The judgement of a Medical Board at Bedford to show such incapacity as to pass for 'A' [general] service a youth of a physical condition they had seen was described as "tantamount to pronouncing the death sentence". On Match 29th, 1917, the Luton Tribunal had granted absolute exemption to Sidney G. Bone, aged 19, and then supported his case at the County Appeals Tribunal sitting on April 12th after Military Representative Lieut H. Gardner appealed their decision.

At the local hearing, Mayor Alderman John Staddon, presiding, had described the case as "an absolute scandal...we are not going to put men into the Army to be killed outright."

The Luton Tribunal's emphatic views were submitted to the Appeals Tribunal with the statement that the Luton Tribunal refused to be party to sending Sidney Bone into the Army, and should be passed 'A' [fit for general service] steps would be taken to have the matter discussed in Parliament. They considered the subject to be of serious importance to others as well as to this man.

Disquiet over the thoroughness of medical examinations at Bedford first arose in July 1916 amid claims that a man with a wooden leg, one with hammer toes and one "deaf as a beetle" had been passed for general service. The Mayor said then that he did not think that men were getting the medical examination they should get.

Since the March 29th hearing, another man had appeared before the Luton Tribunal suffering from chronic bronchitis and heart problems following illness as a child. He had been passed for general service, but the case was dismissed to give his employer a chance to appeal and for the man to have a second medical examination, but by the Central Medical Board. The Bedford Board were accused of carelessness or callousness by the employer in that case.

At the Bone appeal hearing on April 12th, the Military Representative appealed against absolute exemption that had been granted by the local Tribunal on the grounds that they were satisfied from medical certificates and from their own observations that the 19-year-old should not have been passed for general service.

Lieut Gardner said the man was passed by the Army Medical Board on February 19th as 'A2' - likely to become 'A' after a short period of service. On February 23rd Sidney Bone consulted Dr Hector Mackenzie, of Upper Brook Street, Park Lane, London, and in view of the divergence of opinion between the medical practitioners he was instructed to apply for the man to be again sent to Bedford for a further examination by the full board, and that the appeal should be adjourned for the result of such examination.

The Clerk (Mr W. F. A. Fletcher) remarked that he had never heard of 'A2' before, and Sidney Bone's father declared there was no 'A2' on his son's card, and no mention made of it whatever.

The father, Mr G. W. Bone, in his original application, stated that his son had been examined by seven different doctors in the last five years. All had told him his son was not to do anything that required the slightest exertion. Dr Mackenzie had certified that Sidney was unfit for any physical exertion, and it was necessary for him to lead a more or less invalid life.

The Clerk remarked that it appeared to him that the examination by the Medical Board was so recent that Lieut Gardner's proposal that he should be sent back to the Medical Board hardly met the case. It seemed to be a case for either one of two things - either to uphold the decision of the local Tribunal or send him to the special Medical Board.

"They want to cover up their mistake," commented Tribunal member Mr W. J. Mair.

Lieut Gardner pointed out that all the medical certificates produced were since the examination by the Medical Board, and were therefore not before the Board at the time of examination. He had written to Dr Mackenzie asking if he would give his confirmation of the certificate, but there had been no time for him to get a reply. He therefore thought there should be an adjournment of the case.

"I shall move that the appeal be dismissed at once," said Mr Mair, and the Tribunal were unanimous in agreeing.

[The Luton Reporter: Monday, April 16th, 1917]