Apprentices must not enlist. That was the fact stated at Luton Divisional Court on Tuesday [May 25th, 1915], when two young fellows named George Gibbons, of 57 Butlin Road, Luton, and Reginald Brandon, of 174 Dallow Road, Luton, appeared in court in khaki.

They were summoned for having broken their indentures with Clarke's Machine Tool Co, Dunstable Road, by enlisting. They were bound as apprentices in 1910.

Mr H. W. Lathom prosecuted for the company, who are iron and steel engineers, and said that when the Bench understood that the plaintiff's works were engaged wholly on turning out munitions for the Government, and that the example of the defendants might very likely to be followed by 18 other apprentices, they would see that it might cause great difficulties.

The firm had received a communication from the War Office in September last stating that the regulations did not permit of enlistment of apprentices. These boys must therefore have lied when they enlisted and not given out that they were indentured.

They knew the regulations because they had both enlisted before and and had been sent back. They set their employers at defiance, and the latter had had to put every bit of private work on one side, and were doing only Government work. They had a long letter asking for the urgent supply of goods, which were being hampered by the action of these boys.

There was a seething feeling of discontent among all the apprentices, and he asked the Bench to send the defendants back. There would not be any discontent about their pay, because they were receiving 16 shillings and 17 shillings a week, where before they received 12 shillings and 10 shillings respectively, and they also now had a bonus and overtime.

The War Office had forbidden their enlistment because they were more valuable at work than in the uniform they wore now, not that he suggested they would not be useful in uniform.

The manager for the company stated that the general staff in Luton was making every effort to trace apprentices who had enlisted, because they recognised the importance of their work.

Brandon said he joined the Army because he did not think he was doing his best at work. His time was up in September next, and he asked to be allowed to remain in the Army.

Mr Lathom asked the Bench to order the month that the defendants had been away to be added to the time to be served, and to order that they should pay the court costs (5s 6d each).

The Bench made these orders.

[The Luton News, May 27th, 1915]