Pte Leonard Smith MM, 35961, 6th Battalion Bedfordshire Regiment, was killed in action in the Battle of Arras on or just before April 29th, 1917. He was aged 29 and born in Peterborough.

Although his name is included on the Luton Roll of Honour, there is no accompanying Luton address. With no local Press reports of his death, his Luton connection is not clear.

In the 1911 Census he is described as a tailor's presser living in Leicester with Martha Alice (nee Trowell) whom he married about a year previously. The couple were to have three children.

Pte Frederick William Priest, 31980, 6th Battalion Bedfordshire Regiment, was killed in action in the Battle of Arras some time between April 23rd and April 29th, 1917.

He is included on the Luton Roll of Honour with an address at 3 Denbigh Road, Luton, although other records give an address at 8 Walsworth Villas, Hitchin. No report of his death seems to have been published in the local Press.

Pte Henry Andrews, 32099, 6th Battalion Bedfordshire Regiment, was killed in action in France on April 29th, 1917.

He is commemorated on the Luton Roll of Honour with an address given as 43 Langley Street, Luton, although street directories from the time of his death suggest that may be a post-war family address. There appear to be no reports of his death in the local Press to provide further information.

Pte Frederick George Manning, 22956, 4th Battalion Bedfordshire Regiment, was posted missing, presumed killed, on or after April 29th, 1917, during the Battle of Arras. The news reached his widow, Rosetta, at her home at 105 Boyle Street, Luton, a month later.

Frederick Manning enlisted on November 1st, 1915, and, after training at Ampthill, was drafted to France in the following July. He was aged 25 and prior to enlisting was employed by coal and coke merchant C. Franklin, of Manchester Street, Luton.

Pte Joseph James Beaver, 32105, 6th Battalion Bedfordshire Regiment, was killed in action near Gavrelle in France on April 28th, 1917. He was aged about 24.

Although he is included on the Luton Roll of Honour but without an address, there appears to be no local Press report of his death at the time and little is known about his life in Luton. Military records say that his parents, James and Elizabeth, were living in London, where Joseph was born, but he was likely to have been living and/or working in Luton before the war.

Pte Frederick William Pestell, 30915, 7th Battalion Bedfordshire Regiment, was killed in action on April 28th, 1917. He was aged 39.

He was called up in July 1916 and, after a spell of training at Landguard on the East Coast, returned home before being drafted out to France in October. His widow, Elizabeth, received official notification of his death two weeks later at her home at 98 Cobden Street, Luton.

Pte Fred Perry, 33070, Leicestershire Regiment, was killed in action near Arras on April 13th, 1917. He left a widow, Alice Maud and six children, two of them adopted as their mother had died and their father was serving in France.

Fred Perry had been discharged from the Army on account of varicose veins after joining up at the outbreak of war. However, in November 1915 he rejoined and spent time training in Luton, Bedford, Halton Camp, Yorkshire and Folkestone. He went to France in December 1916.

Pte Frederick George Gurney, 32223, 6th Battalion Bedfordshire Regiment, was killed in action at the Battle of Arras on April 28th, 1917. He was aged 22.

His father, Tom Gurney, of 48 Hartley Road, Luton, was given the sad news in a letter from Second Lieut G. Peel, of the Beds Regiment. He said Pte Gurney, the No 1 of his Lewis Gun Team, had suffered no pain as he was killed instantaneously by a shell.

Pte William Burkitt, 90012, 136th Field Ambulance, Royal Army Medical Corps, was killed on April 28th, 1917, by a shell which made a direct hit on the cellar in which he and four comrades were sheltering during the Battle of Arras. Three of the friends were killed outright.

Pte Walter George Catlin, 76700, 104th Field Ambulance, Royal Army Medical Corps, died of wounds in action on April 28th, 1917, during the Battle of Arras. He was a stretcher-bearer aged 19.

A Forces Chaplain wrote to bereaved parents Walter Henry and Maria Catlin, of 65 Clarendon Road, Luton, to tell them that their son was stretcher-bearing when a shell struck in the early morning, killing Walter and wounding four comrades. His body was taken to Haute-Avesnes and buried the same evening during a service attended by his commanding officer and other officers and men.

Pte Harold Alfred Lake, 31484, 1st Battalion Bedfordshire Regiment, was killed in action during the Battle of Arras on or soon after April 23rd, 1917. He was aged 27 and had been married a little over a year.

Lieut G. C. Sharpe, of Pte Lake's company, wrote to Mrs Lake at 100 Ash Road, Luton, to inform her that her husband had gone missing in action on April 23rd but could gather no further information. It was possible he had been taken as a prisoner of war.

Pte Albert Harris, 13240, 6th Battalion Bedfordshire Regiment, was killed in action in the Battle of Arras on April 25th, 1917. He was aged 32.

The news was broken to his twice-married mother Esther Rolt at her home in Summer Street, Slip End by Second Lieut G. Peel, of the Beds Regiment. Albert joined the Bedfords at the outbreak of war and had one period of home leave after spending about a year in the trenches.

Pte Frederick Harold Wightman MM, 14761, 6th Battalion Bedfordshire Regiment, was killed in action near Arras in France on April 23rd, 1917. He was aged 22.

No report of his death appears to have been published in local newspapers around that time, although he is commemorated on the Luton Roll of Honour as a recipient of the Military Medal. However, a report in the Beds & Herts Saturday Telegraph (February 1st, 1919)said Pte Wightman had been awarded the Military Medal for gallantry during the Battle of Arras.

Pte Alfred George Titmuss, 32174, 6th Battalion Bedfordshire Regiment, was presumed killed in action during the second Battle of Arras in France on April 23rd, 1917. He was aged 21.

A letter from Lieut Dudley to parents George and Sarah Kate Titmuss, of 40 Milton Road, Luton, said their son was reported as missing and he was afraid he must now be either dead or a prisoner of war. Many inquiries had been made, but none of his comrades could say what happened to him.

Pte Harry Taylor, 31918, 6th Battalion Bedfordshire Regiment, was killed in action at the Battle of Arras in France on April 23rd, 1917.

Parents Henry and Minnie Taylor, of 5 Pondwicks Road, Luton, were informed by platoon Sgt S. C. Laurence that their son had been posted as missing on April 23rd. The last time he had seem Pte Taylor was when they had dug in the trenches ahead of the order to advance.

Pte Garner, who was in Harry's section reported that Pte Taylor had been wounded, but beyond that there was no further information.