L-Cpl Frank Primett, 14026, 8th Battalion Beds Regiment, was killed in action on the Somme on September 15th, 1916. He was the first of two sons of Albert and Agnes Primett to be killed on the battlefield - Pte Charles Augustus Primett, 2nd Bedfords, also died on the Somme, on October 12th,1916.

Born in Ickleford on March 9th, 1886, he spent most of his life in the Hitchin area. By 1915, and possibly after he had enlisted, his parents were living at 18 Spencer Road, Luton, the address on the Luton Roll of Honour.

Pte William Cooper, 20266, 8th Battalion Bedfordshire Regiment, died on September 18th, 1916, from wounds sustained in action on the Somme. He was aged 21 and died on an ambulance barge in France.

Born in Ayot St Peters in June 1895, Herts, he was one of ten children born to John and Ann (Annie) Sophia Cooper, who were living at 352 Hitchin Road, Luton, at the time of his death. In the 1911 Census William was a farm labourer living with his parents and three older brothers and two old sisters at 44 Round Green, Luton.

Sgt Arthur Huckle, 18233, 8th Battalion Bedfordshire Regiment, was killed in action on the Somme on September 15th, 1916.

Born in Clophill in 1882, he married Ellen Richardson in 1901. At the time of the 1911 Census Arthur was a cowman on a farm at Haynes Church End, Beds, and the couple had four children - Emily, aged 8, George, 6, John, 4, and William, 1.

Pte Christopher Perry, 22395, 8th Battalion Bedfordshire Regiment, was killed in action on the Somme on September 15th, 1916. He was aged 47.

Born in Luton in 1869, he married Emily Jane Crook in Luton in 1893. He had a married daughter, Rose, and a son, William, and in 1911 the family were living at 24 Spring Place, Luton. The address on the Luton Roll of Honour is given as 4 Park Place, Luton.

Pte Walter Henman, 19546, 8th Battalion Bedfordshire Regiment, was killed in action on the Somme on September 15th, 1916. He was aged 21 and the second son of William and Alice Henman, of Breachwood Green, to die in France in 11 days.

Born on April 24th, 1895, Walter Henman had undergone 11 months of training at Ampthill before going to the Front in January 1916. Prior to enlistment he worked as a farm labourer for Mr W. Ivory at Winch Hill Farm, near Luton.

Pte Sidney George Higgins, 19752, 8th Bedfordshire Regiment, died on April 25th, 1916, from wounds sustained in action at Poperinghe that day. He was aged 36 and had enlisted in February 1915.

The son of Elizabeth and the late John Higgins, of Islington, he was born in 1879. In 1907 he married Mabel Richardson, from Dunstable, and in the 1911 Census they were living in Southampton, Sidney as a butcher's shop manager. By then Sidney and Mabel had two children, a girl aged two and a boy (also named Sidney George) aged one.

Pte Frederick Thomas Sharp, 3/8705, 8th Battalion Bedfordshire Regiment, was killed in action near Ypres on April 19th, 1916. He was aged 29 and the father of six children.

Pte Sharp, of 21 Essex Street, Luton, joined the colours in October 1914 and was drafted to the Western Front in October 1915. He fought at Ypres, Messines and Vimy Ridge and was gassed in December 1915. On recovery he returned to the trenches.

He formerly worked as an iron moulder at the Diamond Foundry in Dallow Road. He was also well-known in athletics circles and was a harrier.

Pte John Alfred Marlow, 19944, 8th Battalion Beds Regiment, was killed in action near Ypres on April 19th, 1916. Initially he was reported missing and his mother asked for his picture to be published in the Luton News in the hope that comrades who read the newspaper would be able to provide positive news.

Pte Marlow was only 18 years old and lived with parents John and Louisa Marlow at 30 Spring Place, Luton. He had begun working as a nine-year-old as an errand boy for hat manufacturer H. Rosson and Co, of 90-92 Collingdon Street. He later worked in the firm's factory.

Pte Walter Ernest Gore, 22505, 8th Battalion Beds Regiment, was killed in action near Ypres on April 19th, 1916, after just nine weeks of active service on the Western Front. He was aged 27.

The second son of Albert and Elizabeth Gore, of 32 St Ann's Road, Luton, he had worked at the Hubbard works in Princess Street before joining up in September 1915.

He left a widow, Florence May, and young daughter, Grace Florence. At the time of the 1911 Census the family were living at 30 St Ann's Road.

L-Cpl Frederick Horace Goodwin, 19854, 8th Battalion Beds Regiment, was one of a number of soldiers with Luton connections killed in action in Flanders on April 19th, 1916.

Born in Ampthill in 1893, he was the eldest son of William and Phoebe Goodwin, of Pulloxhill. Before enlistment, Frederick worked in the Great Northern Railway goods shed at Luton. He continued to live in Pulloxhill and cycled to and from his work in Luton each morning and evening. Previously he had been a farm labourer.

Pte Charles Ellingham, 22462, 8th Battalion Bedfordshire Regiment, was killed in action near Ypres on April 19th, 1916.

Born in Luton, he was the youngest but one of six sons of James and Susan Ellingham, of 26 Spring Place, Luton. For some years before the war he was employed by J. Custance and Sons, sugar boilers, at 15 Chapel Street.

Pte Ellingham had been at the Front for just nine weeks. On the day of his death there had been a very severe bombardment by the enemy that was one of the worst so far experienced and lasted eight hours.

Pte Albert George Cox, 20172, 8th Bedfordshire Regiment, was killed in action near Ypres on April 19th, 1916. He enlisted on April 7th, 1915, and was trained at the Duke of Bedford's training camp at Ampthill. He was aged 33.

Born in Sundon, he was the son of Charles and Jane Cox. Like his father, George (as he appears to have been generally known) had been an agricultural labourer on Henry Gates' farm at Sundon. They lived in a farm cottage.

Pte Cox is commemorated on the Sundon Village War Memorial.

Pte Thomas Everitt, 3/8430, 8th Battalion Beds Regiment, was killed in action near Ypres on March 1st, 1916. His younger brother, Frederick, 15432, Essex Regiment, was killed at Loos on September 26th, 1915.

The brothers' parents, Thomas and Rhoda Everitt, of 12 Harcourt Street, Luton, heard of the second tragedy to hit their family shortly after the death of 35-year-old Thomas.

Thomas Everitt had lived in Luton until 15 years previously. He married Rosa Smith in 1897 and went to work in the paper mills at Hemel Hempstead, He left a widow and six children.

Captain Edward Emil Simeons, 8th Battalion, Bedfordshire Regiment, died on February 17th, 1916, from shell wounds sustained in action near Ypres the previous day. He was aged 22.

Although the second son of Carl and Edith Simeons, of Blyth Road, Bromley, Kent, he had since 1910 lived with his uncle, Thomas Arthur Cawley, principal of the British Gelatine Works in New Bedford Road, Luton, and lived at Lea Dale, New Bedford Road. Edward was an apprentice at the Gelatine Works and there seems to have been a a further family link in that his father was a gelatine merchant.

Lieut Edmund Wallis Beck, Acting Adjutant of the 8th Bedfordshire Regiment, died of wounds in hospital at Boulogne on January 9th, 1916. He had been seriously wounded near Ypres on December 19th, 1915, while giving warning of a gas attack. He was aged 26, born in Poona, India, on July 27th, 1889.

Before leaving England, Lieut Beck represented his regiment while dining with the King and Queen. He was educated at Bracondale School, Norwich, and Wellingborough, where he was captain of the 1st eleven, and he shot at Bisley for his school.