[Picture: Men of the 2/5th Beds Regiment taking a well earned rest during their recruitment march]
While not the resounding success that had been hoped, the recruitment march around Bedfordshire by a recruiting party of the 2/5th Bedfords had resulted in 52 extra recruits through the Luton Corn Exchange office in the first few days.
In recent times the number of recruits enlisting there had ranged from about five to ten - 15 in a good week. The 52 men did not include those secured by the recruiting party, as in those cases all formalities were completed on the spot and the men concerned sent straight to the depot at Bedford.
Luton recruits: A. Baldwin, W. F. Burgess, A. Carter, H. G. Catlin, J. W. Chesham, B. G. Cook, J. Crane, F. Croft, A. Cumberland, F. Davis, A. Dimmock, H. Dimmock, G. G. S. Fessey, W. J. Harcourt, H. Lamb, D. Lewis, A. G. Mead, G. Pratt, A. S. Porter, F. Puddephatt, W. R. J. Ridd, J. J. Silvester, G. Smith, A. Stenhouse, E. E. Swain, S. Swinscoe, B. W. Underwood, A. S. Warren, G. Whittington, B. Wiles, A. H. Williams.
Harlington recruits: G. W. Ashby, H. J. Bonner, A. Denton, A. Perry, W. F. Perry.
Hockliffe recruits: F. Fleckney, J. Fleckney, F. T. Warren.
Dunstable recruits: V. Carter, P. Dickens.
Other recruits: A. Wiseman (Leagrave), F. Claridge (Stopsley), D. Toyer (Slip End), W. Durrant (Stanbridge), R. Bliss (Toddington), G. R. Purser (Sharpenhoe), L. Sayers (Breachwood Green), L. H. Peters (Hitchin), H. S. Smith (Aylesbury), H. Clegg (Doncaster).
[The Luton News, May 27th, 1915]
After publication of the Luton News list, the Beds & Herts Saturday Telegraph was able to add a the following 25 names.
A. Alderman, F. G. Andrews, H. Brown, H. Chamberlain, F. Clark, A. W. Cox, F. Freak, C. Fullerton, W. Fullerton, R. J. Gee, C. Green, R. A. Maltby, F. Puddephatt, S. H. Punter, T. Scales, A. G. Smith, C. Summerlin, F. Taylor, A. H. Welwins, G. W. Wise (Luton).
H. Cox (Leighton Buzzard), A. J. Hyde (Limbury), F. S. Marlow (Sundon), R. W. Toynter (Boston, Lincs), W. Duffey (Ireland).
[Beds & Herts Saturday Telegraph, May 29th, 1915]