Diary: Recommendation for DCM

 

Stories from the Beds & Herts Saturday Telegraph: August 19th, 1916.

It is not a common thing for high war decorations to go to the Royal Army Medical Corps, but the brave conduct of a Luton soldier has, we understand, gained him the coveted D.C.M. This soldier is trumpeter Archer S. A. Powell, who is with the 1/1st Eastern Mounted Brigade Field Ambulance in Egypt.

Trumpeter Archer PowellC.Q.M.S Stoten, of the same unit, had broken the news to his own mother, who in turn told Mrs Annie Powell, of 42 Inkerman Street. Then Trumpeter Powell (pictured right) wrote that he thought he would wait until he received the honour before surprising everyone at home with the news. He had not mentioned a word about it to anyone.

[It seems Trumpeter Powell may have been recommended for the D.C.M. for bravery in carrying wounded soldiers to shelter and safety during heavy shell fire at Gallipoli, but there seems to be no record that he was actually awarded it. He went on to serve in Palestine and finally on the Western Front at the end of the war. He was demobilised in January 1919, holding the 1914-15 Star and General Service and Victory Medals.]

  • Another batch of wounded men arrived by train from Cambridge at Wardown Hospital in Luton on Thursday afternoon. There are ten men who were involved in the July stage of the 'big push', and they are all suffering from gun shot or shrapnel wounds. They were, as usual, met at the station by local friends with their motor-cars. The batch would have been larger but for the closing down of one of the larger wards for cleaning purposes.

  • News is to hand that Pte A. Setchell, 10619, 1st Bedfordshire Regiment, has been admitted to the Wharncliffe Military Hospital, Sheffield, having been wounded by shrapnel in the fighting on the Western Front about a week ago. The son of Mr and Mrs Ernest Setchell, of 45 Albert Road, Luton. he had been at the Front 22 months. Prior to enlistment he worked for Mr F. Moody, engineer, of Chapel Street.

  • Pte Richard Etherington, aged 38, of the 1st Battalion of the Duke of Bedford's Regiment, and whose home address is 47 Wimbourne Road, Luton, received facial injuries on July 31st and was taken to a Boulogne hospital on August 1st. Prior to enlistment he worked at Luton Gasworks.

  • Among the Luton men of the Bedfordshire Regiment in the August 18th casualty list of those wounded were: Pte E. Chalk,12638; Pte A. E. Dyer, 10729 (Leagrave); L-Cpl G. T. Hunt, 14574; Pte T. McArthur, 12547; and Pte L. Parsons, 12432.

  • Rifeleman George Thomas Hepworth, 5631, 1st Battalion Rifle Brigade and a prisoner of war in Germany, wrote to his wife at 100 Langley Street, Luton, to express thanks for a parcel from a Lutonian sent through her. He also asked that the children of Standard 1, Surrey Street Schools, and their teacher Miss Jones, be thanked for their parcel. Rifleman Hepworth's step-daughter Gladys was in Miss Jones's class. [Rifleman Hepworth, aged 36, who first enlisted in 1898 and had seen service in South Africa and India, survived the war and was demobbed in April 1919. Born in Bradwell, Bucks, he had married Harriet Westwood (nee Quick) in Sheffield in 1913 and died in Luton in 1958, aged 79.]

  • Mr James Baker, agent for Lady Wernher of Luton Hoo, wrote that there had been misunderstanding in regard to the Mother's Day event in the town. Lady Wernher, who was away, had wired him to say she would be delighted to allow the mothers of soldiers an opportunity to visit the Hoo Gardens and Pleasure Grounds and for tea to be arranged for all who came. The event organisers decided the offer to tea could not be accepted in the spirit of and event in which individual townspeople were to entertain the mothers. The Mayor's pre-event letter had clearly set out what was expected and he was extremely sorry for those mothers who had come to Luton Hoo under a misapprehension.

  • At Luton Police Court this morning, Army officer Lester Harcourt Kent, of Biscot Road, was charged with driving a motor car in a manner dangerous to the public. Her drove in Castle Street at a "terrific rate" of 30 mph, notwithstanding the 10 mph speed limit. He was fined £3 3s.

  • A huge glare in the sky in the High Town district that lit up the whole of Luton between 9 pm and 10 pm sent people rushing to and ringing the fire station thinking there was a serious fire. Second Officer Andrew had seen a glare on a lesser scale before and realised it was from a foundry.

  • The death occurred in the early hours of Wednesday morning of Mr Richard Thomas Cooke, of 'Westfield,' Dunstable Road, Luton, who was formerly County County Registrar for Luton from July 15th, 1875 until he resigned for health reasons on September 23rd, 1909. Born in Stamford, Lincs, he was 84 years of age and a regular attendant at Christ Church opposite his home.

  • Two babies escaped with only slight injuries when their pram was struck by a bolting horse pulling a bakery cart belonging to Mr Starkins. It ran from Wimbourne Road, along Dallow Road and across Dunstable Road into Inkerman Street before hitting the pram and tossing it into the air and finally being brought to a halt by a soldier in New Bedford Road.

  • A most remarkable incident in a thunderstorm is reported from Dunstable. At Chalk Hill, Mr Lionel White's slaughterhouse adjoins a dwelling house and a chimney runs between the two buildings. Mr White was standing in his slaughterhouse smoking a pipe when a flash of lightning struck the chimney and travelled into the slaughterhouse. Then it struck his pipe and cut it clean in two, leaving the stem of the pipe in Mr White's mouth. The marvellous fact is that he escaped the slightest injury and no damage was done to the buildings.