The award of the Military Cross to Luton-born Sec Lieut Walter William (Bill) Brown (Royal Field Artillery), who had originally enlisted in the Canadian Infantry when in North America in October 1914, was reported in the Tuesday Telegraph of January 14th, 1919. He was son of hat manufacturer Walter E. Brown and his wife Georgina, of 6 Dunstable Road, Luton.

Pte Clement Victor Arthur Custance, 14095, 1st Battalion Bedfordshire Regiment, died of wounds on April 24th, 1915. He was born in 1892.

Born in Slough, Berkshire, he was living with his widowed dressmaker mother Mary Ann and a borough labourer brother Henry James at 112 Langley Street, Luton, at the time of the 1911 Census. Clement was a stringer in a dye house.

Pte Sydney George Bright, 3/7100 1st Battalion Bedfordshire Regiment, was killed in action at Hill 60 in Flanders on April 18th, 1915. He was aged 20.

Born at Turners End, Toddington, he lived with his parents Mr E. and Mrs M. Bright in Chalton. He was well known in the Luton district as a telegraph boy. He had been a pupil of Toddington National School/St George's Church of England Lower.

Drummer Albert Edward Cockle, 8041, 1st Battalion Bedfordshire Regiment, was killed in action at Hill 60 in Flanders on April 19th, 1915. He was aged 29.

Drummer Cockle, son of Walter and Emma Cockle, had served in the Bedfords for nearly 11 years, mostly in India and South Africa. He had returned from South Africa the previous September.

Cpl Walter Seabrook Gay, 14058, 1st Battalion Bedfordshire Regimen, was killed in action at Hill 60, Flanders, on April 21st, 1915. His family home was at 33 Chapel Street, Luton. He was born in Goole, Yorkshire, in July 1880 to John and Annabella.

Pte Frederick Keen, 3/8793, 1st Battalion Bedfordshire Regiment, was killed in action at Hill 60 in Flanders on April 21st, 1915. He was born in Caddington and his family home was in Luton.

Pte Henry (Harry) Tuffnell, 7578, B Company, 1st Battalion Bedfordshire Regiment, was killed in action at the Battle of Hill 60, Flanders, on April 21st, 1915. He was initially listed as missing.

His home address was 15 York Street, Luton, and prior to being called up as a reservist was employed at Commercial Cars Ltd as a foundry worker. He had previously served in the Boer War.

He was last home in November 1914 and had returned to France just before Christmas.

Pte William Shane, 18166, C Company, 1st Battalion Bedfordshire Regiment, was killed in action in trenches at Hill 60 on April 19th, 1915.

Aged 35, he was the son of Mr and Mrs Henry Shane, of 69 Duke Street, Luton, but was living at Round Green when war broke out. A former militiaman, he enlisted in October 1914 and was eventually sent abroad with a draft of to the 1st Bedfords. He had previously written to his brother George in Richmond Hill about a narrow escape in which a bullet hit a sandbag and gave him a black eye as it passed through his hat.

Pte Stanley Frederick Mooring, 9271, 2nd East Yorkshire Regiment, was killed in action at Neuve Chapelle on March 17th, 1915. He was in his last year as a soldier and had spent the previous three years in India, where he was awarded good conduct stripes and a medal.

His mother, Mrs L. T. Channing, of 30 Pondwicks Road, Luton, had last seen her son in December, 1914, when on short leave. She said the climate of India had not done his physique any good.

Sapper Nathaniel John Fowler, 1511, 1st/2nd (North Midland) Field Company, Royal Engineers, died on April 21st, 1915, from abdomens wounds received in action on April 18th. Aged 31 and a native of Harpenden, he lived at Leagrave and left a widow and two children.

Sapper Fowler was the son of the late Mr James Fowler, a bootmaker, of Wheathampstead Road, Harpenden, and his widow, and had three brothers living in Harpenden.

Cpl Henry George Smart, 7018, 1st Battalion North Staffordshire Regiment, was killed in action near Armentieres on March 21st, 1915. He was aged 28.

But for the outbreak of war his time as a reservist would have expired in November 1914. While in the Army he had served eight years in India.

Pte Frederick Lawrence, 3/6115, 1st Battalion, Beds Regt, was killed in action near Ypres on March 29th, 1915.

Born in Luton in 1889, he married Nellie Eliza Evans in 1906 and lived at 32 Duke Street, Luton. At the time of the 1911 Census he is described as a dye yard labourer with a son, Leslie aged three, and daughter Violet Maisie, aged six months. The family then lived at 22 Duke Street.

Nellie remarried after Frederick's death and continued to live at 32 Duke Street.

Horace Battams was born in Luton in 1895.

In 1911 he was 16 years old, working as a builder's labourer & living with his family at 51 Hartley Road, Luton. His father William was a straw plait bleacher. He was the eldest of 7 children. Arthur 12, Winifred 10 & 8 year old Percy were at school & Lilley 6, Willie 4, & 1 year old John were at home with their mother Agnes.

Horace Victor Barton was the eldest of 2 sons born to Alfred & Sarah.

He was born in Luton in January 1891.

In 1911 he was 20 years old & working in the iron foundry as a moulder making stove grates. His father is 44, a straw hat blocker, his mother Sarah is 42 & a straw hat machinist. His brother Percy is a 15 year old errand boy & they are all living at 52 Guildford Street.

In 1915 Horace married Emily Lamb.

George Cuthbert Patten was born in Essex in 1895.

He came from a large family. He had 2 brothers, Archie Walter & William & 5 sisters, Marjorie, Ida Winifred, Isabel, Annie Maude & Gertrude.

In 1911 he is living with 3 of his siblings, his father Alfred, a publican & his mother Mary Elizabeth at Rads End, Eversholt, Woburn. George is 16 years old & working as a general labourer.