Pte Henry (Harry) William Wilkinson, 60108, 1st Battalion Royal Fusiliers, was killed in action in France on November 5th, 1918, while serving in a machine gun section. Born in Luton, he was aged 23 and single.

In a letter to widowed mother Ruth Wilkinson at 29 Butlin Road, Luton, an officer said: “I am writing to tell you how sorry I am that your son was killed in action on the 5th. He was buried by the padre just outside a little village with several others of the regiment.”

Pte George William Smith, F/3441, 4th Battalion Middlesex Regiment, was killed in action at Solesmes, east of Cambrai in France, on October 12th, 1918. He was aged 34 and a married man with three children.

He had been in the Forces for about two and a half years and had been slightly wounded in the face in May 1917.

Born in Ampthill, he married Daisy Annie Inns at St Matthew's Church, Luton, on August 1st, 1908. They had three children – Hilda May (born 1909), George Ernest (1912) and William Charles (1914).

Driver Percy Albert Horwood, 208439, 282nd Brigade Royal Field Artillery, was killed in action in France on the morning of November 1st, 1918. He was aged 28 and a son of Old Bedford Road hat manufacturer Joseph Albert Horwood and his wife Lucy, who lived at 41 Biscot Road, Luton.

Spr George Kendal Silsbey (Silsby), 522296, 486th Field Coy, Royal Engineers, died in Egypt on October 31st*, 1918, from pneumonia. Parents Harry and Caroline Annie (Carrie) Silsbey had been hoping to see him on home leave. They had not seen him since 1915, when he went to East.

A telegram received by the parents on November 1st, 1918, said their son was dangerously ill with fever, followed by a second telegram on November 6th to say that he died on October 31st from pneumonia.

Pte Arthur Kiff, 73413, 23rd Battalion Royal Fusiliers, was reported missing and then “killed in action or died of wounds received in action, on October 8th, 1918, or shortly after”. He was aged 19 and had joined up in January 1918, but it was not until around a month following the armistice that his presumed death was confirmed to his parents.

Pte William Plater, 43459, 1st Battalion Bedfordshire Regiment, was killed in action in France on October 23rd, 1918. He was aged 24 and single.

He was a son of Frederick (died 1902) and Annie Plater, of 2 Chase Street, Luton. William had previously served in the Machine Gun Corps (26296).

At the time of the 1911 Census William was living with his widowed mother and two brothers at 12 Langley Place, Luton, and was employed as a general labourer. Before enlisting he had worked for Mr James Pollard, of May Street.

Pte Henry Turner (known as Happy Harry), 32121, 1st Battalion East Surrey Regiment, was killed in action in France on October 20th, 1918. He was a nephew of Luton Town FC trainer Billy Lawson, and was due to have been married at the end of November. His fiancee had made all the preparations.

Pte Charles Cole, 50684, 1/6th Battalion Cheshire Regiment, died on October 20th, 1918, from wounds sustained in France. [Some military records give his surnames as Coles.]

He had returned to active service for the third time on September 14th. He had served in the Army for two-and-a-half years. Prior to enlistment he had worked for boot and shoe dealer H. White, of Manchester Street, Luton.

Pte Richard (Dick) Swift, 58923, 1st Battalion Northants Regiment, was on sentry duty in France when he died from the shock of a shell exploding close to him on October 20th, 1918.

L-Cpl Sidney Baines, 83889, Machine Gun Corps, died in the Middle East from malaria on October 19th, 1918. He was aged about 34 and left a widow Nellie, whom he had not officially married, plus two children living at 14 Windmill Street, High Town.

Nellie Holding informed the military authorities that she and Sidney had lived together for several years and had children Gwendoline Elsie (born 1914) and Sidney John (1916). She said their plans to marry were prevented by Sidney being sent to Egypt.

Sec Lieut Reginald Sydney Strange, attached 1st Battalion Northants Regiment, was killed in action at Le Cateau in France on October 17th, 1918. He was single and a month short of his 24th birthday.

He belonged to a Luton family which had traded in the town as drapers and outfitters since 1832. His father Arthur continued the family link to the firm, and in the 1911 Census Reginald was described as a draper's assistant.

Driver Bertie Frederick Eales, 797123, 246th Brigade Royal Field Artillery, was killed in action on October 14th, 1918. In a letter of sympathy widow Ellen Emma Eales, Sgt W. H. Senior wrote: “It was caused by hard luck, just a chance shell that happened to be fatal for that team. I was not present when it happened, being at the guns for which your husband was fetching ammunition.”

Driver Frederick Leslie George Braybrook, 528055, 54th Division Signals Coy Royal Engineers, died from typhoid fever in the 48th Stationary Hospital in Egypt. He was aged 25 and single.

He had volunteered in January 1915 and was drafted to the Dardanelles and later Egypt and General Allenby's Palestine Campaign, taking part in the Battle of Gaza.

Born in Clophill in 1893, he was the eldest son of Frederick and Emma Elizabeth Braybrook, of 3 Park Road West (now Strathmore Avenue), Luton. He had worked as an iron moulder at the Diamond Foundry in Dallow Road.

L-Cpl Sidney William Farr, 31137, 1st Battalion Bedfordshire Regiment, was killed in action in France on September 29th, 1918. He died instantly from a gunshot in the head.

He had joined the Territorials in 1911 and was called up at the commencement of war. The 27-year-old had previously been invalided home with trench fever.

Rifleman Wilfred Cyril Bywater, 44378, 13th King's Royal Rifles, was killed in action in France on August 24th, 1918. He had been reported missing on that date and it was not until after the Armistice that family at 103 Ash Road, Luton, received official confirmation of his death at the age of 19.

A report of his death in The Saturday Telegraph said that he had been in France since Easter 1918 and previously worked for Mr Hubbard, Princess Street. His military record described him as a dyeworks labourer.