The announcement that Pte Edward James Major Sales, 30682, 7th Border Regiment, had been awarded the Military Medal was reported in The Luton News of December 19th, 1918.

The report gave no details of how the medal had been won, merely giving his family address as 19 Marsh Road, Leagrave, and stating that he had served in France and Italy. His military record shows he had previously served in the Machine Gun Corps (67955).

Edward (pictured right) was born in London on March 30th, 1898, a son of Edward James and Amelia Sales. In the 1911 Census he was described as a grocer's apprentice.

In 1928 he married Myra Brandom at Biscot Church. The couple later lived at 105 Limbury Road, Edward working as a fishmonger.

Mr and Mrs Sidney Blaydon, of The Knapps, Toddington Road, Leagrave, have received a letter from their eldest son, Sgt Percy Sidney Blaydon, informing them that he has been decorated during the last week of the war with the Military Medal, for gallantry under heavy shell fire on the battlefield. He had previously been wounded five times.

He has been in France since 1914, first serving in the Territorials as sergeant, and later in the 99th Siege Battery, Royal Garrison Artillery, in which he gained promotion from gunner to sergeant for good work near Lille.

He is well known locally as a keen cyclist and fine swimmer, and while in training at Worthing Camp he swam out to a drowning comrade and rescued him.

Mr and Mrs Blaydon's youngest son Albert (aged 18), of the 1/5th Bedfordshire Regiment, was killed at Gallipoli at the same time as Capt Cumberland, and their second son Cecil was wounded at Gallipoli on his 19th birthday and subsequently killed in Egypt in 1917, on his 20th birthday.

[The Luton News: Thursday, November 28th, 1918]

L-Cpl Herbert Pratt, Lewis machine gunner Royal Fusiliers, third son of Mr and Mrs James Pratt, of Brookview, Toddington Road, Leagrave has been awarded the Military Medal for valour and noble work in Italy and France. He had been overseas for the past two years, and has been badly wounded and gassed.

[The Luton News: Thursday, December 5th, 1918.]