Digest of stories from The Luton News: Thursday, November 15th, 1917.

In the course of a tour of some of the Home Counties on Tuesday, HM the King visited an important industrial centre in Bedfordshire [Luton was not specifically named in the report]. It is very gratifying that the town selected for the visit should at last have been honoured in a manner which every patriotic burgess would have chosen.

It has more than once been rumoured during the last two years tat His Majesty would visit the town, but rumour was the sum total of expectation. The good news came early on Monday afternoon, and it was announced that it would be an informal visit and that there would be no civic ceremony.

On Monday night the tidings had spread very quickly, but there was an air of scepticism, and it is certain that many people did not actually believe the news until his Majesty had crossed the borough boundary. It was owing to this that comparatively few assembled to witness his Majesty's arrival, shortly before 11 o'clock, but his departure between 12.30 and 1pm gave a large number of workers an opportunity of see him as they came from or returned to work,

The King's visit was enhanced by a fine, beautiful November day. His uniform was that of a field marshal with a black crepe band symbol of mourning.

It was an unprecedented honour for the town, at any rate since the 18th century, for although the late King Edward visited it, it was when he was Prince of Wales. and Tuesday was the first occasion on which the reigning monarch has visited the town during many decades.

[George V visited the Thermo Works, off Hitchin Road, and George Kent's in Biscot Road. For a full account, click here.]

• Two fires of such magnitude as that of Messrs Brown & Green's on Tuesday and the demolition of the straw hat factory of Messrs Wing, Arnold, Wing, this morning may aptly be described as a dual disaster. Within 36 hours two important works have been reduced by fire, one by half, and the other to absolute ruin. [Brown & Green fire click here; Wing, Arnold, Wing fire click here].

• The marriage took place at Christ Church on Saturday of Miss Mabel Clarke, daughter of Mr and Mrs W. Clarke, of 'Carsley,' Biscot Road, Luton, and Second Lieut E.G. Warner (4th Reserve Battalion Northampton Regiment), son of Mrs Warner, of Oundle, Northants.

• Lieut Herd (Bedfordshire Regiment), who before the war was engaged as second brewer in the firm of Messrs J.W. Green Ltd, is now home on leave after two years service at the Front, this time being his third time home. He says that quite recently a very important match was played only four miles behind the firing line between the Bedfords and the East Surreys, and with 4,500 spectators the excitement and enthusiasm were as great as witnessed at any time on the Luton Town ground. The Bedfords proved victorious by three goals to nil. Lieut Herd is anxious to get a supply of footballs and two sets of jerseys in the Luton colours or amber and black.

• The numerous friends of L-Cpl William Wood (Middlesex Regiment), whose home address is 60 Ash Road, Luton, will be pleased to learn that for bravery in attending wounded on the battlefield under very heavy shell fire he has been awarded the Military Medal. For four years before joining up he worked for Messrs George Kent Ltd and had a good knowledge of first aid, having passed tests in connection with the Midland Railway Company, for whom he formerly worked.

• Last week His Majesty the King received at Buckingham Palace Flight-Lieut Bernard Smart, R.N.A.S., son of Mr and Mrs Charles Smart, of London Road, Luton, and invested him with the Distinguished Service Order. The Flight-Lieut was warmly congratulated by the King on the gallant feat which won the decoration. The particulars of the deed are still officially withheld.

• Lieut G.H. Illingworth (Royal Field Artillery) is at Biscot again after winning the coveted Military Cross at Messines Ridge and being wounded on September 20th. The General of his late division has applied for his return, and he hopes to leave again shortly

• Driver B. Nicholls, youngest son of Mr F. Nicholls, of Luton, is now home on a 14 days leave from France. He has been in the Somme, Vimy Ridge and Lens battles with the Canadians. While taking ammunition to the guns at Lens a shell dropped just behind the wagon his team was pulling, killing the wheel team and the team he was driving, but Driver Nicholls was untouched, though he suffered a severe shaking and shall shock. He is well again now, and is with the Canadian Veterinary Hospital when in France.

• The death occurred on November 5 at Mo 17 General Hospital, Egypt, from malaria fever of Sapper Frederick Charles Woodhouse, husband of Mrs Woodhouse, of 82 Langley Road, Luton. Eight children, the eldest of whom is not yet 13, are left.

• An old Territorial, Sgt Stanley Edward Day is another Luton man who has fallen in the recent operations in France. He was mobilised with the Northumberland Fusiliers but did not go out to the Front until September 17th this year - and then survived only until October 15th. He left a widow at 27 Chase Street, Luton.

• L-Cpl Henry Morgan, of the Royal Irish Rifles, has been reported missing since August 16th. His wife at 8 Peach Street, Luton, is naturally anxious concerning his whereabouts. [L-Cpl Morgan was later presumed killed on that date].

• After three months service in France, Pte Albert Edward Swann, of the Roytal Warwickshire Regiment, husband of Mrs Swann, of 89 Warwick Road, Luton, was killed on October 4th. He was only 28 and leaves a wife and two very young children.

• The death has occurred from wounds received in the Gaza victory on November 3rd of Pte Albert Edward Hill (Bedfordshire Regiment), brother of Miss Minnie Hill, of 38 Cowper Street, Luton. He has served throughout the Gallipoli campaign and had for some time been in the Holy Land.

• Mr and Mrs George Titmuss, of 40 Milton Road, Luton, have received a letter from their son's chum conveying the sad news of the death of their son, Pte Frederick Titmuss, aged 19, of the Royal Fusiliers. He was brought down by a sniper when he rushed forward to see if he could help his captan who had been shot sown by the same sniper.

• Old Biscoteer Gunner E. Bates, of 3 Whitby Road, Luton, second son of Mrs Bates, of 8 Edward Street, was dangerously wounded on October 3rd. After ten weeks training at Biscot with the Royal Field Artillery, he was drafted out to France eight months ago. He is now lying in Norwich Hospital. Before joining up he was employed by straw hat manufacturers Messrs J. Kershaw, George Street.

• Gunner F. Pipkin, of the Royal Garrison Artillery, whose wife lives at 22 Russell Rise, Luton, has been officially reported wounded in France on October 23rd. Mrs Pipkin has now received news tat he husband had been brought to England and is in hospital at Liverpool. Gunner Pipkin joined the Army 18 months ago, before which he was employed by hat manufacturers Messrs A. Warren & Sons, Bute Street.

• A cable received on Wednesday said that Bombardier Ernest Palmer, of 154 Leagrave Road, Luton, had been dangerously wounded in the chest by gunshot and was in hospital somewhere in the Holy Land. Bdr Palmer was engaged in the warehouse of the Luton News until he joined the R.G.A. at the beginning of the present year.

• News has been received by Mr and Mrs Plummer, of 156 North Street, Luton, that their son, Pte Bert Plummer, of the Bedfordshire Regiment, has been wounded by gunshot in the left thigh in one of the recent Ypres battles. He now lies in a Red Cross Hospital at Perth, Scotland. The former employee of Messrs A. Gale & Sons, house furnishers, High Town Road, had previously had two narrow escapes, first when a dud shell fell within a foot of his head and then when a bomb dropped from a German aeroplane landed close to him and also did not explode.

• Bombardier S. G. Gray MM, Royal Garrison Artillery, whose home is at 150a North Street, Luton, has just recently had a remarkable escape from death on the Western Front. With some other comrades he was asleep in an old schoolroom somewhere in Flanders when enemy air machines bombed them, one bomb dropping on the roof and killing eight of the occupants and wounding 12 others. Bombardier Gray was half buried with the debris, but fortunately was rescued alive, though suffering from a leg wound which necessitated a journey to England, being now in the Westbridgeford Military Hospital, Nottingham. On June 1st he was awarded the Military Medal for saving wounded comrades and ammunition under heavy fire at the Bullecourt battle.