Digest of stories from The Luton News: Thursday, June 6^th, 1918.

A Luton News representative the other day visited the straw hat factory in Langley Road [now Latimer Road] which has been taken over by the committee for the training of disabled soldiers, and was much pleased with the excellent progress being made.

There is no doubt that the management committee have carried out the scheme thoroughly, and they were fortunate in obtaining a factory so adaptable to the purpose, and in securing such a competent instructor and instructress as Mr and Mrs Hoar. Mr Hoar himself has the additional merit of being a discharged soldier. His wife is an expert machinist. [They are pictured above with some of the first men on the training scheme.]

The factory is fully equipped with the most modern machinery, and out representative saw five or six men being trained in the various departments. The standard of proficiency attained can be seen from the fact that already the men have made straw hats which can be placed on the market.

The committee had a visit from the inspector of the Ministry of Pensions recently, and he expressed keen appreciation and satisfaction at this admirable scheme, undertaken simply to aid those who have done their bit for the country. It is of importance to discharged men that they should take advantage of the scheme, for it will fit them for becoming useful citizens, earning a decent wage.

• Restive Army mules have again been responsible for the death of a soldier, a fatal accident occurring last Friday at the Remount Depot, Beech Hill, Luton. The victim was a Biscot gunner named John Thomas Purvis (Royal Field Artillery), aged 25, and his home is at Consett, Durham. At an inquest on Tuesday, a verdict of accidental death was returned by a jury, coroner Mr G. J. M. Whyley pointing out that he had conducted a good many inquests connected with military camps, but it was the first one in which an officer had had the courtesy to attend. Gunner Purvis was dragged along by a mule with his right foot trapped in the stirrup. He was taken to Wardown V.A.D. Hospital, where he died due to severe injury of the spine. The body of the deceased soldier was later enclosed in a polished oak coffin and conveyed on a gun carriage to the Great Northern railway station, en route for his home.

• The Luton Divisional justices on Monday again refused to make an order for the ejectment of a soldier's wife to make room for the purchaser. An application for possession was made by Mr D. A. Prosser, acting as agent for the purchaser, Mr Forrest, and the respondent was Mrs Mary Payne, The Bungalow, Bradgers Hill, Stopsley. Mrs Payne said her husband was a soldier in Mesopotamia, and she had four children. She had tried everywhere to get a place but had failed to do so.

• We understand that about 60 recruits were obtained in an appeal for the splendid Women's Land Army at a public meeting held on Saturday outside the Town Hall. The response is regarded as satisfactory in a centre like Luton.

• After a hearing lasting nearly four days, a court martial at Biscot returned a verdict of not guilty in the case against Quartermaster and Hon Lieut Richard Harris, No 6 Reserve Brigade, Royal Field Artillery, and he was honourably acquitted on all charges. There were three charges in reference to the disposal of accumulated manure at the camp between February and December 1917, resulting in the claimed loss of about 800 loads. Lieut Harris said when he arrived at Biscot in January 1917 he found the camp in a bad state, the roads being covered with manure and rubbish. He secured a very considerable improvement within the next three months. One of the steps which effected this was that several contracts were entered into for the removal of the accumulated manure free of charge. Following an application to headquarters, authority was given for manure to be dumped on farms in the neighbourhood, and two motor lorries were sent to assist in these operations.

• Mr and Mrs Collings Wells, of Caddington Hall, on Saturday received from the hands of the King the Victoria Cross awarded to their late son, Lieut-Col Stanhope Collings Wells, of the Bedfordshire Regiment. The open air ceremony took place in the Quadrangle of Buckingham Palace, and the King congratulated them on having had such a brave son.

• Leagrave district is proud of Sgt Albert Archer (51041 Machine Gun Corps), of The Stores, Marsh Road, Leagrave, who has received the Distinguished Conduct Medal for good work done in France. He kept his guns in action for two days after he was wounded, thereby assisting in holding the line at Guillemont Farm. This is the second time he has been wounded. Sgt Archer is a Mons hero, and holds the Star for services in India.

• At the annual meeting of the Beds Union of Baptist and Congregational Churches, held at Bedford, Mr Bertram Clark, of Luton, a well known and esteemed worker of the Park Street Baptist Church, was unanimously elected Vice-President for the coming year. Nine names were submitted.