John Oliver Ernest Trott was born in Stoke Newington, London in March 1899. He was 1 of 5 children born to Ernest & Grace.

In 1911 John in 12 years old & living at 28 Grove Road Luton with James his 81 year old widowed grandfather a retired straw hat manufacturer. Also living  with him are his 2 aunts, Elizabeth 60 is a milliner & 46 year old Frances Helena a housekeeper. James' 19 year granddaughter Gladys Brown, an assistant dressmaker, is also a member of the household.

Christopher Shepheard was born on 22nd April 1892 in Luton, 1 of 10 children born to Sydney & Ellen.

In 1911 Christopher is 18 years old & working with his twin brother Harold as a warehouseman within the straw hat trade & living at 14 Rothesay Road with his family. His 63 year old father Sydney is a house painter, his brother John Sidney, 40 is a self employed straw hat manufacturer alongside his 36 year old sister Hellen Eliza, Lilley Louisa, 38 is a straw hat finisher & 29 year old George Henry is a carpenter & joiner.

Archibald George Whitelock was born in Canning Town, London in 1886, 1 of 9 children born to William & Elizabeth.

On 9th September 1914 whilst living at 91 Ridgeway Road, Luton, Archibald enlisted into the Royal Engineers (523029) as an electrician. He took his electricians' test with the Biscot Road works for Commercial Cars. He later worked for Vauxhall Motors.

In April 1915 he married Helen A Stone in Luton.

Horace Marlow was born in Sundon, Bedfordshire in 1901. He was 1 of 9 children born to Frederick & Emma.

In 1911 he is aged 10 & living with his family in Sundon. His eldest brother George is 18 years old & working as a chalk digger in a lime works, his 16 year old brother Arthur is a truck driver & 14 year old brother Fred is a farm labourer with his 43 year old father. Ivy Sarah aged 8 is also at school whilst their 44 year old mother is at home looking after 2 year old Doris & 3 week old Evelyn (Cissie).

Colin Campbell Daniels was born in Salford, Lancashire in 1894, the eldest of three children born to William Robert and Lily.

In 1901 he is seven years old and living at 52 Old Lane, Chadderton, Oldham, Lancashire. His father is working as a weighing machine fitter and his mother is at home looking after Colin, his five-year-old sister Edith and his two-year-old brother William.

Amos Godbeer Coleman was born in 1884.

In 1905 Amos married Alice Louisa Cheshire in Luton & in 1911 they are living with their 2 year old daughter Lillian Maud Francis in Summer Street, Slip End, Luton. Alice was pregnant with their first son Stanley William Edward. Amos is 27 years old & working as a gardener's labourer.

William Henry Shaw was born in 1884.

On 12 April 1909 he married Rosa Ada Fensome.

On 11 December 1915 he joined the 3rd Battalion Northamptonshire Regiment. He is working as a labourer in the straw hat trade for T Lye & sons of New Bedford Road & living at 53 Ash Road with Rosa & their 2 sons, 8 year old Leonard Collier Fensome Shaw & 5 year old William Henry.

William was sent to France on 1 November 1916 & served there until 26th April 1917 as on 15th April 1917 he was wounded by a shell in the head & jaw.

William was born in 1888.

He seved in the 5th Battalion Bedfordshire Regiment.

He survived the war but died on 15th October 1919.

He is buried in the cemetery on Crawley Green Road.

Pte Albert Edgar Saunders, 235327, 18th Battalion The King's (Liverpool Regiment), died in King George's Hospital, London, on November 24th, 1918, as a result of wounds sustained at Ypres on April 29th, 1918. A gunshot wound in the neck had caused paralysis of his body and legs, and he had been in the London hospital since early May. He was discharged as unfit for service in August 1918.

Richard Newins was born in April 1878.

He joined the Army Service Corps on 28th April 1915 in London & was shortly posted to France.

Patrick Grogan was born in Ireland in 1885. He came from a large Roman Catholic family, 1 of 9 children born to Paul, a farmer & Maria.

In 1901 he is living in Feakle, Co. Clare. He is working with his mother &  father on the farm with his siblings James 24, Mary 22, Ellen 20, Delia 14, Michael 12, Thomas 10, Dan 8, Paul 6 & 2 year old Josie.

Patrick married Edith Mary Fulks on 28th September 1913 in Poole in Dorset. Their son Percy Raymond was born on 3rd December 1914 in Wigginton, Tring, Hertfordshire.

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.

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.

He was later attached to 319th M.T. Coy. Royal Army Service Corps.

James Gwilym Tooth was a boy of 14 years when he joined the Royal Garrison Artillery as a trumpeter, following his father's footsteps into Army life.

He was born in Woolwich, Kent in 1891.

In 1901 the family are living at Shoeburyness barracks in Essex. His father James is 38 years old & a Staff Sergeant in the R.G.A, his mother Emily is 34 & at home looking after 10 year old James, Irene 8, Gwendoline 7 & 2 year old Dorothy.

Nelson Charles Edward Galton was born in January 1892 in Holloway, London. He was baptised on 22nd May 1892 at St Matthews Church, Oakley Square in St Pancras. He was the eldest child of Charles Nelson & Emily Elizabeth, living at 45 Finchley Road, Camberwell.