British War Medal and Victory Medal

Lance Corporal Joshua Dyer

 

L-Cpl Joshua Dyer, G/14527, 2nd Battalion Royal Sussex Regiment, died in Netley Hospital, near Southampton, on September 22nd, 1916, after being severely wounded on the Western Front. He had transferred from the Bedfordshire Regiment.

The 19-year-old son of Frederick Henry and Mary Jane Dyer, of the White House, Pepperstock, had been lying wounded in the back by a shell on the battlefield a day and a night before a compassionate Scotsman got him into a dressing station. He was transferred to Netley, where he died three days later.

Private Harold Ronald Kempson

 

Pte Harold Ronald Kempson, 43563, 140th Company, Machine Gun Corps (Infantry), died on September 22nd, 1916, from wounds sustained in action on the Somme. He was aged 34 and had lived at 18 Inkerman Street, Luton.

Born in Luton in 1882, the son of David and Elizabeth Kempson, he had married Florence Mary (nee Going) in 1909. In 1911 the couple were living at 20 Hampton Road, Luton, with their 10-month-old son Albert Edward. At the time Ronald, as he was known, was a straw hat machinist. He had previously served in the Beds Regiment (5323).

Private Christopher Perry

 

Pte Christopher Perry, 22395, 8th Battalion Bedfordshire Regiment, was killed in action on the Somme on September 15th, 1916. He was aged 47.

Born in Luton in 1869, he married Emily Jane Crook in Luton in 1893. He had a married daughter, Rose, and a son, William, and in 1911 the family were living at 24 Spring Place, Luton. The address on the Luton Roll of Honour is given as 4 Park Place, Luton.

 

Private Walter Henman

 

Pte Walter Henman, 19546, 8th Battalion Bedfordshire Regiment, was killed in action on the Somme on September 15th, 1916. He was aged 21 and the second son of William and Alice Henman, of Breachwood Green, to die in France in 11 days.

Born on April 24th, 1895, Walter Henman had undergone 11 months of training at Ampthill before going to the Front in January 1916. Prior to enlistment he worked as a farm labourer for Mr W. Ivory at Winch Hill Farm, near Luton.

Gunner Montague George Fountain

 

Gunner Montague George Fountain, 132456, Royal Field Artillery, was killed in action on the Somme on August 24th, 1916, less than a fortnight after arriving in France.

He was aged 32 and had joined the R.F.A. at Biscot Camp in March 1916. He was billeted there for some time, and after four months training was drafted to France.

Private Thomas Richard Buller

 

Pte Thomas Richard Buller, 18754, 6th Battalion Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire Light Infantry, died on September 5th, 1916, from wounds sustained on the Somme.

He was born in Banbury in 1888 and spent his life there until at least 1912, when he married Olive Annie L. Price there. His death seems to have gone unreported in the Luton Press, but the Commonwealth War Graves Commission website gives his wife's address as Aero Cottage, Oak [Oakley] Road, Leagrave, suggesting a possible link with the Hewlett & Blondeau aircraft factory.

 

Private Herbert Owen Sawyer

 

Luton-born Pte Herbert Owen Sawyer, 18362, 1st Battalion Bedfordshire Regiment, was killed in action on the Somme on September 5th, 1916.

Born in 1885 to flour miller Frederick Sawyer and his wife Annie, he spent most of his life in Ponders End, Middlesex, to where his family moved after 1891, when they were living at 20 Melson Street, Luton.

Herbert married Mary Ann Susan Swain at St Matthew's Church, Ponders End, in October 1910, and the couple had two children, Florence (born 1911) and Jessie (born 1913).

 

Lance Corporal Ellis Henman

 

L-Cpl Ellis Henman, 27814, 1st Battalion Bedfordshire Regiment, was killed in action on the Somme on September 4th, 1916. He had been in France foronly a month when he was reported missing in an attack on Falfemont Farm.

The 31-year-old had married in Luton just before going to the Front, and was the first of two sons of William James and Alice Priscilla Henman, of Breachwood Green, to die on the Somme within 11 days. Pte Walter Henman, 19546, 8th Bedfords, lost his life on September 15th, 1916, and both brothers are commemorated on the Thiepval Memorial.

Corporal Alfred John Axtell

 

Cpl Alfred John Axtell, 19/312, 19th Northumberland Fusiliers (Tyneside Pioneers) was killed by an explosive shell on August 23rd, 1916, during the British advance on the Somme.

Born in Dunstable in 1888, he later lived with parents Alfred and Martha Hannah (nee Ramsden) at 19 Biscot Road, Luton, and attended Old Bedford Road Boys' School, where he was a pupil teacher. After attending Westminster Training College, he became an assitant master at an elementary school in County Durham and lodged with a family at Dunston-on-Tyne, near Gateshead.

Private Ralph Green

 

Pte Ralph Green, 34816, 1st Battalion Royal Welsh Fusiliers, died on August 30th, 1916, from wounds received in action on the Somme on August 27th. He was the second son of Luton Town FC Secretary Mr Charles Green and his wife Ellen (nee Shaw), of 73 Hazelbury Crescent, Luton.

Private Percy Dumpleton

 

Pte Percy Dumpleton, 4631, 1/5th Bedfordshire Regiment, died in the 27th General Hospital, Abassia, Cairo, Egypt, on August 22nd, 1916, following an attack of dysentery and enteric fever (typhoid). A Luton News report said he died of inflammation of the membrane of the brain.

Born at Chalgrave in 1893 and later living with parents Harry and Louisa in Victoria Street, Dunstable, he married Alice Emily (nee Folks) at St Paul's Church, Luton, in 1914. Their only child, daughter Kathleen, was born later that year.

Private Frederick Stanley Marlow

Frederick Stanley Marlow was born in 1898 in Chalton, Bedfordshire. He was the eldest of 2 children born to Charles & Kate.

In 1911 he is living with his family in Sundon, near Dunstable in Bedfordshire. He is 13 years old & working as a farm labourer. His father is 36 years old & working at the cement & lime works whilst his 33 year old mother is at home looking after his 5 year old sister Dorothy.

Private Charles Marlow

Charles Marlow was born in 1875 in Sundon, near Dunstable in Bedfordshire. He was 1 of 7 children born to William & Sarah Ann.

In 1881 he is 6 years old & living with his family in Sundon. HIs father is 30 years old & working as an agricultural labourer alongside Charles' brother 12 year old Frederick. His mother Sarah 30, is at home looking after his younger siblings, George 9, Clara 4 & 1 year old Esau.

Private Hedley Richard Farr

 

Pte Hedley Richard Farr, G/20105, 17th Battalion Middlesex Regiment (Duke of Cambridge's Own), was reported to have been killed in action on the Somme on August 8th, 1916. He was aged 38, single and had lived with his widowed mother Eliza (nee Groom) at 32 Liverpool Road, Luton.

Gunner Frederick Dean

 

Gunner Frederick Dean, 7825, Royal Garrison Artillery, was discharged from military service in 1913 following an operation for gunshot wounds. He had served eight years as a soldier, but after war broke out he was again called up and sent to France.

However, he was not out there very long before it was found necessary to order his return to England, and for 15 weeks he lay in the 3rd London General Hospital at Wandsworth. And there he passed away at around 10.30 am on Sunday, August 6th, 1916, from a lung complication. He was aged 29.

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