Pte James Barnard Watkins, 11021, 1st Battalion Bedfordshire Regiment, died on September 3rd, 1918, from wounds sustained in action at Gezaincourt in France. He had returned from home leave only a week earlier, and had crossed over from Dover on August 29th.

A letter of sympathy from a Chaplain informed parents James Barnard and Alice Maud Watkins, of 125a North Street, Luton, that he had would be burying their eldest son on September 4th at a military cemetery. In due course a cross would be erected over his grave.

L-Cpl Edward Stanley Davis, 170, 1st Battalion Bedfordshire Regiment, was killed in action in France on September 2nd, 1918. The 35-year-old was the only son of aged widowed mother Margaret, who lived at the rear of 23 Duke Street, Luton.

Edward had enlisted when only 16 years old and had gone through the Boer War in South Africa. He was later employed as a general labourer before re-enlisting at the outbreak of war in August 1914, doing 18 months transport service ahead of being placed in the firing line.

L-Cpl Reginald William Wiley, 78463, 4th Battalion London Regiment (Royal Fusiliers), was killed in action in France on August 31st, 1918. He was aged 19 and single.

Born in Luton in 1899, he was a son of William James and Mary Ann Wiley, of 81 Selbourne Road, Luton. He worked at George Kent's and had joined up in April 1917.

The Luton News reported that he was a well-known football player who had belonged to several junior clubs.

Pte Arthur Samuel Victor Long, 22461, 2nd Battalion Bedfordshire Regiment, was killed in action in France on August 29th, 1918.

Parents Samuel and Martha Long, of 139 North Street, Luton, were informed that their son had been shot through the heart by a sniper at Combles while crossing an open space with his captain, who had just chosen him as orderly. He died in a very few minutes, and was conscious only a few seconds. Pte Long, who was aged 20, had been expecting home leave at the time.

Pte Thomas Orchard, 6260, 23th Battalion Middlesex Regiment, was reported missing on August 20th, 1918, and later listed as killed in action on August 22nd. He was aged 33 and married with a daughter.

Widow Annie, living at 172 Wellington Street, Luton, with daughter Connie Freda (born 1909), was appealing for information on his whereabouts when Thomas's picture was published in The Luton News with little information about him.

Sec-Lieut Alfred Melbourne ('Chum') Coate, 15th Battery, 36th Brigade Royal Field Artillery, third son of the nine children of Canon Harry Coate, Vicar of St Matthew's Church, Luton, and his Australian-born wife Henrietta Mercy Coate, was killed at an observation post during a battle north of Albert in France on August 28th, 1918. [Newspaper reports at the time give a date of August 27th.]

Pte Aubrey Chance, 49556, 1/1st Battalion Cambridgeshire Regiment, was killed instantly in action when hit by a shell during fighting in France on August 26th, 1918. He was aged 19 and single.

Born in 1899, Aubrey was a son of William and Jemima Chance, of 20 Vicarage Street, Luton. He was still at school at the time of the 1911 Census.

Before joining the Colours he was employed as a carter by Mr Stanley Tilcock, of Castle Street.

Pte George Shackleton, 41891, 13th Battalion Essex Regiment, died at Tournai in France on March 16th, 1918, from intestinal catarrh while a prisoner of the Germans. Parents Joseph John and Elizabeth Shackleton, of 8 Stanley Street, Luton, learned of his fate six months later.

Pte Shackleton, who was aged 31, joined up in January 1917 and went to France the following May.

Born in Clerkenwell, London, in 1887, he had previously helped in his father' hat factory.

Pte John Vincent Blackburn, 20731, 1st Battalion Bedfordshire Regiment, died at Gezaincourt in France on August 24th, 1918, from wounds sustained in action the previous night. He was three weeks short of his 21st birthday.

Pte Harold Wilfred Shadbolt, 92960, 14 Platoon, D Company, 2/4th London Regiment (Royal Fusiliers), was killed in action in France on August 24th, 1918. He was aged 18 and single.

Parents John and Louisa Shadbolt lived at 87 Cromwell Road, Luton. John had been a grocer, and by 1911 was a Congregational Church caretaker. Prior to Harold's death, ten of the couple's 13 children were surviving, with Harold a schoolboy.

Pte Thomas Alfred Cook, 204219, 1st Herts Regiment, died in a casualty clearing station in France on August 20th, 1918, from wounds sustained in action the previous day.

Born in Luton in 1887, a son of Thomas and Alice Cook, of 10 Clarendon Road, Luton, Thomas was engaged in the cost office at Vauxhall works before joining up in May 1917.

He had married Martha How from Round Green in 1909 and by the time of the 1911 Census they were living in Turners Road with two young boys, Harold Thomas (born 1910) and Dennis (1911).

Gunner Charles Richard Mellor, 656450, 82nd Brigade, Royal Field Artillery, died on August 19th, 1918, in the 12th General Hospital, Rouen, in France, as a result of having been gassed in action. He had been married only four months.

Born in Hanley, Stoke-on-Trent, on March 12th, 1899, he had joined the Staffordshire R.F.A. when aged only 16½. He was stationed at Biscot for eight months and met his future wife, Luton girl Daisy Holton, while there.

Pte Fred Clark, 103495, 10th Battalion Sherwood Foresters (Notts & Derby Regiment), died in the 2nd Canadian Hospital in France on August 19th, 1918, as a result of gas shell poisoning while in action. He was aged 38 and married.

Fred had joined the Beds Regiment (No 30811) in July 1916 and went to France the following November. In May 1917 he was wounded by a bullet in the chest, but recovered to go to France again in March 1918, when he was transferred to the Notts & Derby Regiment.

Pte Richard Cyril ('Dick') Eads, 69348, 6th Battalion The Queen's (Royal West Surrey Regiment), died in the 55th Casualty Clearing Station in France on August 18th, 1918, from wounds sustained in action.

His father, corn merchant William John Richardson Eads, of 24 Rothesay Road, Luton, received a telegram on August 19th to say his fifth and youngest son was dangerously wounded. A second telegram, on August 22nd, said Richard had died on August 18th.

Pte Richard Cyril ('Dick') Eads, 69348, 6th Battalion The Queen's (Royal West Surrey Regiment), died in the 55th Casualty Clearing Station in France on August 18th, 1918, from wounds sustained in action.

His father, corn merchant William John Richardson Eads, of 24 Rothesay Road, Luton, received a telegram on August 19th to say his fifth and youngest son was dangerously wounded. A second telegram, on August 22nd, said Richard had died on August 18th.