Westby Heath was a professional footballer for Luton Town FC in the 1914-15 season. He joined the Royal Army Medal Corps and was wounded. He did not return to play for Luton in 1919-20.
All images are used with kind permission of Roger Wash, Luton Town Football Club Historian.
Frank Gilder was a pre-war amateur player with Luton Town FC. He enlisted with the London Regiment and was sent to France in March 1915. He was killed in action at Loos on 30th December 1915, aged 19.
Ernest J Dodd of East Common, Harpenden was a pre-war amateur player for Luton Town FC. He was killed in action on 17th July 1917, aged 25 whilst serving with the Royal Field Artillery in Belgium.
All images are used with kind permission of Roger Wash, Luton Town Football Club Historian.
Jock Jarvie was a professional footballer for Luton Town FC in the 1912-13 and 1913-14 seasons. At the end of the 1914 season he returned to his hometown of Glasgow. He enlisted and was killed in action in January 1916, aged 27.
Arthur Wileman was a professional footballer at Luton Town FC when he enlisted in the Footballers' Battalion of the Middlesex Regiment at Kingsway on 16th December 1914 with his Luton team mates Simms, Frith, Roe, Dunn and Wilson.
In doing so he was following the example set by his team mates Roberts and Lindley who had signed up the day before. Wileman was the top-scorer in the promotion winning team of 1913-14 and continued to play for Luton in the 1914-15 season whilst training with his battalion.
Frank Lindley was a professional footballer at Luton Town FC when he enlisted in the Footballers Battalion of the Middlesex Regiment at a public meeting at Fulham Town Hall on 15th December 1914.
Together with his team mate Hugh Roberts, Lindley was one of the first 35 professional footballers to enlist with the Footballers' Battalion. On returning to Luton they encouraged six other Luton players to volunteer the following day.
Hugh Roberts was a professional footballer at Luton Town FC when he enlisted in the Footballers Battalion of the Middlesex Regiment at a public meeting at Fulham Town Hall on 15th December 1914.
He was one of the first 35 professional footballers who enrolled at the meeting along with his teammate from Luton, Frank Lindley. On their return to Luton they encouraged others to volunteer and a further six Luton players joined the Footballers' Battalion the next day.
Horace Arthur Goodship was the fifth son of George and Ann Goodship of Stopsley, who had three sons serving on the Western Front.
Horace was a Private in the 1/5th Bedfordshire Regiment, and prior to joining up worked as a straw hat polisher for Mr. Frenay Pirotte, on Leagrave Road. He was well known as a footballer for Stopsley and as a general good sportsman with an avid interest in cricket.
He was killed in action on August 16th during the Gallipoli Campaign.
Frank was the son of George and Ann Horsler of Great Bramingham who had seven sons serving on the Western Front. Three brothers died and two were wounded. Frank was fortunate to survive unscathed and return home after being demobilised in December 1919.
Frank enlisted in April 1917 and served in France and Italy. His full service record is available online from the National Archives.
George was the fifth son of George and Ann Horsler of Great Bramingham who had seven sons serving on the Western Front. Three brothers, including George, were killed and two were wounded.
George was killed at Passchendaele in October 1917. He has no known grave and is remembered on the Tyne Cot Memorial near Ypres in Belgium. He is also named on the Sundon Village memorial in Bedfordshire.
Arthur was the fourth son of George and Ann Horsler of Great Bramingham who had seven sons serving on the Western Front. Three brothers, including Arthur, were killed and two were wounded.
Arthur joined the army in February 1917 and served in France and Italy with the 20th Manchesters. He returned to France in July 1918 and was killed on 4th October 1918 whilst acting as a stretcher bearer. He has no known grave and is commemorated on the Vis en Artois memorial. His name also appears on the Sundon Village memorial in Bedfordshire.
Walter is the sixth son of George and Ann Horsler of Great Bramingham who had seven sons serving on the Western Front. Three of the sons were killed and two were wounded. Walter had the good fortune to come through unscathed and to return home after being demobilised in 1919.
Edward was the second son of George and Ann Horsler of Great Bramingham who had seven sons serving on the Western Front. Three brothers, including Edward, were killed and two were wounded.
Edward was married with five children and when he was drafted to France two of his brothers who were with him at the Ampthill training camp offered unsuccessfully to take his place. He was killed in action on the Somme in September 1916 and is buried in Guillemont Road Cemetery in France. He is named on the Sundon Village War Memorial.
Albert was the third son of George and Ann Horsler of Great Bramingham, who had seven sons serving on the Western Front. Three brothers were killed and two, including Albert, were wounded.
The first page of Albert's army record can be found in the National Archives as part of the "Burnt Documents" ( most of the WWI service records were damaged in the Blitz in WWII and fragments have been preserved on microfilm).
Walter was one of five sons of Samuel and Sarah Brightman of Great Bramingham who served on the Western Front. Tragically his four brothers were all killed between 1914 and 1917. Walter was taken ill in France in July 1916 and after convalescing for 12 months joined the Labour Corps to help with the harvest. He was expected to return to the Front in July 1918 but was released on compassionate grounds following an appeal from the Vicar of Streatley.