John Morton Sandford Smith was born in Eltham, Kent in September 1897, the eldest son of Henry Sandford Smith a Medical Practitioner & Ethel Gertrude.

In 1901 he is living with his parents & his 2 older sisters Rose Audrey & Joan Margaret in the High Street, Eltham.

By 1911 his 2 brothers James Maberly & Richard Henry are born & 13 year old John has been sent to Hill Crest School 46-48 Earls Avenue, Fokestone.

During the war John attested in Coventry for the Machine Gun Corps, Motor Branch.

William Henry Shaw was born in 1884.

On 12 April 1909 he married Rosa Ada Fensome.

On 11 December 1915 he joined the 3rd Battalion Northamptonshire Regiment. He is working as a labourer in the straw hat trade for T Lye & sons of New Bedford Road & living at 53 Ash Road with Rosa & their 2 sons, 8 year old Leonard Collier Fensome Shaw & 5 year old William Henry.

William was sent to France on 1 November 1916 & served there until 26th April 1917 as on 15th April 1917 he was wounded by a shell in the head & jaw.

J Allen was born in 1875.

He was the husband of Lily Allen of 61 Chase Street, Luton.

He served with The Royal Army Service Corps.

He survived the war but died on 10th July 1920.

He is buried in the cemetery on Crawley Green Road.

Cpl William Gurney, 97201, No 8 Depot Company, Royal Engineers, died in the Red Cross Hospital at Newark, Notts, from an acute internal condition. He was taken suddenly ill and died ten hours later.

He had served with the Guards in the South African campaign for which he was awarded two medals and eight bars. He rejoined the Colour at the outbreak of war and became attached to the Royal Engineers at Newark as an instructor.

E Harman served in the Dispersal Centre in Purfleet in the Royal Air Force.

He survived the war but died on 28th March 1920.

He is buried in the cemetery on Crawley Green Road.

Bert served in the 11th Battalion Suffolk Regiment.

He survived the war but died on 16th July 1920.

Richard was born in 1891.

He served in the 8th Battalion Bedfordshire Regiment.

He survived the war but died on 23rd August 1921.

He is buried in the cemetery on Crawley Green Road.

A J Pickering was born in 1896, the son of Charles Pickering of Wing, Oakham in Rutland.

He served in the 2/5th Leicestershire Regiment.

He died on 18th July 1915 & was buried in the cemetery on Crawley Green Road.

William was born in 1888.

He seved in the 5th Battalion Bedfordshire Regiment.

He survived the war but died on 15th October 1919.

He is buried in the cemetery on Crawley Green Road.

Frank Percival Ralley was born in Luton in January 1886.

In 1891 he is 5 years old & living with his parents & 4 of his 6 siblings at 10 Hart Hill Lane.  His father Thomas Francis is 33 & working as an iron moulder alongside Frank's 14 year old brother Thomas. His 33 year old mother Mary Ann is at home looking after 2 year old Anne whilst William 12 & Herbert 8 are at school.

Frank joined the 1st battalion Bedfordshire Regiment.

He survived the war but died on 5th March 1919. He is buried in the cemetery on Crawley Green Road.

Pte Albert Edgar Saunders, 235327, 18th Battalion The King's (Liverpool Regiment), died in King George's Hospital, London, on November 24th, 1918, as a result of wounds sustained at Ypres on April 29th, 1918. A gunshot wound in the neck had caused paralysis of his body and legs, and he had been in the London hospital since early May. He was discharged as unfit for service in August 1918.

Pte Reginald Stuart Stares, 14809, C Company, 12th West Yorkshire Regiment (Prince of Wales' Own), is recorded as killed in action at the battle of Loos in France on September 26th, 1915. He was posted missing following an engagement on September 27th.

Born in Luton in late 1892, he was the son of Londoner George Stares, who died in early 1913, and Martha Harriet, who died in early 1905. The couple had married at Lambeth in 1873, and George remarried in late 1905, his new wife being Sarah Ann Parcell.

Pte Frederick Charles Everitt, 15432, 11th Battalion Essex Regiment, was killed in action in the battle of Loos in Flanders on September 26th, 1915.

The third son of Mr Thomas Everitt, of 12 Harcourt Street, Luton, he had been transferred to the Essex Regiment from the 8th Bedfords and had gone out to the front shortly before his death. Initially he was reported missing.

A comrade wrote to Mr Everitt to say they went into action on the Saturday night [September 25th], and early the next morning they left the trenches to attack the German position.

Pte Horace Hammett, 3/7435, 1st Bedfords, was killed in action at Hill 60 in France on May 5th, 1915. He was posted "missing and wounded" on June 9th but it was not until September that his parents received official notification of his death.

Pte William George Ibbett, 3073, 1/5th Bedfords, died of pneumonia on board the hospital ship Guildford Castle and was buried at sea on September 23rd, 1915. He was aged 18.

Christened George William Ibbett, he had switched his first names when he enlisted to avoid confusion with a comrade with exactly the same name. He was the eldest son of bricklayer John Thomas and Susan Ibbett, of 6 Warwick Road, Luton. The family had moved from Wollaston, Northamptonshire, their two youngest children, aged eight and five, having been born in Luton.