Pte William Hawkes, 26095, 56th Protection Company, Royal Defence Corps, was killed by a bomb dropped from an airship at Willian, Herts, on October 1st-2nd, 1916. He was perhaps the only person from the Luton area known to have died as a direct result of a World War 1 air raid.

He was buried in the churchyard at St Thomas's Church, Stopsley on October 7th, leaving a widow, Elizabeth, and family living at Ramridge End. His gravestone says he was aged 56, but inquest reports give his age as 43.