Pte John Walker Langford, 27657, 4th Battalion Bedfordshire Regiment, was killed in action in France on October 8th, 1918. He was aged 38.

He was a son of Henry and Bessie Maud Langford, both of whom had died, and John was living at the home of Arthur and Lottie Taylor, of 58 Cambridge Street, Luton.

At the time of the 1911 Census he was living with his widowed mother and sister Emily at 23 Alma Street. John was described as a buncher at a straw plait dyeworks. Before enlistment he had been employed by bleachers and dyers A. J. Godfrey & Son, of Langley Street.

Pte Hugh Cumberland, 51175, 4th Battalion Bedfordshire Regiment, was killed in action in France on September 5th, 1918. He was aged 19.

Born in Leagrave on March 26th, 1899, he was one of four sons of John and Eleanor Jane Cumberland, of 89 Marsh Road, Leagrave.

Pte John Walter Harrison, 48035, 4th Battalion Bedfordshire Regiment, was presumed killed in action in France on May 25th, 1918. He left a widow and five children living at 106 North Street, Luton.

A son of Walter and Fanny Harrison, of Wenlock Street, he was born in 1884. On June 11th, 1908, he married Rose Eames at St Matthew's Church, High Town. Their five children were Ruth Ella (born 1908), Robert Rex (1910), Percy Claud (1912), Kenneth (1915) and Marjorie (1917).

Pte Frank West, 49094, 4th Battalion Bedfordshire Regiment, was killed in the trenches in France by a shell on April 6th, 1918. He was aged 19, single and the son of George and Annie West, of 111 Guildford Street, Luton.

It was comrade Pte J. W. Harrison (Beds Regiment) who broke the news to the parents in an emotional letter from the Front. He wrote: "He was a lad who was esteemed by us all, and his jovial manner and personality made him popular with all who came into contact with him, from the NCOs to his comrades in the line.

L-Cpl John Robert ('Jack') Eames, 32217, 4th Battalion Bedfordshire Regiment, was killed in action in France on April 7th, 1918. He was the second son of William and Harriet Eames, of 107 Cambridge Street, Luton, to die on the battlefield - Gus Eames was killed in February 1916.

As was often the case, the parents were informed that their son, aged 33, had died instantly and painlessly. Widow Gertrude (nee Warren), whom Jack had married at St Paul's Church, Luton, on January 9th, 1909, was informed separately of his death. The couple had two children.

Pte John Wood, 30700, 4th Battalion Bedfordshire Regiment, was killed in action in France on March 27th, 1918. He had joined the Beds Regiment in July 1916 and was wounded about a year before his death.

Born in Luton in 1882, a son of George and Louisa Wood, he married Annie Louisa Young at St Matthew's Church, Luton, on October 7th, 1908. The couple had one child, Percy John, born in late 1909.

Pte John Rayner, 33874, 4th Battalion Bedfordshire Regiment, was killed in action near Cambrai on January 12th, 1918. Born at Barton Bendish, Norfolk, he was a resident of Luton before moving to live in Leighton Buzzard.

While in Luton, John was an employee of the British Gelatine Co, New Bedford Road, and lived at 64 Russell Street, Luton. He had married Florence Kate Walker in Luton in the summer of 1913 and later the couple moved to East Street, Leighton Buzzard.

Pte Harry Crawley, 205822, 4th Battalion Bedfordshire Regiment, was killed in action near Passchendaele on October 30th, 1917. He was aged 24.

Born in Luton in 1893, he was the son of Harry and Amy Gertrude Crawley, of 12 Rothesay Road, Luton. Before joining up he had been employed as a clerk in the Borough Surveyor's office of Luton Corporation for about four years. He had joined the Beds at the outbreak of war and was stationed at Maresfield and in Ireland for training. He went to the Front in April 1917.

Pte Hubert William Field, 203270, 4th Battalion Bedfordshire Regiment, was presumed killed in action on October 30th, 1917, near Passchendaele. He was aged 20.

He was the son of farm bailiff William Field and his wife Emma, who at the time of the 1911 Census were living at Wandon End Farm, near Luton. Hubert had five brothers and two sisters.

He is commemorated on the war memorial attached to Peters Green Baptist Chapel.

Sgt Edward Bradshaw, 14620, 4th Battalion Bedfordshire Regiment, was killed in action near Passchendaele on October 30th, 1917. He was aged 20.

He was one of nine children of Emily and the late Henry George Bradshaw (died 1910). At the time of the 1911 Census, the family comprising widow Emily, two sons and seven daughters (one just two days old) were living at 70 Ridgway Road, Luton, but by 1913 they were at 79 Dallow Road, Luton, elder brother Frederick being a butcher in the firm of Bradshaw and Gadsden.

Pte Alfred Ball, 22996, 4th Battalion Bedfordshire Regiment, died on July 29th, 1917, from shrapnel wounds sustained on the battlefield in France. He was aged 21 and single.

According to Sgt C. B. Sell in a letter to parents Henry and Alice Ball, of 22 Bailey Street, Luton, their son was proceeding down the trench to fetch rations for himself and comrades and was unfortunately hit on the way. Comrades in the trench did all they could for him and carried him to a dressing station. The sergeant's letter ended with the hope that Pte Ball would soon recover.

Pte Arthur William Housden, 23606, 4th Battalion Bedfordshire Regiment, died on May 24th, 1917, from wounds sustained in France.

He was admitted to hospital on May 2nd and underwent two operations. Both seemed to have been successful, although he could hardly see. But on May 18th the hospital Sister wrote that his condition had worsened, and on May 25th she wrote to Pte Housden's parents to say: "I regret to say your son died yesterday afternoon at 4.30 very peacefully. He was much worse in the night and quite unconscious towards the end, but did not suffer any pain."

Pte Frederick George Manning, 22956, 4th Battalion Bedfordshire Regiment, was posted missing, presumed killed, on or after April 29th, 1917, during the Battle of Arras. The news reached his widow, Rosetta, at her home at 105 Boyle Street, Luton, a month later.

Frederick Manning enlisted on November 1st, 1915, and, after training at Ampthill, was drafted to France in the following July. He was aged 25 and prior to enlisting was employed by coal and coke merchant C. Franklin, of Manchester Street, Luton.

Sgt Albert Edwin Scrivener, 4/7319, 4th Battalion Bedfordshire Regiment, was killed in action near Arras in France on or soon after April 23rd, 1917. He was aged 35.

No report of his death seems to have appeared in the local Press around the time, although he is commemorated on the Luton Roll of Honour where his address is given as 7 Surrey Street.

Pte Charles Mardle, 20175, 4th Battalion Bedfordshire Regiment, was killed in action on the banks of the River Ancre in France on February 13th, 1917.

He joined the Bedfords in April 1915, and after a period of training at Ampthill was drafted to France the following January. In July 1916 he was seriously wounded in a bomb accident and was sent to Manchester. After recuperating, he rejoined his regiment and was again sent to France in early November.