For two-and-a-half anxious years, the family of Pte Reuben Joseph Wilmot, 10491, 2nd Battalion Border Regiment, knew nothing of his fate. Finally, in June 1917, his half-sister Ada Elizabeth, then living at 118 Chapel Street, Luton, learned that he had been taken as a prisoner of war by the Germans near Ypres on October 26th, 1914, and sadly had died from an old bullet wound while still in captivity on March 17th, 1917.

Gunner Herbert Butterfield, 101907, 217th Siege Battery Royal Garrison Artillery, was killed in action in France on June 5th, 1917. He was aged 34.

He had joined up in July 1916 and went to France the following January after nerly seven months of training. The last that his widow Rose Ellen, of 109 Cowper Street, Luton, had heard from him was in May 1917 while his battery was resting.

Sgt Albert William (Bert) Mead, 22714, 142nd Company Machine Gun Corps (Infantry), died in Flanders on June 16th, 1917, from wounds sustained in action the previous day. The holder of the Distinguished Conduct Medal and Military Medal, he had been mentioned in despatches on several occasions.

Archibald George Whitelock was born in Canning Town, London in 1886, 1 of 9 children born to William & Elizabeth.

On 9th September 1914 whilst living at 91 Ridgeway Road, Luton, Archibald enlisted into the Royal Engineers (523029) as an electrician. He took his electricians' test with the Biscot Road works for Commercial Cars. He later worked for Vauxhall Motors.

In April 1915 he married Helen A Stone in Luton.

Pte Claude Ernest Pratt, 14855, 13th Battalion Royal Sussex Regiment, died in a casualty clearing station on June 9th, 1917, from abdomen wounds sustained earlier in the day in the Messines fighting.

A hospital chaplain wrote to parent James Albon and Ellen Louise Pratt at 21 Peach Street, Luton, with the news. He said he had laid their son to rest with several others on June 10th in a cemetery surrounded by hops and growing corn some miles behind the lines - a very peaceful spot.

Pte Walter George Smith, 40356, 6th Battalion Leicestershire Regiment, was killed in action in France on June 8th, 1917. He was aged 21.

In a letter of sympathy to parents George and Harriet Smith at 49 Hampton Road, Luton, Second Lieut W. A. Fletcher wrote: "Your son, Pte W. G. Smith, was killed yesterday evening, June 8th,. He was on a working party up in the front line and was hit on the back by a piece of shrapnel. It pierced his heart, and the doctor told me that death must have been instantaneous."

Gunner Frederick George Charge, 102343, 212th Siege Battery Royal Garrison Artillery, was one of six men killed by a single German shell in Flanders on June 8th, 1917.

Gunner Charge, who had served through the Boer War and wore the South African medals, had been in France for six months. He joined up again on July 10th, 1916,

He had married Millie Cooper at Christ Church, Luton, on April 3rd, 1915, and the couple were living at 109 Maple Road, Luton. They had no children.

Rifleman Arthur Robinson, 42129, 8th Battalion Royal Irish Rifles, was killed in action in Flanders on June 7th, 1917. He and his family had moved to Hammersmith, London, just before the war after living at 238 Ridgway Road, Luton.

He enlisted in early 1916 at Hammersmith into the King's Royal Rifles (26176) before being transferred to the Royal Irish Rifles. He had worked at Hayward Tyler during his time in Luton.

Arthur Robinson was aged 38. He had married Florence Day in Luton in 1898 and they had three daughters - Florence Lilian, Doris and Gladys Irene.

Sapper Reuben Edward Parris, 524535, 105th Field Company Royal Engineers, was killed in action at Messines Ridge on June 6th, 1917.

Official notification of his death from the War Office reached his widow Elizabeth at their home at 81 Ash Road, Luton, ten days later. The couple had arrived in Luton from Coventry, where they were living at the time of the 1911 Census. Reuben first worked at George Kent's before becoming a foreman moulder at the Skefko Works and then returning to work at Kent's.

Pte Bertram Norman Birchmore, 47452, 23rd Northumberland Fusiliers, died as a prisoner of war of the Germans on May 4th, 1917. He had been captured with a back wound and in a delirious state on April 29th. He was aged 29.

His widow Gertrude, of 34 Ivy Road, Luton, had been appealing for information about what had happened to her missing husband. It was more than four months before official information arrived that he had died as a prisoner of war.

Sapper Clarence Sydney William Sivil, 78498, 4th Field Survey Company Royal Engineers, was killed in action in France on May 27th, 1917. He was aged 20.

He had enlisted in the Royal Engineers in November 1914 and the following month went to Egypt with other Lutonians. He afterwards took part in the Dardanelles campaign, landing with the Anzacs in Anzac Cove in April 1915.

Pte John William Cooper, 55240, 16th Battalion Welsh Regiment, met a particularly tragic death at the Front in Belgium on May 22nd, 1917, drowning in a deep water-filled shell hole from which he was unable to escape before help could reach him.

Gunner Frederick Charles Mead, 315376, 1st (Wessex) Heavy Battery Royal Garrison Artillery, died of wounds in France on May 6th, 1917. He was aged 23.

 Leighton Buzzard-born Gunner Mead, the son of William and Fanny Mead, of 54 Dallow Road, Luton, enlisted in the R.G.A. in October 1915 and went to the Front at Easter 1916. Prior to joining up he was employed at the Cocoa Works in Dallow Road, Luton.

Pte Ernest Arthur Smith, 6254, 11th Battalion Middlesex Regiment, died of wounds in Flanders on May 1th, 1917. He had been in the firing line for just a few days.

His widow, Fanny at 6 St Paul's Road, Luton, was informed in a letter from the matron of a casualty clearing station in France that her husband was admitted badly wounded. All that was possible was done for him, but he lived for only a few hours. He was hardly conscious any of the time and was unable to send a message himself. He was buried in the British Cemetery.

Ordinary Seaman William Harold Burrows, J/36685, Royal Navy, met an accidental death while serving on HMS Dido on May 10th, 1917. He was aged 19.