From The Luton News, April 15th, 1915.

A man who held a prominent position on the staff of Luton hat manufacturers A. Warren and Son, of Bute Street, before rejoining his old regiment was given a commission while serving at the front as a Territorial.

In early August, Robert S. Ledgard [pictured, right] rejoined the London Rifle Brigade, from which he had retired after five years service. He got his first stripe within a week of rejoining, was made corporal on September 28th and went to France with his regiment on November 5th. In January he became a sergeant, and early in February was recommended by his Colonel for a commission. He has now been gazetted as second lieutenant to the 2nd Battalion Wiltshire Regiment, a battalion which had lost about half of its effective strength in killed and wounded during some stiff fighting.

• Mr George Powdrill, of Hitchin Road, Luton, received a letter from a former employee, Pte R. Wilmott, 10491, 2nd Border Regiment, now a prisoner of war in Germany, In response to a request for comforts such as tea, sugar, milk, bread and "fags", Mr Powdrill sent a parcel to Mr Wilmott at Gefangenen Lager, Doeberitz, Germany, and urged other Lutonians to do the same.

• The Machine Gun Section of the 1/5th Beds Regiment at Norwich was appealing for a dog - preferably a bulldog about seven to 12 months old - to become a mascot that could be trained to guard over the guns. Sgt R. E. Bass said: "The abbreviation of the Beds Regiment is B.D., meaning bulldog, so we would like to be up-to-date."

• Three South Beds men in the trenches with the 5th Lincolns wrote to The Luton News about their early experiences. A letter from Pte H. Janes,of Beech Road, Pte H. S. Smith, of Leagrave Road, and Pte A. Humphries, of Dunstable, said a shell - one of 25 - had exploded about 30 yards from them while digging trenches. Otherwise they were happy, well fed and well cared for.

• Some 25 competitors entered a soldiers' smoking competition at the YMCA Hut on the Moor on Monday evening. Gunner G. Gething, of the North Midland Division, was the winner, making a Woodbine last 40 minutes 40 seconds.

• A sergeant at Neuve Chapelle with the 2nd Battalion Beds Regt said in a letter sent to Luton: "No doubt you have read about the fight on March 10th. "Before we advanced, our artillery opened up a heavy bombardment on the German lines for about half-an-hour. Some of the sights I saw I do not wish to see again. In fact, all who took part in this affair will never forget the sights seen on this date. I call it a little hell upon earth."

• In connection with a national appeal for support to a movement for the prohibition of the manufacture and sale of alcoholic liquors during the period of the war, Mr T. G. Hobbs, at the Park Street Baptist Chapel, was able to forward 1,085 Luton signatures to the Prime Minister on Tuesday night. A report showed that £164,463,000 was spent on alcohol during 1914 - made up of £103 million spent on beer, 50 million on spirits and £11 million on wines. Beer consumption represented 27 gallons per head of population with an average expenditure of £3 10s 10d.

• On behalf of its shareholders, Vauxhall Motors (1914) Ltd presented a travelling workshop to the British Red Cross Society to act as a tender to the Vauxhall ambulances already supplied. The workshop, which would accommodate four mechanics, was intended for dealing with light repairs and prompt roadside assistance. Its equipment comprised a garage lathe, a bench fitted with a hand-drilling machine, and assortment of bench tools, vices, a light lifting block and tubular crowbars.

• The Rev Charles Evelyn Charlesworth has taken up his duties as pastor of Wellington Street Baptist Church, preaching to large congregations on Sunday. He had come to Luton from Wellington Square Baptist Church in Hastings.

• At the Manchester Street hall of the Salvation Army there were farewell gatherings for Adjt and Mrs T. H. Edwards, who were leaving Luton after two years here. Mr Edwards was going to the Fearnhead Homes, near Warrington, on sick furlough, although the couple's daughter would remain in Luton to work.

• A village sewage system and an end to Luton being allowed to dump loads of offal there was advocated in a letter to the 20th annual meeting of Stopsley Parish Council. In a letter to the meeting, Vicar of Stopsley, the Rev G. H. C. Shorting, said: "To my thinking it is criminal to jeopardise the health and lives of little children." Stopsley was suffering its second diphtheria outbreak in three years - 18 cases in 12 houses. Newly elected chairman Mr B. Hartop said he was certain that various dirty people were too lazy to carry out duties of cleanliness, and the clean people had to suffer.

• Monday was a busy day at the Luton Cattle Market when, in addition to their ordinary sale, J. Cumberland and Sons held an auction sale in aid of the local National Relief Fund. Highlight was the sale of 40 eggs donated by Mrs Craig Bidding. Buyers put the eggs back up for auction 17 times, the accumulated total eventually reaching £14 2s 6d. The sale,which included donated calves, pigs and lambs, raised a total of £105 6s 9d.

• Red Cross Band Secretary Mr W. Clarke said the use of collecting boxes at Sunday concerts in Wardown Park were to be discontinued following occasional complaints. Collecting sheets would instead be placed at the entrance to the park in the hope of improving income needed for new instruments.

• A 12-year-old boy from North Street, described as a ringleader of a number of boys, was ordered by Children's Court magistrates to receive six strokes of the birch for stealing 2 shillings from hat manufacturer George Cooper, of 7 Havelock Road. His father agreed that it would do the boy good to be sent to a training ship, but he apparently wasn't old enough.

• Managers of New Town Street Schools responded to Board of Education concerns over defects with the buildings. They pointed out that the size and shape of the site made it impossible to enlarge the buildings without demolishing them and rebuilding. Alderman H. O. Williams told Luton Education Committee that the Department's requirements made the school antiquated and difficult to improve, so it looked as though its time was pretty nearly at an end.