Pte Aubrey Julian Pearce, 19182, 7th Battalion The Buffs (East Kent Regiment), was killed in action on the Somme on February 26th, 1917. He was aged 20.

Although born and living in Wheatheampstead, he was an old boys of Luton Modern School and is included on the Luton Roll of Honour.

After leaving school he entered the service of the London and South-Western Bank at the Wood Green branch, from where he joined the Army on April 3rd, 1916. After a period of training in Kent, he went to the Western Front on November 27th.

Lieut Cyril Edward Franklin, East Anglian Royal Engineers, died on February 20th, 1917, from wounds sustained on the Somme. His widow Annie was reported to have received notification to that effect from the War Office the following day, although some records say "killed in action".

Cyril Franklin, who was just short of his 30th birthday, was the son of Edward and Elizabeth Franklin, of 57 Dale Road, Luton. Edward Franklin was an inspector with the Luton Borough Police, until he retired about two years previously and went to live in Stanbridge.

Trooper Harold Anderson, 1707, Household Battalion [Life Guards], was killed in action on the Somme on February 18th, 1917. He was aged 27.

Born in Toddington, he had enlisted at Biscot with the Royal Field Artillery in the summer of 1916 and was then drafted to the Life Guards, with whom he went to France.

Before joining up, Harold Anderson assisted his father, Thomas, in his grocery and provisions business at 83 Langley Street, Luton.

Pte Charles Henry Pearson, 43204, 6th Battalion Northamptonshire Regiment, was killed in action on the Somme on February 17th, 1917. He was aged 32, the youngest son of Kent farmer George Pearson.

Prior to enlisting, he had been for four years a salesman and window dresser in the drapery department of Blundell Bros' department store, where he was known as Tony. He was one of 30 of the firm's employees who had joined up.

Pte George John Gatward, 11054, 11th Royal Fusiliers (City of London), was killed in action on the Somme on February 17th, 1917. He was aged 36 and married with three children, one aged 15 months old.

News was received by his widow, Clara Alice, at their home at 16 Dorset Street, from Captain H. H. Mundy, Royal Fusiliers. He wrote that before the death of her husband was confirmed he had been reported missing "but has since been found killed outright and was buried where he fell".

Pte George Flitton, 48085, 6th Battalion Northamptonshire Regiment, was killed in action on the Somme on February 17th, 1917. He was aged 26.

Familiarly known as Jack, he lived at Slip End, one of 11 children of Thomas and Lizzie Flitton. Prior to joining up under the Derby scheme in February 1916 (he at first served with the Beds Regiment [26066]), he had worked for dyers Messrs E. W. Hart and Sons, of Windmill Road, Luton.

Hed was trained at Landguard and then went to France. He had been in the trenches eight months and three weeks when he was killed.

Drummer John (Jack) Copley, 15563, 7th Battalion Bedfordshire Regiment, was killed in action on February 17th, 1917, at Boom Ravine on the Somme.

A letter to his father, Walter, at Danesbury House, 98 Old Bedford Road, Luton, from his adjutant said John had been killed in action on February 12th (although the Boom Ravine battle was on February 17th). He wrote that the battalion was in action in front of Miraumont and John was killed by shell fire while delivering despatches. He was buried on the field of action and a cross marked his grave.

L-Cpl Charles Lawrence, 23494, 4th Battalion Bedfordshire Regiment, died at a clearing station in France on February 16th, 1917, three days after being wounded by shrapnel in action at Beaumont-Hamel on the Somme. He was aged 20.

Born in Luton in 1896, Charles was the youngest of five serving soldier sons of widow Mrs Ann Lawrence, of 59 Ashton Road, Luton (her husband, Frederick, died in 1898). He had enlisted in November 1915, having been formerly employed by Messrs J. Webdale and Sons at their Wellington Street store. He was an old boy of Chapel Street School, Luton.

Cpl Edwin Francis 'Teddy' Smart, 233570, 2nd Battalion London Regiment (Royal Fusiliers), died on February 11th, 1917, from wounds sustained the previous day on a Flanders battlefield. Less than a month earlier he had been awarded the Distinguished Conduct Medal for what he had described as "doing something in the field".

Pte Arthur Robert Goodman, 23081, 4th Battalion Bedfordshire Regiment, was killed in action on the Somme on February 5th, 1917. He was aged 20.

Cpl Alec Walter Harris, 23642, 4th Battalion Bedfordshire Regiment, was killed in action in the valley of the River Ancre on the Somme on February 4th, 1917. He was just 25 and single.

Born in Luton in 1892, he was the son of labourer Albert and straw hat machinist Selina Harris, of 23 Jubilee Street, Luton. Alec (Alic on his birth registration) was the couple's four son.

Pte Frank Wilson, 33808, 1st Border Regiment, died at the 2/2nd London Casualty Clearing Station in France on January 31st, 1917, as a result of gunshot wounds in the leg received on the Somme three days earlier. He was aged 19 and had been in France only since January 6th.

Sister W. E. Tice at the casualty clearing station wrote to parents James and Eliza Wilson at 67 Frederic Street, Luton, that their son had been brought in badly wounded on January 28th.

Sapper Fred Clark, 78518, Royal Engineers, died in German East Africa on January 31st, 1917, from neuritis, attributed to the effects of climate. He was aged 33, married and had three young children.

Sapper Clark was expecting to return home to 152 Leagrave Road, Luton, from East Africa, where he had been serving under General Smuts.

He was formerly employed by engineer Mr Frank Moody, of Chapel Street, Luton, before joinging the East Anglian Royal Engineers on November 19th, 1914.

Cpl Frederick Victor Wesley, 22310, 4th Battalion Bedfordshire Regiment, was killed in action on on the Somme on January 26th, 1917. He was aged 27.

Sadly, the only mention of him around the time os his death seems to have been a roll of honour notice placed in the Luton News by his sister Cassey on behalf of younger brother Percy and relatives.

Pte Stanley Squires Cawdell, 5329, 15th County of London Regiment (Civil Service Rifles), was killed in action near Ypres on January 11th, 1917. He was 30 years old and the son of Sarah Ann (nee Squires) and the late William George Cawdell (died 1906), of 244 High Town Road, Luton.

Stanley Cawdell was an old boy of St Matthew's School and had been employed as a clerk by the Midland Railway Co. He was also secretary of the local Midland Railway Football Club. He had tried five times to enlist before joining the Civil Service Rifles in December 1915.