Diary: Sketches from the Somme

 

Stories from the Beds & Herts Telegraph: October 14th, 1916.

Sketches from the Somme

These drawings are by Cpl Hedley W. Alexander, of Messrs Alexander and Son, Wellington Street, and have been sent home by him from the Somme. They represent his moments of leisure, for as a dispatch rider of the Royal Engineers, time does not hang very heavily.

Cpl Alexander, who is just 21, enlisted in November last, and was trained at Houghton Regis and billeted at Leighton Buzzard. He went to the front in February last, and has experienced exciting times. He has had no lessons in drawing since leaving school, and never showed any inclinations that way, but it will be agreed he should persevere and make the most of his talents.

The sketches are titled "Auntie" and "Dad (our host)" plus a cartoon, "Too proud," in which Sam, representing the still neutral USA, says to a British Tommy, "Somme" fight! Tommy (sarcastically) "Some don't".

[Hedley William Alexander (April 21,1895-December 2nd, 1976) and his brother Leonard became directors in the Wellington Street drapery firm run by their father, William George Alexander. Hedley married Dorothy Bollard in Leicester in December 1919 and lived for most of his life in Montrose Avenue, Luton.]

  • There was an interesting gathering at the Town Hall on Thursday evening when 60 'specials' were sworn in for the Borough of Luton "for the duration of the war and six calendar months thereafter". Subsequently, the Mayor (Alderman J. H. Staddon) said he would like to enlist the help of the 'specials' for the visit of Lord French to Luton on Sunday, October 29th.

  • A bad accident occurred yesterday in Old Bedford Road when Herbert Goddard, a telephone wire man of 19a Cobden Street, was seriously injured. He was cutting trees with a saw to clear the lines at the back of Wardown Park when a bough suddenly cracked and Goddard's ladder slipped. He fell 28 ft into the middle of the road, causing a suspected fracture skull. Wounded soldiers carried him to Wardown Hospital before he was transferred to the Bute Hospital, where he is in a crucial state. The injured man's colleagues took a collection to get the soldiers some cigarettes as a token of appreciation for their efforts.

  • At All Saints Church, Luton, on Thursday night, Mr Fred Gostelow, organist of the Parish Church, gave a recital on the new organ. There was an excellent attendance and Mr Gostelow's programme was thoroughly enjoyed. His marvellous control brought out the full capacity of the instrument, of which All Saints' congregation may well be proud.

  • Theses are not happy days for the housewife struggling with the persistent problem of how to live economically. But there is good news in the announcement this morning that meat prices are coming down. Yesterday the meat department of a large West End stores offered silverside of beef at 1s 2d per pound, representing a reduction of as much as 3d per pound on the previous week's quotations. Other meats have dropped in price by from ½d to 2d a pound.

  • Luton Borough Tribunal held its 60th meeting this (Saturday) morning, two days after Secretary of State for War Mr David Lloyd George had said in an important speech in Parliament that far too many exemptions had been granted nationally. If available men could not be got under existing Military Service Acts, other legislation may have to be brought in.

  • We hear that Cecil Arthur Richmond, son of Mr Arthur Richmond, the Master of Luton Workhouse, and a scholar at Dunstable Grammar School, is placed first in all England for experimental science in the recent Cambridge Local Junior Exam. He secured Second Class Honours in three subjects - French, German and experimental science.

  • In June last year news came through that Pte George Hermon Hart, of the "Queen's" (24th London Regiment), son of Mr and Mrs Baxter Hart, of Homah, New Bedford Road, Luton, was missing after a counter-attack on May 22nd. Hopes that he had been taken prisoner were dashed a few days ago when Mr Hart received a letter from the British Red Cross Society to say that a comrade now in hospital in France saw Pte Hart killed instantly by a shell near the German barbed wire at Givenchy.

  • Among the latest men reported to have sacrificed their lives on the Somme were Cpl William John Andrews (Beds Regiment) and Pte Ernest Samuel Brandom (Beds Regiment).

  • Luton Town FC lost their first London Combination away game of the season to The Arsenal at Highbury. Simms gave Luton an interval lead, but the Gunners equalised five minutes after the restart and scored again 15 minutes from time to win 2-1.