Stories from the Beds and Herts Saturday Telegraph, January 16th, 1915.

A Luton soldier who died in Edinburgh Military Hospital from wounds received at the front was laid to rest in the Luton Church Cemetery yesterday [January 15th, 1915]. It was probably the first time in the history of the town that a private soldier fatally wounded on a foreign battlefield has found his resting place in his native town.

The deceased was Pte Harry Gray, who spent 12 years with the Royal Garrison Artillery but was attached to the 1st Beds Special Reserve. His home was at 2 Beech Road, Luton. There was a large amount of public interest in the sad ceremony, conducted with full military honours.

Pte Gray was wounded in France on October 18th and underwent three operations - all while refusing anaesthetics -to remove a German bullet lodged in his head for three months. He passed away on Sunday [January 10th] in the presence of his sister and mother, who insisted he should be buried in Luton rather than Edinburgh.

With no gun carriage available, his coffin was borne on a car with the Band of the5th Battalion, Lincolnshire Regiment, playing the "Dead March" as it progressed along George Street. Two hundred members of the 23rd Battalion, County of London Regiment, marched in the funeral procession and three volleys were fired over the grave at the Luton Church Cemetery.

• A special mention for Mr W. H. Cox who took pictures of the military funeral. The gathering was due to pass through George Street at about 2.30 but it was nearly an hour after that before the procession appeared. Yet by five o'clock Mr Cox delivered five prints, all different, of the event to the Telegraph office to offer a choice for reproduction.

• Mrs J. W. Green and Mrs Robert Durler, the Commandants of the Luton Women's branch of the Voluntary Aid Detachment of the British Red Cross, thanked all who had given or lent beds, blankets etc to the military hospital set up in Wardown House. There were now 25 beds in use, and since the hospital opened in the middle of October there had been over 200 in-patients and a larger number of out-patients.

• We learn that Lieut-Col Butler is relinquishing the command of the 5th Battalion, Beds Regiment, on account of ill health, and that Major Brighten may be expected to succeed him in the command of the battalion.

• Former Luton Town goalkeeper R. T. Jarvis (9137, A Company, Oxford and Bucks Light Infantry) serving with the British Expeditionary Force wrote to football club trainer Billy Lawson that he was still in the land of the living but had seen more of "this awful war" since he last wrote. "We came out here on November 29th and the weather is absolutely rotten. It is awful getting in and out of trenches up to your knees in water and mud. Talk about training for the English Cup! You ought to bring the boys out here for a few walks with us. If we stand still for two minutes we need a crane to get us out for we get stuck."

• A lance corporal serving at the front with the 2nd Battalion, Beds Regt, wrote: "It was awful to see old comrades shot down by my side. I feel like an old man already, but like the rest am very cheerful. We have lost our Colonel and Major killed in action, and we have only about 400 men left out of 1,100 who came out with us."

• Mrs Spacey, of 1 East Avenue, Park Street, Luton, who learned of the death of her son from a comrade has now received official confirmation from the War Office. Pte Bert Spacey was killed in action at Ypres.

• A toy factory which was offered to Luton recently, through the medium of the Chamber of Commerce and subject to certain capital being subscribed locally, is now to be erected at Burton-on-Trent instead. There £2,500 has been local subscribed as half of a capital of £5,000 with which a factory is to be started.

• Through the initiative of the Rev G. Shorting, the recently appointed Vicar of Stopsley, a distinct need has been filled in the Round Green district of his parish. A mission church has been established and was dedicated on Thursday by the Right Rev Bishop Knight, late Bishop of Rangoon. The building, which is close to the tram terminus, was formerly a Wesleyan chapel and since then had been used as a straw factory by Mr George Brown. There is excellent seating accommodation for 100 people, and Mr A. Monger is the lay reader in charge of the mission.

• Luton has proved a valuable recruiting centre. Few families have failed to respond to the nation's call to arms. Probably the largest contribution made by any single family, however, is that of Mr and Mrs William Land, of 14 Midland Road. Of eight sons living, five have enlisted - four in the Royal Engineers (William, Albert, Herbert and Edward) and one in the 5th Beds (John). All except Edward are married.

• Old football rivals Luton Town and Watford played out a 1-1 draw in a friendly match on a greasy pitch at the Luton Town ground. The Luton team included six of the eight players who joined the Players' Battalion - Dunn, Simms, Roberts, Wilson, Wileman and Roe - and when they trooped on to the field the crowd of about 1,000 gave them a very friendly cheer. Watford looked the better team but could only beat in-form Luton goalkeeper Mitchell once before conceding a goal themselves ten minutes from time, a Gilder sprint setting up Simms to score. Gate receipts £32.