Writer Third Class Joseph Smith, M/8543, RN, was lost when the cruiser HMS Natal sank as the result of an internal explosion while in harbour in the Firth of Cromerty, on the north-eastern coast of Scotland, on December 30th, 1915. No enemy action was found to be involved, and Joseph Smith's body was not recovered for burial.

Pte Frank William Gilder, 2430, 1/24th Battalion, County of London Regiment, was killed in action at Loos on December 30th, 1915. He was aged 19.

Born in Luton in May 1896, he was the third son of William Everard Gilder and Sarah Sanderson Gilder, of 35 Moor Street, Luton, and had been with the 24th Londons since the outbreak of war. His younger brother Claude had been a member of the Luton News staff.

First-class Gunner Arthur Best, 37371, Royal Garrison Artillery, died in the Keppel Place Hospital, Stoke, Devonport, on December 23rd, 1915, after suffering two attacks of pleurisy while serving in Gibraltar that led to him contracting consumption which led to a haemorrhage.

Gunner Best, the son of Mrs Bacchus, of 61 Ivy Road, Luton, was aged 22. He had enlisted in the RGA about four years earlier, having previously worked at the Diamond Foundry in Dallow Road.

Company Sgt-Major Alfred Saunders, 112, 2nd Battalion, King's Royal Rifles, died of wounds sustained in action in Flanders on November 24th, 1915.

Born in Winchester, Hampshire, he spent much of his childhood in Studham, where mother Emily was still living. His sister Ellen had married Frederick G. Smith in 1912 and was living in Holly Street, Luton.

Alfred had married Linda Malin, from Burton-on-Trent, Staffs, on October 9th, 1911, in Folkestone, Kent, where his wife and young son David Malin Saunders (born July 16th, 1912) were living at the time of his death.

Lieut Nelson Johnstone, 2/2nd Midland Brigade Field Ambulance, R.A.M.C., stationed at Kings Lynn, died suddenly at Cambridge while undergoing an operation at a military hospital.

An Irishman aged 41, he had at the time of the 1901 Census been living with his first wife Frances, whom he married in Ireland in 1898, and baby daughter Kathleen at 76 Wellington Street, Luton, while he was a physician and surgeon involved with the Luton Medical Institute in Waller Street.

Driver Amos Charles Moody, 2720, 3/2nd Field Company, East Anglian Royal Engineers, died in the early hours of Saturday, December 10th, 1915, after being ill for two or three days with pleurisy and double pneumonia.

Before he enlisted on July 24th, 1915, he was a postman attached to the Luton Post Office, to which he came about three years earlier from Marlow, Bucks. His home was at Marlow and he had been a telegraph messenger there prior to his appointment at Luton. An ardent footballer, he was quartered at 11 Edward Street, Luton, and was 20 years of age.

Pte Harold Alfred Field, 1722, 1/1st Eastern Mounted Brigade Field Ambulance, Royal Army Medical Corps, was killed by a stray bullet as he sheltered in a tent during a storm at Gallipoli on November 27th, 1915. He was aged 19.

Pte Field, whose home was as 28 Richmond Hill, Luton, had been employed by the hat firm of Messrs Clay and Sons at Waldeck Road. The son of Charles and Ellen (nee Bone) Field, he was also a member of the Territorials for two years before the outbreak of war.

Pte Arthur Wallace Woodcroft, 18612, 2nd Battalion, Bedfordshire Regiment, was killed in action in Flanders on November 27th, 1915. Some military records name him as Arthur Walter Woodcroft.

He was 28 years old and the son of Arthur and Emily Woodcroft. Married in April 1909, he left a widow, Beatrice Maud (nee Mitchell), and two children, Elsie Maud (born December 24th, 1910) and Ronald Arthur (born November 12, 1913). The family lived at 66 May Street, Luton.

Acting L-Cpl Percy William Tilcock, 1485, 1/2nd Field Company, East Anglian Divisional Engineers, died on the hospital ship Glenart Castle on November 26th, 1915, from wounds received at Gallipoli. He was buried at sea in the Mediterranean on the same day.

Aged 20, he was the son of William and Emily Tilcock, of 60 Brunswick Street, Luton, and had worked at Vauxhall Motors before enlisting. He had joined the Engineers in September 1914.

A single man, he had been engaged to a Miss Pedder, of 57 Lyndhurst Road, Luton.

Harry Clarke was born in Bromley, London in 1886.

On 8th October 1905 he married Nellie Elizabeth Ennever in St Andrew's Church, Bromley.

In 1911 he is 25 years old & living with his family at No 2 Maple Road Luton & is working as an iron moulder at the gas stove factory. His wife Nellie is at home looking after their 2 sons Henry 5 & 2 year old Alfred. Harry's 66 year old mother Selina is living with them & working as a charwoman. They also have a boarder, 23 year old Bernard McDade who is an iron moulder for rain water pipes.

Pte Harry Gentle, 10433, 1st Bedfordshires, was killed in action in Flanders on November 15th, 1915. He was aged 18.

He had joined the Army about four months before war broke out, and prior to enlisting he had worked for Cookson and Co, straw hat manufacturers, of 7 Bute Street, Luton.

A newspaper article describing him as Pte Henry Gentle, said Mrs Gentle, of 17 Adelaide Terrace, Luton, had received letters from his company commander and a friend.

Pte Oswald Simmonds, 7948, 1st Battalion, Loyal North Lancashire Regt, was presumed killed in action on October 31st, 1914. But it was 15 months later before his wife Rose Lilian received official notification of his death.

Pte Simmonds, who was aged about 30, was included in the lists of men who had joined the colours that were printed in the Luton News in 1914. His address was given as 56 May Street, Luton, the address also included on the Luton Roll of Honour.

Pte Alfred Tuffnell, 3/8144, 7th Battalion Beds Regt, died in Flanders on November 4th, 1915. Surprisingly nothing seems to have appeared about him in the local Press around the time of his death, unlike the deaths of two brothers.

Alfred was the third of three sons - Henry, Benjamin plus Alfred - who had still been living with their widowed mother Ann Tuffnell at 15 York Street, Luton, to perish in the war. And a fourth son, George, had died in 1903 following an accident at Hayward Tyler's, where he worked.

Bertram Alfred Clark was born in Luton in 1882. He was the eldest of 3 sons born to Charles Alfred & Eliza.

On 8th June 1908 Bertram married Beatrice Kate Crick.

In 1911 He is living at 16 Buxton Road & working as a clerk in a sawmill. Beatrice is working as a straw hat finisher at home whilst looking after their 1 year old daughter Winifred Kate. They have a boarder living with them, 28 year old Ellen Ellingham who is also working as a straw hat finisher.

Percival Edward Clark was born in Luton in January 1891, the youngest of 3 sons born to Charles & Eliza.

In 1911 he is 20 years old & working as a clerk in a warehouse & living at 63a Inkerman Street. His father Charles Alfred is 55 & a foreman at a timber sawmill, his mother Eliza is 57 & one of his older brothers, Sidney William is a joiner.

Percival married Ellen Sole on the 24th April 1915 at the Baptist Meeting House, Park Street & on the 24th June 1916 their daughter Vera was born.