Stories from The Luton News, June 10th, 1915

The largest crowd ever known to have gathered in George Street turned out to welcome the 1/5th Battalion Bedfordshire Regiment as they arrived in Luton towards the end of a 60-mile three-day march around the county.

It was the first time the whole battalion had been seen in Luton, commanding officer Lieut-Col Edgar Brighten leading 20 officers, about 800 men and 70 horses. Arriving along a New Bedford Road decorated for the occasion, the battalion with its band at its head arrived at the Town Hall promptly at seven o'clock to be welcomed by the Mayor, Councillor Walter Primett, town councillors and other leading townspeople.

The Mayor paid tribute to the regiment and its history before Lieut-Col Edgar Brighten responded and the battalion marched on to Luton Hoo to bivouac in the grounds overnight.

• With a risk of air raids, lights in some parts of Luton - in streets and houses - were considered to be too brilliant, and the Town Council hoped the public would reduce the power or screen the glow. Steps had already been taken to reduce the lighting of streets.

• The sun was almost scorching on Monday, the hottest day of the year, when 5,000 troops quartered at Luton marched at two o'clock to Dunstable, where they are under canvas for Brigade training at their camp at Brewer's Hill and Pratt's Mead.

• Mr William Jarvis, of 8 Surrey Street, Luton, received information from the War Office that his son, Pte George Jarvis (pictured, right), 9344, 1st Battalion Beds Regt, was killed in action at Hill 60 on May 28th. He was aged 28, had previously been in the 2nd Battalion for six or seven years and was wounded in the thigh last November at Ypres. He had returned to the front a month ago after a short sick furlough.

• Pte J. W. Dolling, 1st Battalion Beds Regt, was in the Devonshire Hospital, Buxton, after being invalided home from the front with rheumatic fever. The soldier who was in the charge at Ypres without being wounded had since developed chronic sciatica in his right side but hoped to be able to visit his wife and child living in Luton.

• Pte B. Fensome, 6055, C Company, 1st Beds, who was wounded at Hill 60 on April 19th, had written from Exmouth Red Cross Hospital to his mother at 10 Brunswick Street, Luton, to say his wounds are healing and he would soon be going to a convalescent home.

• Lutonian L-Cpl B. J. Douglas, 2nd Essex Regt, has written from Holly House Military Hospital, Shrewsbury, to say he is recovering slowly after being badly gassed at the front.

• Pte B. Holdstock, 24th Battalion London Regiment, who was wounded in the face and right thigh by a German sniper in a charge near Givenchy on May 25th, was now in a convalescent home at Boulogne. He had played for Granville FC when the team were runners-up in the Luton Second Division League in 1913-14.

• A Bedfordshire family was anxiously awaiting news of a second son feared killed in action. Like brother Frederick who was killed on April 24th, 1915, Albert Bingham was included in a casualty list, but the information proved to be incorrect. Both Frederick and Albert were natives of Luton but had gone to Canada from their then home in Studham. They returned with the Canadian Expeditionary Force.

• Petty Officer Arthur Norton Brown (pictured, right), familiarly known as Sandy, was severely wounded on May 27th during the operations in the Dardanelles. No particulars of the nature of the wounds have been received by his family. He is the son of furniture dealer Mr Edwin Brown, of 15 Dale Road and 26 Park Square. A member of Luton Swimming Club and a Wednesday footballer, PO Brown joined the Royal Naval Air Service in October 1914, and he has been riding a motorcycle with an armoured sidecar containing a maxim gun.

• Saddler Hawkes, a former member of the Luton Red Cross Band, appealed for readers of The Luton News to send mouth-organs for Lutonians serving with the 2nd Battery, First Brigade, serving at the front.

• A patriotic display has been made in the windows of the Moor Path Tea Rooms at 58 New Bedford Road, by the proprietor Mr James Napier. Photos of the monarchs and leading warriors of the Allies are exhibited, along with a tragic touch of a photo of his son Albert, recently killed in action.

• The dangers of civilian life close to the firing line were illustrated in a letter from Pte W. J. Emery, 1/24th Battalion County of London Regiment. Going for a shave in a crowded barber's shop, a shell fell in the garden outside. The former Beech Hill School assistant master bustled screaming women and children into a cellar and made them lie on the ground closest to the wall in the direction of where the shells were coming from. They all emerged safely.

• Lieut Sidney Tabor, 3rd Beds Regt (attached 1st), has been promoted captain as from March 17th, the day before he was wounded at the front. He is son-in-law of Luton brewer Mr J. W. Green.

• Latest to join the 5th Battalion Beds Regt through Luton Corn Exchange Recruiting Office: J. Andrews, A. W. Bates, J. Billington, H. Brooks, H. Buckingham, L. Flitton, E. G. Hill, W. King, W. J. Lawrence, A. Levy, C. G. Marsh, J. H. Smith, A. Summerton, W. J. Sutton and W. C. Young (all Luton); R. Lovegrove (Dunstable), E. Perry (Slip End), G. Dyer (Pepperstock), C. G. Evans (Ponders End) and J. Killen (Liverpool).

• Recruits enlisting at Luton for the Regular Army during the past week: P. Appleby, W. Bayliss, S. J. Biswell, W. T. Clark, A. Downie, W. Hyde, A. Kempson, P. Mallin, E. Martin, F. Newman, W. Paul, H. Pring, S. Roberts, J. Robertson, W. Roff, J. Saunders, J. H. Willis, T. G. Wilson and G. L. Wooding.

• An extension to Luton's Electricity Works at a cost of nearly £27,000 was unanimously agreed by the Town Council at very short notice on Tuesday evening. Councillors were told it was absolutely essential to provide additional plant to ensure continuity of supply.

• The Town Council voted to ban Northcliffe Press newspapers from the library following attacks in the Daily Mail, the Times and Evening News on Lord Kitchener.

• The Luton Mandolin Band, on the suggestion of their conductor Mr Philip J. Bone, recently had a whip round and subscribed £4 10s for the poor of Rheims. Four years previously the band went to the French city to take part in some contests, winning two first prizes.