Luton's People 1914-1918
This page contains a list of soldiers/civilians from Luton and surroundings 1914-1918, and the ancestors of people who live in Luton today. It has been compiled from the 1918 Luton Absent Voters List, Rolls of Honour; and information researched and uploaded by project volunteers and members of the public.
If you find your ancestor here, and there is only basic information available, then feel free to use the comment box to add further information you may already know. The WWI Project Team, can then add this further information to the basic data we already hold.
The sources of this information can be found via the links below. Please feel free to download and use this information, but please please search for and upload your ancestor to the site if/when you find them:-
Absent Voters List
Luton Roll of honour
Before adding anybody to the site, it is always advisable to search for your ancestor first.
Albert Edward Thrussell was born in January 1898, the eldest son of William & Ellen.
In 1911 Albert was 13 years old & working as a news boy. He is living with this family at 99 Church street.
Frederick James Young was born about 1880 in Luton.
He was 5ft 5 inches tall, had a fair complexion, sandy coloured hair, blue eyes & a scar on his left eyebrow.
Augustus Fensome was born in Luton in October 1894, only son of Albert & Sarah Ann.
His father was a printer & stationer. The family are living at 41 Waller Street in 1901.
Walter Allen was born in 1869.
There is no service record for Walter, but the medal roll index tell us that he served in the Bedfordshire Regiment. He received the Silver War Badge in France on 27th April 1915 as well as the Victory, British & 15 Star medals.
Frederick Rae was born on 9th February 1879 in Luton to Charles & Sophia.
He married Sarah Oakley in January 1900 & in 1911 he is working as a straw hat blocker & living at 51 Duke Street, Luton with their 2 sons Frederick Thomas, 10 & Arthur Charles aged 7.
Pte Albert Sidney Kirby, 3/7346, 2nd Battalion, Beds Regt, was killed in action at Neuve Chapelle on March 11th, 1915.
He was the son of Thomas Kirby, of 138 Wellington Street, Luton, and was born in 1894.
Pte Thomas Richards, 6684, 2nd Battalion, Beds Regt, was killed in action at Neuve Chapelle on March 12th, 1915. He was aged 33.
Ernest Sydney Crick was born in Luton in 1886 to William & Elizabeth.
He was the youngest of 7 children.
Artificer Engineer Arnold Wharton was one of three Royal Navy officers killed in action during the bombardment of the Dardanelles when HMS Irresistible hit a mine on March 18th, 1915, and eventually sank. He would have been aged 35 in April 1915.
Walter Tottingham was born in 1867 in Luton.
His parents Isaac & Caroline were also born in Luton & were working in the straw hat trade as a blocker & a sewer. In 1871 Walter is 5 years old & living with his parents & 8 year old sister Sarah at 36 Spring Place.
Pte Samuel Snoxell was taken prisoner of war on 22 March 1918.
He was born in Luton in 1888 to William & Susan. He had 2 brothers, Thomas & Charles & 3 sisters, Emily, Elizabeth & Mary.
John William Dolling spent 3 hours lying in water in a trench in France. His experience was reported in the Luton News on 1st December 1914. (see attached file)
John was born in Ampthill in January 1893, 1 of 6 children to James & Mary Jane.
Cpl Percy William Graham, 9200, 2nd Battalion West Yorkshire Regiment (Prince of Wales's Own) was killed in action at Neuve Chapelle On March 10th, 1915. He was aged 22.
Lieutenant Edmund Elgood Punchard, son of a former Vicar of Christ Church, Luton, was killed in action with the 2nd Battalion Beds Regt (21st Brigade, 7th Division) at Ypres on October 31st, 1914. He had just celebrated his 24th birthday.
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.
Horace Victor Barton was the eldest of 2 sons born to Alfred & Sarah.
He was born in Luton in January 1891.
Pte Frederick Lawrence, 3/6115, 1st Battalion, Beds Regt, was killed in action near Ypres on March 29th, 1915.
Lady Alice Wernher, as she was known throughout the period of the First World War, was not only the lady of the manor of Luton with her country residence at Luton Hoo, she was also one of the town's biggest benefactors.
Cpl Henry George Smart, 7018, 1st Battalion North Staffordshire Regiment, was killed in action near Armentieres on March 21st, 1915. He was aged 28.
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.
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.
Pte William Shane, 18166, C Company, 1st Battalion Bedfordshire Regiment, was killed in action in trenches at Hill 60 on April 19th, 1915.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Pte Clement Victor Arthur Custance, 14095, 1st Battalion Bedfordshire Regiment, died of wounds on April 24th, 1915. He was born in 1892.
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.
Elizabeth was a Luton munitionette and is shown in a group photograph from 1916 kindly supplied by a reader of this website. She is the fourth person from the left on the top row.
William applied to the army in 1917, after his two brothers Harry and George. In the Attestation form for general service in the NZ Army during WWI, a typical question provoked an interesting response from the young William Harris:
Pte Ernest Allin, 2421, 24th Battalion County of London Regiment (The Queen's), died on May 1st, 1915, of wounds sustained in action near Bethune in France. He was aged 22, born on April 10th, 1893.
Pte Samuel Sydney Kilby, 47425, 15th Battalion Canadian Infantry, died on April 28th, 1915, from wounds received in action north of Ypres. He was aged 23 and the youngest son of Samuel and Emily Jane Kilby, of Hilldene, 102 Midland Road, Luton.
Pte Harold Campbell Abbott, 10398, 1st Battalion Bedfordshire Regiment, was killed in action around Hill 60 on April 17th, 1915.
Pte Harry Stimson, G/6107, 3rd Battalion Middlesex Regiment, killed in action on April 16th, 1915.
He was aged 32 and the second son of Mr and Mrs James Stimson, of 23 Crawley Green Road, Luton. He enlisted on November 16th, 1914, and crossed to France on February 17th.