"German defences penetrated for 16 miles" and "The great advance - official". These were two of the optimistic headlines with which the Saturday Telegraph of July 1st, 1916, broke the news to Luton readers that what would become known as the Battle of the Somme had begun - 141 days of unprecedented bloodshed that would cost many Lutonians their lives.
Pictured above are five Lutonians who gave their lives on the first day of the Battle of the Somme on July 1st, 1916. Left to right: Pte Frederick Armstrong, Pte Frederick Clarke, Pte Stanley Fensome, Sgt Percy Rickard, Pte Lionel Worsley.
The stories of these and other Lutonians who gave their lives in the Battle of the Somme between July and November 1916 will be added below. Simply click on a name to open a link. This is an ongoing project and further stories will appear as they become available.
JULY 1st, 1916
Pte William Frederick Armstrong
Pte Frederick Herbert Carter
L-Cpl Charley George Cox
Pte Stanley Walter Fensome
Pte William Fensome
Rifleman Henry Oliver Philip Foster
Pte Frank Gates
Pte Herbert Graves
Driver Sidney John Indge
Rifleman Arthur Thomas Mahon
Sgt Percy Edward Rickard
Pte Thomas Walter Troubridge
Pte Lionel Ralph Worsley
JULY 2nd, 1916
Sgt William Hyde
JULY 3rd, 1916
Pte Horace Bleaney
Pte Thomas George James Smith
JULY 5th, 1916
Pte Arthur Edward Gadsby
JULY 6th, 1916
L-Cpl Stanley Dean Swift
JULY 7th, 1916
Pte Percy John Clark
Pte William George Peck
JULY 10th, 1916
Pte William John Clibbon
Pte Alfred Bert Walker
Pte Charles Webb (Possibly July 9th)
JULY 11th, 1916
Pte Edwin Benjamin Eales
Pte Ernest William Thomas Groom
Pte Sydney Jesse Gurney
JULY 12th, 1916
Pte Josiah Webb
JULY 15th, 1916
Pte Walter George Bryan
JULY 16th, 1916
Pte Alfred George Brown
Pte Joseph Payne
JULY 17th, 1916
Pte Albert Ford
JULY 18th, 1916
Pte Leonard Stapleton
JULY 19th, 1916
Sec-Lieut Arthur Haworth
Cpl Frederick Smith
JULY 22nd, 1916
Pte Ernest George Foord
Pte Albert Smith
JULY 23rd, 1916
Pte Aubrey Stanbridge
JULY 24th, 1916
L-Cpl Edwin Granville Harvey
JULY 27th, 1916
Pte Percy Haydn Day
Pte Charles Gregory
JULY 30th, 1916
Pte Frederick Allen
Pte Gerald Sidney Brunton
JULY 31st, 1916
L-Cpl John Prime
AUGUST 1st, 1916
Pte Albert Rolfe
AUGUST 3rd, 1916
Pte William Bavister
AUGUST 5th, 1916
Sec-Lieut Richard Norman Butcher
AUGUST 8th, 1916
Pte Hedley Richard Farr
AUGUST 9th, 1916
Sgt William Henry Bunyan
L-Cpl Robert Stokes
AUGUST 13th, 1916
Pte Charles Henry Grace
AUGUST 18th, 1916
Sgt William Ellingham
Rifleman William Ernest Ratcliffe
AUGUST 19th, 1916
Pte Ernest Arthur Pestell
AUGUST 24th, 1916
Cpl Alfred John Axtell
Gunner Montague George Fountain
AUGUST 30th, 1916
Pte Ralph Green
SEPTEMBER 1st, 1916
Lieut Arthur Hugh Johns
SEPTEMBER 3rd, 1916
Pte Horace Fensome
Pte Lusignan Ernest Jeffery
L-Sgt Joseph Plater
SEPTEMBER 4th, 1916
Pte Samuel James Carter
2nd Lieut Richard Reeve Emmens
Pte Fred Harper
L-Cpl Ellis Henman
SEPTEMBER 5th, 1916
Pte Thomas Richard Buller
Pte Herbert Owen Sawyer
Pte Charles Wood
SEPTEMBER 9th, 1916
Pte Ernest Samuel Brandom
Pte Sidney George Peters
SEPTEMBER 10th, 1916
Pte Thomas James Swain
2nd Lieut Alexander Pigott Wernher
SEPTEMBER 11th, 1916
Pte William Dovaston
SEPTEMBER 12th, 1916
Bdr Charles William Asbury
SEPTEMBER 15th, 1916
Rifleman Arthur James Gaunt
Pte Walter Henman
Pte Edward Horsler
Sgt Arthur Huckle
Pte Christopher Perry
L-Cpl Frank Primett
Rifleman Arthur David Sharp
SEPTEMBER 16th, 1916
L-Cpl Bert Holdstock
SEPTEMBER 18th, 1916
Pte William Cooper
L-Cpl Cyril Stone Terry Short
SEPTEMBER 22nd, 1916
Pte Harold Ronald Kempson
SEPTEMBER 23rd, 1916
L-Cpl Alfred Warren
SEPTEMBER 24th, 1916
Pte William Brooks
SEPTEMBER 25th,1916
Pte Arthur Dumpleton
Pte Herbert Harold Howkins
SEPTEMBER 26th, 1916
2nd Lieut William Samuel Scruby
SEPTEMBER 27th, 1916
Pte Arthur William Fensome
CSM Arthur Fountain
Pte Ernest William Furr
Pte Percy George Lane
SEPTEMBER 28th, 1916
Cpl William John Andrews
Sec Lieut Herbert George Merchant
Pte James Hubert Mimms
SEPTEMBER 29th, 1916
L-Cpl Thomas John Heley
OCTOBER 1st, 1916
Rifleman Frederick Horace Rookwood
OCTOBER 4th, 1916
Pte Henry Cecil Pugh (Brooks)
Pte Archibald Odell (or O'Dell)
OCTOBER 12th, 1916
Pte Frank Brightman
Pte Sidney Alfred Burgess
Pte Alfred Edward De Fraine
2nd Lieut Harold George Fyson
Sgt William Ginger
Pte William Impey
Sgt Peter Pieraccini
Pte Charles Augustus Primett
OCTOBER 18th, 1916
Cpl Herbert Henry Strange
OCTOBER 21st, 1916
Rifleman Alfred John Stanley Bruton
Pte John William Martin
OCTOBER 23rd, 1916
Lieut Ernest Isaac Barrow
OCTOBER 24th, 1916
Pte Harry Waller
OCTOBER 25th, 1916
Pte Samuel Stokes
OCTOBER 26th, 1916
Pte James Thomas Canderton
OCTOBER 27th, 1916
L-Cpl Ernest Edward Fowler
Pte Bertram Hubert Spalding
OCTOBER 28th, 1916
Pte Sidney Charles Worboys
NOVEMBER 4th, 1916
Pte Percival Frank Buckingham
NOVEMBER 13th, 1916
Pte Sidney Charles Anthony
L-Cpl Thomas Frederick Brown
Gunner Horace George Dunham
Pte John Dyson
Pte Fred Allen Kilby
Pte Percy Sidney Martin
Pte George Henry Puddephatt
Sub-Lieut Eric William Squires
NOVEMBER 14th, 1916
Pte Robert Charles Morsley
Pte John Radford
Sapper Bert Tomlinson
NOVEMBER 18th, 1916
2nd Lieut Charles Frederick Burley
Sapper Clarence Sidney Ellerd How
NOVEMBER 21st, 1916
Pte Joseph Ward
NOVEMBER 24th, 1916
Pte Sidney John Vass
NOVEMBER 25th, 1916
Pte George Morgan
DECEMBER 6th, 1916
Pte Thomas Fleckney
