Sec-Lieut Alfred Melbourne ('Chum') Coate, 15th Battery, 36th Brigade Royal Field Artillery, third son of the nine children of Canon Harry Coate, Vicar of St Matthew's Church, Luton, and his Australian-born wife Henrietta Mercy Coate, was killed at an observation post during a battle north of Albert in France on August 28th, 1918. [Newspaper reports at the time give a date of August 27th.]

Born at the St Matthew's Vicarage on April 3rd, 1899, Alfred was 19 years of age. He was educated at the King's School, Ely, and at the City & Guilds Engineering College, London University. He was reading for his B.Sc degree and had already passed the intermediate examination.

Alfred was Cadet Sgt-Major in the London University Officers' Training Corps, and from thence entered the Royal Field Artillery Cadet School at St Johns Wood, from which he passed out first. He obtained his commission in June 1918 and proceeded to France on July 10th.

Canon Coate's eldest son, Capt William Henry Coate (Royal Munster Fusiliers) had been killed in action in Greece on October 26th, 1917. His second son, who was wounded at Gaza in July 1917, was training again in England.

Canon Coate left St Matthew's after 25 years there in July 1919. He became Vicar of Sharnbrook, Beds.