A verdict of accidental death was recorded by a jury at Luton Court House on April 17th, 1916, on the first man to die of injuries sustained while working at the George Kent munitions works at Chaul End.

Leonard George Gower, a married man aged 26, of 18 Albert Road, Houghton Regis, was struck in the abdomen by part of the machinery he was operating on April 4th. He died four days later at the Bute Hospital, Luton.

Mr A. G. Hansard, the manager at the works, said it was the first accident of such a serious accident there had been at the works, and the firm sincerely hoped it would be the last. The firm had done everything possible to reduce the risks of accidents to a minimum, and had taken even greater precautions than they were required to.

From the evidence of works assistant manager Mr Arthur Bolton, of Cromwell Road, Luton, it appeared that the deceased had been working on a night shift, and the accident occurred at 6.45am. He saw the deceased walk from the room in which he had been engaged, and he appeared to be very much shaken. But he did not say anything to how the accident occurred.

Mr Bolton saw him afterwards in the works hospital, and he then expressed a desire to be taken home.

A lucid description of the machine and the work upon which the deceased was engaged at the time of the accident was given by Mr Hansard, who explained that the deceased was at the time working alone in the particular room, and it was quite impossible to ascertain the exact cause of the accident. There were indications which confirmed the view that the deceased was struck in the abdomen by a part of the machinery.

Mr Gower was a very careful workman and there was nothing to suggest any carelessness on his part.

Dr F. Seymour Lloyd stated that the deceased was admitted to the Bute Hospital between eight and nine o'clock on the morning of April 4th, and was then suffering very slightly from shock. He also complained of pain in the lower abdominal region, just above the left groin. Upon examination, Dr Lloyd found a small bruise, blue in colour, and about the size of a finger nail near to where the deceased had complained of feeling pain.

There was no other injury beyond a small abrasion on the right hand, and deceased said he felt perfectly well and was very anxious to go home. The doctor did not consider it advisable for him to be removed until he had been kept under observation, and the next morning he seemed no worse, but his pulse was a little faster. Dr Lloyd therefore thought it was advisable to keep Mr Gower for another night, although the deceased still maintained that he was quite well and expressed a further wish to go home.

On the morning of April 6th there were signs of peritonitis and, after consulting with another member of the hospital staff, Dr Lloyd sent for a London surgeon, who came the same evening and operated. As a result a tear rupture of the small intestine about three-quarters of an inch long was discovered under the position of the bruise on the surface of the abdomen. The surgeon did not give a favourable diagnosis of the case, and the deceased gradually grew worse. He died on the afternoon of April 8th. The cause of death was peritonitis as a result of the rupture.

[The Luton Reporter: Monday, April 24th, 1916]