Pte Henry George Pateman, 13260, 2nd Battalion Beds Regt, was killed in action near Ypres on February 24th, 1915. He was aged 19.

The son of William and Elizabeth Pateman, of 42 Ivy Road, Luton, he was a native of Dunstable but lived nearly all his life at Houghton Regis, being educated at the British School. Before enlistment he had been a butcher's assistant in the district.

Lance-Corporal Alfred Ward, 5697, 1st Battalion Bedfordshire Regiment, was killed in action near Wulvergem in Belgium on January 31st, 1915. He was aged 24.

Generally known as Samson, he was the son of Robert and Mary Ward, of 3 East Avenue, Park Street, Luton. His death had been mentioned in letters from friends at the front before the family received official news. They were not told by the War Office where he had been killed.

Alfred Barton was captured at Cremery (France), unwounded, by the Germans on the 26th May 1918. 

In 1911 Alfred was living with his father Albert Barton & his Scottish wife Mary Ann, at 13 Henry Street.

His 5 siblings were also living with him, Susan, 23, was a hat finisher, Daisy was 18 and a hat machinist, both were working in a factory in the town. William, 17, was a brass finisher and 16 year old Edward was assisting in brass moulding. His 14 year old twin Walter was not yet working.

Alfred died in captivity of gastroenteritis.

Walter Barton was captured at Arras, unwounded, by the Germans on the 23rd March 1918. 

In 1911 Walter was living with his father Albert Barton & his Scottish wife Mary Ann, at 13 Henry Street.

His 5 siblings were also living with him, Susan, 23, was a hat finisher, Daisy was 18 and a hat machinist, both were working in a factory in the town. William, 17, was a brass finisher and 16 year old Edward was assisting in brass moulding. His 14 year old twin Albert was not yet working.

Walter Smith was captured on the 22nd October 1914, and interned in a POW camp near Munster when he wrote to his sister asking for food.

He was found by the Germans suffering froma grenade wound to the right shoulder.

Pte John Harris Conway, 7869, 1st Battalion Norfolk Regiment, was killed in action near Ypres on November 20th, 1914. He was born in 1891.

The eldest son of James Stephen Conway and Emma Jane Conway, of 94 Hampton Road, Luton, the 5ft 5in tall soldier had been in the Army since February 1909, joining at the age of 18 years and one month, and left for the front with the Norfolk Regiment at the end of August 1914.

Lance Corporal Harry Hack, 9564, 1st Battalion, Beds Regt, was killed in action near Wulvergem in Belgium on January 8th, 1915. He was aged 26.

For his widow, who was living at 71 Ivy Road, Luton, it was the first of two tragedies within a week - the couple's only child, Harry Robert, died on January 14th, aged just five months.

Pte Frederick William Miller, 7469, 1st Battalion, Beds Regt, was killed in action near Ypres on November 7th, 1914. He was aged 35.

Born at Writtle, near Chelmsford, on November 5th, 1879, he moved from Essex to Luton shortly before the First World War and worked for about three years at the Skefko Ball Bearing Co Ltd, Leagrave Road. In 1912 he married widow Salome Annie Standbridge, who had a family of five or six children, and they lived at 70 Highbury Road, Luton.

Seaman George O'Brien, J26306, HMS St Vincent, died on his ship in the North Sea on November 15th, 1914. He was aged 18.

The second of (Edwin) James and Elizabeth O'Brien's six children, he belonged to a much-travelled family that lived at 65 Warwick Road, Luton, in 1914. His father was born in Newton Abbot, Devon, his mother came from Pembrokeshire and he was born at Worcester on July 30th, 1896. His two brothers and three sisters were born variously in Stantonbury (Bucks), Birmingham, Rugby, Leicester and Yiewsley, Middlesex.

Pte Walter O'Brien, 10119, A Company, 2nd Battalion, Beds Regt, was killed in action at Ypres on October 26th, 1914. He was aged 20.

The eldest of (Edwin) James and Elizabeth O'Brien's six children, he belonged to a much-travelled family that lived at 65 Warwick Road, Luton, in 1914. His father was born in Newton Abbot, Devon, his mother came from Pembrokeshire and he was born at Stantonbury, Bucks, in 1894. His two brothers and three sisters were born variously in Worcester, Birmingham, Rugby, Leicester and Yiewsley, Middlesex.

Pte Albert Frederick Holland, 1353, B Company, 1st Battalion, Manchester Regiment, was killed in action on November 28th, 1914. He was aged 23.

The son of Mr and Mrs Frederick Holland, of 4 Lincoln Road, Luton, he was born in Hampstead, London, in 1891, and had been living at Westcliffe-on-Sea, Essex.

Prior to the war he was serving with his regiment in India. His parents had not seen him for five years but were expecting, until the war started, that the regiment would return from India in 1915, about the time their son finished his seven years with the colours.

First-class Petty Officer Charles Dimmock, 192556, an old boy of Queen Square School, Luton, was one of the crew of HMS Good Hope missing with all hands following the Pacific naval battle of Coronel, off the Chilean coast.

He was 33 years old and was brought up by his grandparents, the late Mr and Mrs George Dimmock, of 42 Albert Road, Luton. He joined the Navy as a boy and had 16 years service to his credit. For rescue work at the Messina earthquake disaster in Italy in 1908 he received a medal, and had recently received a long service medal.

Pte Archibald (Archer) Punter, 5604, 1st Battalion, Beds Regt, was killed in action on November 16th, 1914, in the First Battle of Ypres. He was a married man aged 33, whose wife lived at 24 Dane Road, Luton.

Pte Horace Alfred Ward, 7269, 1st Battalion, Beds Regt, was killed in action at the first Battle of Ypres on November 14th, 1914. He was aged 30 and the husband of Alice, of 219 Castle Street, Luton, whom he married in 1905.

Pte Ward was called up as a reservist at the outbreak of war - a fortnight before his time in the Reserve would have expired. He was employed by Luton Corporation at the Electricity Station, and before that by Mr C. J. Worsley, engineer, of Melson Street, for a long period.

Private Joseph Harcourt, 3/5014, 1st Battalion, Bedfordshire Regiment, was killed in action on November 9th, 1914. Although commemorated on the Luton Roll of Honour, Warwickshire-born Joseph's death does not seem to have been reported in newspapers in Luton, where his brother William was living at the time.