Pte Humphrey Winton Worthington, 19589, 11th Battalion, Royal West Kent Regiment, was killed in action on July 31st, 1917. The Luton doctor's son, aged 19, had been transferred from the Norfolk Regiment (32417) only a short time earlier.

News of his death was received by his sister Elizabeth from Cpl H. E. Courtney, Royal Engineers. He wrote: "Your brother Winton was found dead this morning on the battlefield, killed by a piece of shell striking his heart. He must have died instantly."

Cpl Courtney said Pte Worthington was buried "as best we could". He included with his letter a photograph perforated by the shrapnel that ended Pte Worthington's life, and said he wanted to inform the family before the War Office contacted them and probably listed him merely as missing.

Winton, as he appears to have been known, was born in Scarborough, Yorks, in 1898, the only son of Dr Humphrey and Mrs Anne Worthington. The family had moved from Scarborough to Luton around the outbreak of war and were then living at 17 Cardiff Road.

He joined the Norfolks on January 8th, 1917, at the age of 18 and was trained at Harwich before going out with the regiment to France. He had been educated at Scarborough College and was planning to become a dentist.