Stories from The Luton News: Thurday, September 10th, 1914.

Mr Walter Horace Jeffs, of 33 Manor Road, Luton, is a prisoner of war at Baden. He and four friends were in Lucerne, Switzerland, when they were told they were unlikely to get away for six months due to the outbreak of hostilities.

Unlike his friends, Mr Jeffs "made a dash for it" on August 3rd, using his usual route to return home. Nothing more was heard of him until August 8th, when a message was received by his relations at Luton from the Ambassador saying he was a prisoner of war at Baden. The Foreign Office said no further information could be obtained. This week his relatives received a postcard from Mr Jeffs saying he was "alive, well and in good spirits" but that he was locked up in a garrison and he would not be home until after peace was declared. The friends he left behind in Lucerne arrived home in England a week last Tuesday.

• Work will commence on Monday on the erection of 60 rifle range targets at the foot of Warden Hill and also 60 at the far end of the South Beds golf course below Galley Hill, giving ranges of 600 and 1,000 yards respectively. No-one connected with the South Beds Golf Club has received any intimation of the work, and although the golf links are not actually part of the ranges, it will, of course, be impossible to use them during firing practice.
• Fields between New and Old Bedford roads were full of light and song on Tuesday evening. The area was being used as an overnight bivouac by soldiers who had lit campfires and created make-shift tents. By combining their supplies four men were able to rig up a little tent out of some of their sheets, laying others on the ground with two blankets. There is just room for the four to get into the tents. With their great coats on top they do not do so badly, and many of them also use woollen sleeping bonnets. A Luton News representative took the footpath across what is locally termed the "second mud arch" to the camp. Fires were being stirred up to make a bright blaze here and there, fresh songs were started and we were assured that it was a part of the training which was all good fun, especially while the weather remained so fine.
• It seems probable that the new Reserve Eastern Mounted Brigade Field Ambulance will be completed in a few days. As 90 per cent of the present unit, with all the officers, have volunteered for foreign service, only a few foreign service recruits are required to complete its strength. The new unit, which will have a strength of about 100, is to have 60 per cent of men who enlist for foreign service, and the men are readily coming forward.
• Lady Wernher has made arrangements that game killed on the Luton Hoo Estate shall be placed in cold storage for the benefit of the sick and wounded, and to assist in alleviating the distress amongst the deserving poor of the neighbourhood during the coming winter.
• During the half-time interval at yesterday's Luton Town FC game against Southampton, Major Brighten urged the men on the terraces to be among the 1,000 needed to fill up the ranks of the 5th Beds. A recruitment office opened in the Corn Exchange at seven o'clock on Tuesday evening and by yesterday the first 48 men enrolled were ready to head to Bedford and Lord Kitchener's Army.
• A meeting at the Town Hall heard that 400 more men for foreign service and 600 for home defence are urgently wanted by the Bedfordshire Territorial Association as part of Lord Kitchener's new army. Major E. W. Brighten, of the 5th Battalion, Bedfordshire Regiment, said he had been sent with his commanding officer to get the men necessary to complete the foreign service unit at the earliest possible moment. Over 60 per cent of his own battalion had volunteered, and of the 350 or so who were left a large proportion were married men who had good reasons for not volunteering. But some were able-bodied single young men whose only reason for not volunteering was, "I don't want to go". He thought they would not be at all happy when they were sent back to Bedford. and would not be allowed to leave the war station of the battalion until they were replaced by new recruits willing to go abroad. For men who wanted to go abroad quickly the 5th Beds offered a quicker means of doing so than would be obtained by joining the Regulars, as the battalion might be expected to leave immediately they were brought up to strength.
• The Bedfordshire Yeomanry has volunteered for active service abroad, and in accordance with the orders of the War Office and the County Associations of Bedford and Huntingdon, a second regiment is to be formed and trained.
• The porter and labour master at the Luton Workhouse have been called to the colours. And practically all the single men employed on the Luton tramways are volunteering.
• There will be military church parades on Sunday next at 10.30 at Stockwood Park, Wardown Park and People's Park. It is requested that there should be no smoking during these services and "hats off" during the playing of the National Anthem.
•  "I am a non-compulsionist," said Mayor Councillor W. J. Primett, but he was prepared to support a request to the Board of Guardians to draw the attention of the Local Government Board and War Office to the large number of able-bodied workers aged between 18 and 30 who appear to be generally living on the community. It was suggested that legislation be passed to utilise the services of these able-bodied men for the country's good at this time. The Workhouse Master said that co-incidentally the number of tramps visiting the House had dropped almost to vanishing point. On one night there was not one there.
• Luton Town FC made an auspicious start in their first home game of the season since their return to the First Division of the Southern League with a 2-1 win over Plymouth Argyle on Saturday. There were nearly 8,000 spectators and gate receipts of £177. Having drawn 3-3 at The Dell on the previous Wednesday, they had a lucky 3-2 win over the Saints in the return home match yesterday (kick off 5.15 pm). The crowd of about 3,000, included 600 or 700 Territorials.
• The £35 14s 6d gate money from Luton Town FC pre-season practice matches was among the latest donations to the local organisation of the Prince of Wales National Relief Fund. There was also £100 from Mr Harold Wernher at Luton Hoo, £22 8s 4d collected at Chapel Street Wesleyan Church and a gift of 4s 6d paid in billeting money to a resident of Lincoln Road. The Mayor has sent a total of £1,500 to headquarters from Luton fund-raising.
• Practically the whole of the Royal Army Medical Corps (RAMC with their headquarters in Grove Road) have volunteered for foreign service, and a new (reserve) unit is to be formed, 60 per cent for general service and 40 per cent for home defence. Men who have been trained previously are especially desired to re-join.
• One hundred blankets have been lent to the military authorities by the Luton Guardians. Owing to a rush of recruits it has been found impossible to get such materials through the War Office in time. The military will pay for the use of the blankets.
• A man who had walked from Bedford and become unconscious through exhaustion was admitted to the Infirmary but was discharged at his own request after recovering the following morning. He was found lying on his back in Chapel Street, but no signs of injury were found.
• It is said that when the men in a certain battalion stationed at Stopsley were asked to stand out of the lines if they did not wish to volunteer for foreign service, a number stepped forward. The other men in the battalion who were content to go commenced hissing. It is clear that no one knows what special circumstances are existent in individual cases, and no one has the right to judge. The tongue may wound more deeply than a foot of cold steel.