Stories from the Beds & Herts Saturday Telegraph, June 12th, 1915.

Luton heads the list of recruits accepted as the recruiting march of the 2/5th Battalion Bedfordshire Regiment came to an end yesterday. Th total number of recruits obtained up to Wednesday night was 184. Unfortunately, the rejections due to physical and other causes have been very numerous.

Luton had 58 recruits accepted with Bedford subscribing 21. Other places which did well were Eaton Socon, Dunstable, Leighton Buzzard, Biggleswade and Kempston. It is interesting to note that 28 of the 184 recruits have previously served.

The authorities state that a very good class of man is now coming along, but many more are wanted. There are still eligible young men in Bedfordshire who should answer the call. The march had hoped to recruit 550 men.

• The parents of Pte Charles F. Hyde (picture, top right), 24th Battalion London Regiment, finally received the news they were dreading - that their son had been killed in action. Mr and Mrs Hyde, of 93 High Town Road, Luton, were first told that their son was wounded and missing. Subsequently, Pte Dan Summerfield, one of Pte Hyde's Luton chums in the battalion, wrote that he died as a British soldier should die.

• Gunner C. H. Aylott, writing to his wife at 1 Ashton Road, Luton, after recovering from a bruised hip caused by a piece of shrapnel, said when he and his friends went to sleep in the dugouts they all thought about gas, because if they were not wakened the gas would kill them while they slept. "It is a rare sight to see it rolling towards you," he wrote. "There are three men on guard every night so that, at the least smell of it, they come and wake us up.. I think it is about time our people wakened up and used it. We shall never get on if we don't."

• Pte George Edwin Young, who joined "The Queen's" in the first rush of recruits from Luton in September, was struck by a bullet in the great charge on May 25th and was now a patient at the Duchess of Westminster Hospital and Rest Camp. The son of Mrs Young, of 4 Russell Street, Luton, he was previously a member of the clerical staff at Commercial Cars.

• Mrs Annie Dumpleton, of 27 Waldeck Road, Luton, has been informed that her son, Driver P. Dumpleton, of the 2nd Lincoln Battery, RFA, Expeditionary Force, has been in a Belgian hospital suffering from rheumatism. He has now recovered and returned to the firing line.

• Pte E. E. Brewer (pictured, bottom right), aged 21, 2nd Battalion Beds Regt, whose parents, Mr and Mrs Sam Brewer, live at 14 Hartley Road, Luton, has been put out of action as the result of being wounded at the Front. He has had to undergo three operations - one at Boulogne and two at Leicester - and his left leg has been amputated. In a letter home he wrote that he was in a communication trench he had helped to dig when a shell burst not many yards from him, a piece striking him in the leg. That was early in the afternoon, but it was early the next morning before he was got away on a stretcher, due to the Germans shelling hard all night.

• L-Cpl L. French, writing from a base hospital in France, said he received a a wound to the head from a piece of shrapnel in the May 25th charge by the 24th Battalion "The Queen's". He said: "Lucky for me I had my cap on...it cut right through the band and made a cut about one inch long." But the worst part had been the terrible loss of life.

• George Street West solicitor Mr William Bloomer has been notified the his youngest son, Mr Aubrey Rupert Bloomer, aged 20, was killed in France on June 4th serving with the 10th Royal Hussars. He joined the Hussars at the age of 17 and served in India and Africa before his regiment returned to England in September 1914 en route to the Front.

• A censored report of a daring night-time exploit revealed how two members of the Sherwood Foresters who had been stationed in Luton, stole a flag erected by the Germans between opposing trenches, with a challenge to come out and take it. Having failed to take it on the first night, they succeeded on the second. The flag was inscribed with "Revenge for our flyer kindly invited. Dear sirs, God punish England".

• A single bullet accidentally discharged during the cleaning of a rifle had a terrible consequence, injuring two members of the Sherwood Foresters and killing a third. Pte George Herbert Hyde was killed outright after the bullet had passed through Pte J. Watson's knee and Pte C. Cresswell's thigh. Pte Watson's leg was amputated and Pte Cresswell has since succumbed to his injuries.

• No further news has been received of Vic Hayward, Captain of the Wardown Bowling Club, who was reported to have been wounded when the 23rd and 24th Battalions London Regiment made their historic charge. No letters have been received from him.

• The Board of Agriculture and Fisheries has been informed by the Army Council that, in view of the possible dearth of agricultural labour for the hay harvest, furlough will be given, at the discretion of the military authorities, to a limited number of soldiers of the New Army and of the Territorial Force for work in the hay harvest, as circumstances may permit.

• Librarian Mr Thomas Maw reported to Luton Town Council that, as expected, the war had resulted in a decrease in the number of books issued. The library had largely been used by soldiers billeted in the town and, although many soldier borrowers left Luton at very short notice, only two books borrowed had not been returned. The number of borrower tickets had increased from 3,810 in 1912 to 6,761 in 1915.

• The Bishop of Ely (Dr Chase) visited Luton on Sunday and occupied the pulpit at the morning and evening services at the Parish Church.

• The conductor of a stationary tram was knocked down and injured while revolving the trolley pole near the Shepherd and Flock at Round Green on Wednesday evening. A military man, stated to be a despatch rider, allegedly hit the conductor while motorcycling through the village. A woman and a child on foot were also reported to have been injured.