The presentation of a Military Medal to one of Luton's wounded soldier heroes was a tremendous attraction on the closing day of Luton's Tank Week [July 13, 1918], for it was the first public presentation of a military decoration there has been made to a Lutonian in his native town during the present war.

During the week the Mayor received a Military Medal for presentation to 22332 Lance-Sgt Percy Charles Whitworth, 1st Dorset Regiment, and at once determined that the presentation should be made from the Tank, if the sergeant could be traced.

It was found that he was in the 4th London General Hospital at Denmark Hill, and the hospital authorities were communicated with, with the result that about noon on Saturday news was received that the NCO would be permitted to visit Luton for the purpose desired. The presentation was accordingly fixed up for 4 o'clock and, although the arrangements had necessarily to be made very hurriedly, the ceremony proved an extremely well managed and interesting event, and attracted an enormous and most demonstrative crowd.

Lance-Sgt Whitworth is a son of the late Mr William Whitlock, of 20 Frederic Street, for many years a well-known figure in straw trade circles as a plait van driver for Messrs Hart, and is 21 years of age. He left home some seven years ago to work in Wales, and was engaged there up to the time of his joining up in the Dorsets in 1915.

He is a fine specimen of a British Tommy, and had served 22 months in France when on April 18th he received a gun shot wound in the head which resulted in his being sent to Blighty. He was awarded tha Military Medal for gallant behaviour at Ypres on March 12th, and was presented with the ribbon at a parade of his battalion in France a fortnight or so later.

He is one of three brothers, serving in the Forces, an elder one, William, being also in the Army, while a younger, Ernest, is in the Navy.

A tremendous cheer went up all round when the burly Lance-Sergeant conspicuous for his hospital blue uniform, with the sergeant's stripes on one sleeve and a gold wound stripe on the other, and the Military Medal ribbon on his breast. He mounted the Tank with the Mayor, who called on Mr G. E. M. Walker to recite an account of the Sergeant's deeds.

This showed that the Military Medal was won on March 12th, 1918, at Ypres by bravery and skilful handling of his men in retaking a British post which had been captured by the Germans. Sgt Whitworth was detailed to bring up a Lewis gun team and take a position that had been lost. He made his own reconnaissance of the position in advance, took the Lewis gun team up and captured the post, which the Germans were unable to retake.

Cheer after cheer followed on this brief narrative and was renewed when the Mayor, with the words: “By the King's command, I present you with this medal, and trust you will wear it for many years,” pinned the medal on the sergeant's breast.

Then there was a surprise in store, for the Mayor announced he thought it nothing but right that they as a town should show their appreciation of a gallant townsman's services, and therefore he had decided to buy Sgt Whitworth a £5 War Bond and had got ten others to give £1 each, so as to purchase two further War Bonds.

Sgt Whitworth, who was accorded a great reception, modestly thanked the Mayor for his presentation and said he regarded it as a great honour, as a native of the town, to come there and be presented by the Mayor with a Military Medal. There were thousands in this war who had earned military medals, and in fact higher honours than that, and he only did his duty for it.

[The Luton Reporter: Tuesday, July 16, 1918]