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.
L-Cpl William George Giltrow, WR/266190, Railway Construction Coy Royal Engineers, died from influenza and bronchitis in the 48th Clearing Station, Namur, Belgium, on January 29, 1919. He had joined the R.E.C.Z. Headquarters in Belgium.
Rifleman Edward Henry Hall, 11796, 1st King's Royal Rifles, was killed in action at Neuve Chapelle in France on March 10th, 1915, aged 20. He was the first of three brothers to die in the war. He had joined up at the outbreak od war and went to France in November 1914.
Rifleman Thomas Wilfred Hall, 5624, 9th King's Royal Rifles, was killed in action at Arras in France on April 9th, 1917, aged 19. He was the second of three brothers to die in the war.
Guardsman Thomas Lawrence Letting, 31944, 5th Reserve Battalion Grenadier Guards, died in the Connaught Hospital, Aldershot, on February 15th, 1919, after an illness lasting six weeks. He was buried at Biscot churchyard six days later. He was aged 19.
Pte Archibald George Dimmock, 43069, 2nd Battalion Northants Regiment, died on February 16th, 1919, in the 55th General Hospital, Boulogne, suffering from broncho-pneumonia. He was aged 27 and had one wound stripe.
Pte Harry Wright, 111498, 44th Royal Fusiliers, died from pneumonia in the No 30 General Hospital at Calais on February 18th, 1919. He had returned to France from home leave on February 8th, and was admitted to hospital four days later. He had been expecting his discharge from the Army.
Air Mechanic 3rd Class Sidney Wilfred Clark, 161824, Royal Air Force, died in the 1st Eastern Central Hospital at Cambridge on July 15th, 1918, but his death and the cause appears to have gone unrecorded in local newspapers. He was aged 20.
Cpl Walter Albert Alford, A/293888, Army Service Corps (Canteens), died at the No 2 General Hospital, Le Havre, France, on February 23rd, 1919, from pneumonia following influenza. He was aged 27 and had been expected back at 50 Reginald Street, Luton, at the time.
Pte Alfred George Cook, 200573, 1/5th Battalion Bedfordshire Regiment, died on November 4th, 1918, in hospital at “Afion Farra, Kissar” (Afyonkarahisar), while a prisoner of war of the Turks.
Pte Cuthbert William Hall, 32392, 9th Battalion Norfolk Regiment, was reported wounded and missing, and later presumed killed in action in France on March 21st, 1918, at the start of the German spring offensive of that year. He was aged 19 the third of three brothers to die in the war.
L-Cpl James Chandler, P/10790, Military Police Corps, died on February 26th, 1919, from pneumonia in the No 17 Casualty Clearing Station in Cologne while serving with the Army of Occupation on the Rhine.
L-Cpl Arthur Litchfield, 22004, Army Pay Corps, died from influenza in the No 14 General Hospital at Wimereux, France, on February 18th, 1919. He was aged 22.
Henry Impey (1865-1930) was Mayor of Luton in the fateful year of 1919, when the Town Hall was burned down during riots that broke out amid Peace Day celebrations.
Three months after being demobilised, Harry Ernest Hardfast, formerly Pte S/3114, Rifle Brigade, died on June 4th, 1919, in the Northumberland War Hospital, Newcastle-upon-Tyne, from poisoning resulting from a shrapnel wound in the chest received in action at Achiet-le-Grand, France, on August 23
Signaller William Pearce, 956450, A Battery, 76th Brigade, Royal Field Artillery, died from pneumonia on May 19th, 1919, in the 42nd Stationary Hospital, Cologne, while serving as a member of the Army of Occupation on the Rhine.
Pte Albert Thomas Smith, 238006, 2nd Battalion Lancashire Fusiliers, was reported missing, presumed killed in action, on April 23th, 1918.
One of the finest records of loyal families is that of Mr and Mrs Sutton, of 18 Holly Walk, Luton, Himself an old soldier, Mr Alfred F.