Digest of stories from The Luton News: Thursday, June 14th, 1917.

It has been the sad lot of Pioneer William Manning, whose wife lives at 64 Frederic Street, Luton, to attend at a cemetery behind the line in France the funeral of his son, Pioneer Harry Manning, of the Royal Engineers, who was recently killed in action.

Mrs Manning has received a letter from the Rev G. Kennedy Tucker stating that Pioneer Harry Manning was brought in suffering from gas poisoning. Everything possible was done for him, but he passed away. He had laid him to rest that day in a little cemetery nearby.

A week before his death, Harry Manning was drafted into the same company as his father, and when he was gassed his father was able to see him before he died. Before joining up he worked for Mr Swallow, hairdresser, of High Town Road, Luton.

• There were doubtless many Lutonians in London yesterday when the German aeroplanes raided the city. There were several in the Law Courts, for the raid occurred while a Luton divorce suit was being heard. In company with Insp Duncombe and Mr Clayton (clerk to Me Lathom), our representative afterwards visited one or two places where bombs had dropped. Large crowds were kept back by the police, and ambulances, fire engines and special constables were in evidence in all directions.

• The engagement is announced between (Temporary) Major Harold Wernher (Lancers), second son of the late Sir Julius Wernher, Bart, and Lady Wernher of Luton Hoo, and Countess Zia de Torby, elder daughter of of His Imperial Highness the Grand Duke Michael of Russia and Countess de Torby. [The photograph above shows a young Zia de Torby standing beside her father, plus her mother and siblings.]

• An important sale of pure-bred Jersey cattle is to take place at the Red Lion Hotel, Hatfield, on Wednesday next, when Messrs Hammond and Craufurd will offer a portion of the choice herd, the property of Lady Wernher. Jersey cattle have been bred at Luton Hoo for many years, the present herd being commenced a few years back with the object of supplying the Mansion with the finest of dairy produce. The prize-winning herd has outgrown the accommodation and consequently it has been found necessary to reduce the number.

• A Hurlesdon youth was fined £1 for driving a motor van to the danger of the public. He failed to stop for a policeman who estimated his speed at 25 to 30 mph in a busy George Street, Luton, on June 4th. He was eventually stopped in Harpenden, six miles away, 12 minutes later.

• Many Luton wives and mothers are undergoing a great ordeal at the present time on learning that their brave men folk out in France are missing after a big engagement. Mrs Allen, of 11 Dorset Street is one of those to receive such a blow, for her husband, Pte Christopher Allen, of the Middlesex Regiment is missing. [He was killed in action on April 28th, 1917].

• A memorial service was held in St Thomas' Church, Stopsley, on Sunday in memory of the late Pte Albert Dawson, Pte John Bangs and Pte Ernest Benjamin Angel, who have fallen at the Front. There was a a very full church for the service conducted by the Rev G. H. C. Shorting.

• The funeral took place on Friday at the Church Cemetery of Driver William Alfred Carter, of 20 Bolton Road, Luton, a driver in the Army Service Corps who was invalided home from France about 12 months ago to a hospital in Guildford. He had been ill ever since, his death occurring on June 4th at the age of 41. The funeral was attended with full military honours.

• Up to five weeks ago, Mrs Daisy Smith, of 3 Surrey Street, Luton, has been receiving regular correspondence from her husband, Pte Albert Charles Smith. She has now been notified tat he has been missing since an engagement on May 14th.

• Sincere sympathy is extended to Mr and Mrs C. W. Sivil, of 43 Ridgway Road, Luton, in the loss of their only son, Sapper Clarence Sydney William Sivil, who was 20 years of age.

• After only two months' service in France, Rifleman Arthur Robinson, who formerly lived at 238 Ridgway Road, Luton, was killed in action on June 7th. His wife has received a letter from a friend in France, stating that he saw him buried with respect.

• Pte Walter Manning, of 2 Nursery Cottages, Old Bedford Road, Luton, has been wounded. He is 29 and was an employee of the Borough Sanitary Department when called up last November in the Beds Regiment, later transferred to the South Wales Borderers while in France. On May 19th he was wounded in the left arm and he is now in Lewisham Hospital, making excellent progress.

• The state of Limbury school was a scandal to the neighbourhood, said the Rev S. H. Collins, Vicar of Biscot, at a meeting of Luton Rural District Council on Monday. Sanitary Inspector Mr Pickering said the school had been disinfected following a diphtheria outbreak but the books were in a deplorable state and filthy. The school itself was also filthy, and he had drawn the attention of the doctor to it. He was not surprised at disease being spread under such conditions. Rev Collins said he had been to the school that morning and found the books to be in a frightfully dilapidated condition and should have been replaced some time ago. He thought the cost involved would be small, but there was deadlock between the County and District Councils over the expense. It was decided to order the Education Committee to destroy the books concerned and sue the school managers for the money for new ones.

• On Thursday evening, Mr A. Cole, builder and contractor of High Town Road, sustained severe injuries as the result of the horse and cart he was driving coming into collision with a motorcycle ridden by a soldier while crossing New Bedford Road from Cromwell Road. The soldier escaped with a few scratches, but Mr Cole's horse sustained considerable injury.

• A good supply of timber is of prime importance to the Luton straw hat trade, but unfortunately the needs of the hour in other directions threaten to cut off the supply absolutely so far as wood for boxes is concerned, only a small supply being available for repairs in future. The intimation was given to Luton Chamber of Commerce at a meeting on Friday evening.

• In order to solicit the sympathies of the boys at Old Bedford Road Boys' School, teachers Mr Bragg, Mr Sear and Mr Walker are stimulating interest in the local hospital at Wardown by egg collecting. The week preceding Whitsuntide the boys in Class 8 collected 28 eggs, and last week the boys in Classes 7 and 9 together obtained 50. In response the wounded soldiers at Wardown have expressed appreciation in letters.

• On Wednesday morning, in the presence of most of the indoor staff, a presentation was made to Postmaster Mr J. D. Leiper of the occasion of his marriage, which is taking place today in London.

• At Union Chapel, Luton, on Thursday morning, the marriage took place of Miss Alice Powdrill, daughter of farmer and contractor Mr George Powdrill, and L-Cpl George Bavister, of the Army Service Corps (Mechanical Transport Corps), son of tthe late Mr Alfred Bavister and Mrs Bavister, of Castle Street, Luton. The Rev W. H. Haden officiated.