Diary: 5th Bedfords need 1,000 more recruits

 

Stories from the Beds & Herts Saturday Telegraph: August 14th, 1915.

Major Orlebar, Commanding 3/5th Battalion, Beds Regt, is invited men who are now prepared to join the Army to do their bit to do their training in the pleasant surroundings of Windsor Park.

The 1/5th Battalion, as is generally known, has gone abroad on active service, and the 2/5th Battalion has been in training for some time. The third line is now at Bear's Trail Camp, Windsor Park, which is probably the most attractive training centre any of the Bedfordshire Territorials have yet found.

As 1,000 men are needed to keep up the strength of the Bedfordshire Territorial Infantry, there is a splendid opening to hand for Bedfordshire men who wish to uphold the good name of the county as a recruiting area, and perhaps some men who tomorrow have to fill in their registration papers as single, without dependants and not engaged on war work or possessing special skill urgently needed for the production of munitions, may be tempted to seriously consider whether they should not at once acquire the skill and training which makes a good soldier.

  • An officer in the 6th South Staffords who was in Luton with the 1st North Midland Division has written of his experiences to Second Officer Andrew, of the Luton Fire Brigade. He said: "I went to sleep in a bit of some old breastworks to the rear of our new trenches. I was awakened by being shaken all over my dug-out. I scrambled out and found the other end of the trench, which is about 30 yards long, blown to smithereens. The same evening I went there again for it is very rare a spot is shelled twice in one day. But I had only just dozed off when a high explosive shell burst just over me. I hopped out and there was a second burst about five yards in front of me, sending me right over. I reckon I did the distance down the communication trench slightly under even time. I was horribly bruised and shaken, and having no sleep for 30 hours, felt as though my head would burst."

  • Pte A. Dillingham, of 14 Dudley Street, Luton, sent a letter to Mr and Mrs John Draper at 11 Dumfries Street, parents of Pte George Draper, who was killed in action on July 11th. Both enlisted together in the 1st Bedfords shortly after war broke out. "He was one of the bravest chaps we had got in our company," he wrote.

  • This morning Pte G. Partridge, 14253, and Pte P. Small, 8085, of the 2nd Battalion Beds Regt, were reported wounded.

  • This morning Mr Hastings Pimbury, representing Monsieur Emile Vandervelde, the Belgian Minister of State, arrived in Luton to enlist support for a fund for the relief of Belgians in Holland and for the wives and children of Belgian soldiers. He was addressing meetings at firms including George Kent's, Vauxhall Motors and Brown & Green's (pictures, right).

  • With the approach of the football season, two appeals were published from soldiers at the Front for balls. One of them was Gunner-Signaller Fred Barrett, 114th Heavy Battery, Royal Garrison Artillery, who had played for Midland Athletic FC and Havelock FC before the war, and the other "somewhere in Flanders" was W. G. Day, whose home was at 361 Round Green, Luton. The latter wrote: "It is monotonous here at times, as there are plenty of shells flying about, and a game of football would take it off."

  • Two men are at present in the Bute Hospital as a result of accidents in the works of Messrs Kent. On Thursday Francis Horne, of Letchworth Road, Leagrave, was at the Chaul End explosive works and was cleaning the power motor when his right hand was caught in the cog wheels - his forefinger was taken off and the middle finger badly cut. This morning John Hefford, of Burr Street, was at one of the furnaces in the brass foundry, and as he lifted one of the pots, which was red hot, he slipped - his head was cut and he received severe burns to the right shoulder and arm.

  • Sgt Harold Charles Squires, the popular full-back of Luton Amateurs FC and captain of St Matthew's Cricket Club, was married on Thursday afternoon at St Matthew's Church to Miss Annie Elizabeth Wildman, younger daughter of Mr and Mrs F. C. Wildman, of 57 Clarendon Road. Sgt Squires, who was severely wounded in the shoulder during the famous charge of his regiment, the 24th (Queen's) Londons in May, had been promoted to corporal before leaving for the Front and received the third stripe on the field.

  • Eight people were believed killed and 30 injured when part of the 10.30 Irish mail train was derailed on the Weedon side of Stowe Tunnel in Northamptonshire this morning. Three of five derailed coaches overturned and several passengers were thrown on either side of the line. The London and North-Western Railway said the line was blocked for a considerable distance.

  • Accounts to be presented at the ordinary general meeting of shareholders of Luton Town Football and Athletic Co Ltd on Monday week revealed a wages bill of £2,485 1s 6d for the 1914-15 season, compared with £2,139 16s 8d for the previous season. Gross gate receipts were £3,036 7s 9d, against £3,636 17s 4d. Net liabilities amounted to £3,691 19s 6d.