa.

C H Smith served in The Queen's (Royal West Surrey Regiment). He died on 25th March 1920 & was buried in the Rothesay Road cemetery.

Peter joined the Bedfordshire Regiment, then transferred to the Machine Gun Corps. He saw service in France in November 1914. Peter died on 7th July 1917 & was buried in the cemetery on Rothesay Road.

Pte Charles Frost MM, 15525, Gloucestershire Regiment, died in hospital at Taplow, Bucks, on September 27th, 1918, as the result of a gunshot wound that fractured his right thigh in France on August 11th.

He had spent three weeks in hospital in France before being brought back to England and an anticipated recovery. His body was brought back to Luton and buried at the General Cemetery in Rothesay Road on the afternoon of October 3rd.

Joseph Arthur Freeman was born in 1894 in Luton, only son of Joseph and Rose.

In 1911 he is 17 years old and assisting in the family business and living with his parents at 'Elvaston' No 33 London Road. His mother Rose is 37 and his 52-year-old father is a straw hat manufacturer employing workers. Also at the address are 18-year-old Frank Henry Clegg and a sick nurse, 34-year-old Ann Mabel Adshead.

Joseph joined the Royal Air Force and it was on 29th July, 1918, whilst flying at RAF Shawbury in Shropshire that he was killed.

Lieut Frederick Charles Cook, RAF, died in the Empire Hospital, Victoria, London, on October 9th, 1919, as a result of wounds sustained in action over a year earlier. He was aged 21.

After being transferred from the 2nd Beds Regiment he gained a reputation in the RAF as being an expert bomber and the crack shot of his squadron, responsible for 'winging' several German machines.

Pte Wilfred Tompkins, 57896, 11th Battalion Cheshire Regiment, was killed in action in Belgium on July 12th, 1917. He was within a few days of his 28th birthday.

Second Lieut E. Dixon, of C Company, in a letter to parents Thomas William and Sarah Annie Tompkins at 42 Maple Road, Luton, said their son had joined the Cheshires only on July 11th. On the night of the 12th he was a member of a working party behind the line when a shell burst by him and killed him instantly.

Pte Ernest James Elsdon, 18971, 8th Battalion Bedfordshire Regiment, was reported missing, later killed in action, at Hulluck, near Loos, on July 12th, 1917. He was aged 20 and single.

He had joined up when he was 18 and, after training at Ampthill, went to France in January 1916. He was wounded in the thigh the following April, but had recovered by October and returned to the firing line. He was then wounded in the face and, despite losing the sight of an eye, again returned to action in France, serving in the machine gun section.