Toddington Roll of Honour compiled March 24th, 1915.

Commander Acheson, Royal Navy

Lieut Leon Acheson, Naval Reserve

Lieut J. Hobbs, 1st Royal Scots

Major Pateman, the New Army

Lieut G. Sharpe RN, submarine C8

Lieut Franklyn Smith, Army Reserves

Pte John Addie, the New Army

Pte Robert Addie, the New Army

Pte W. Allen, 5th Beds (Territorials)

Pte Bertie Armstrong, King Edward's Horse

Pte L. Ballard, 5th Beds

Pte Fred Bates, the New Army

From the Saturday Telegraph, April 3rd, 1915

Just days after the death of her six-month-old baby, Mrs Emma Richards received news that her husband Thomas, aged 33, had been killed in action at Neuve Chapelle.

The Mayor of Luton, Councillor W. J. Primett, desires to obtain a complete list of Luton men who are serving with the division. The first names sent in are:

ALLEN: 1353 Driver H.Allen, 1st North Midland Brigade, R.F.A. Ammunition Column - 13 Dorset Street, Luton.

ALLEN: 1469 Driver Victor J. Allen, 1st Divisional Ammunition Column - 73 Warwick Road, Luton.

BARRETT: 1467 Driver Bert Barrett, 5th Lincoln, 1st North Midland Brigade, R.F.A. - 23 Holly Walk, Luton.

From The Luton News, April 1st, 1915

Eight weeks after the death of her former soldier husband James, Mrs Graham, of The Harrow pub, Hitchin Road, received news of the death at the front of her son Cpl Percy William Graham, 9200, of the 2nd Battalion, West Yorkshire Regiment (Prince of Wales's Own). He was aged 22.

Pte Graham was killed in action at Neuve Chapelle on March 10th. He was born in Luton and attended Waller Street Schools, afterwards working at a local foundry. He also attended St Matthew's Church.

Although the Peace Day riots had no parallel in local history, rioting had not exactly been conspicuous by its absence in the town, said the Luton Reporter in a special report in July 1919.

Two escapes from death for a Luton soldier at the front were revealed in an interview given by Rifleman Leonard Butcher while on leave at his home in Ashburnham Road, Luton. He had joined the 12th Batt. County of London Regiment (Territorials) at the outbreak of war, and left with the regiment for Belgium on December 24th. Some weeks afterwards (at the beginning of February) he was in the firing line at Ypres, and it was then his terrible experiences began.

More Lutonians serving King and country.

Lieut Frank FACER: Transport officer, 2/East Anglian R.A.M.C. - Hart Hill, Luton.

Pte Horace FENSOME: 13261, C Company, 2nd Battn Beds Regt, British Expeditionary Force - Ramridge End Lane, Luton.

Stoker Petty Officer W.W. GADSBY: 294719A, HMS Penelope - 34 Stuart Street, Luton.

The following casualties among the Bedfordshire Regiment were reported on March 25th, 1915.

KILLED IN ACTION

Pte Charles Alfred SMITH: 3/8456, 1st Battalion, February 27th, 1915 (Menin Gate Memorial)

DIED OF WOUNDS

Sgt James Henry BARLOW (28): 9198, 1st Battalion, February 28th, 1915 (Bailleul Communal Cemetery)

WOUNDED

Pte A. LEWIS, 7111

Pte H. LOVEDAY, 8702

Pte H. PHILLIPS, 8344

Pte E. SMITH, 14677

Cpl E. C. STONE, 8758

With the large number of troops in the town it was extremely inadvisable that this sort of thing should be going, Town Clerk William Smith told Luton Police Court on March 27th, 1915, when a woman claiming to be a genuine relative of the Gipsy Lee family was charged with "practising palmistry to deceive and impose".

Adelaide Garrett, of 24 Church Street, Luton, denied the charge, brought under Section 4 of the Vagrancy Act 1824. She was convicted and fined 30 shillings, including costs. She could have faced three months in prison or a fine of up to £25.

From the Beds & Herts Telegraph, March 27th, 1915.

Two Belgian refugees, old friends before they were evacuated from Antwerp, were unexpectedly reunited as patients at the Bute Hospital.

Deep mystery still surrounds the ownership of gold and silver coins which were scratched out of a hole at the foot of a hedge in West Ward, Luton, last Thursday evening by a mongrel dog belonging to Mr and Mrs Joseph Janes, of 108 Maple Road.

Floss, the canine hero of the adventure, was out on a ramble at six o'clock with Reginald Janes, aged 10, and John Williamson, another Maple Road boy, and when she glued her nose to a hole, which is near a factory, the lads thought she was ratting.

Stories from The Luton News, March 25th, 1915.

Snowstorms on Saturday had raised questions over whether Recruiting Sunday - the first day of spring - the following afternoon should be postponed until after Easter. But in the event the sun shone and Park Square, Luton, was filled to overflowing with an audience brought together to hear something of the needs of the 2nd 5th Battalion Beds Regiment, the Yeomanry and the New Army in the way of recruits.

As the war dragged on the lists of Beds Regiment casualties and prisoners were becoming longer and more frequent.

Included in a list of prisoners of war received from Germany on Thursday, March 18th, were the names of

Don't play the enemy's game by striking. That was the plea from a brother serving in the 1st Battalion, Beds Regt, to a brother working as a mechanic at Commercial Cars in Luton after hearing of recent strike action at the Biscot Road factory. The firm was engaged in war work.

Stories from the Beds & Herts Saturday Telegraph, March 20th, 1915.

It now appears the 2nd Battalion, Bedfordshire Regiment, had a hand in the great victory at Neuve Chapelle recently, when the British forces made such a splendid advance.