Digest of stories from the Beds & Herts Saturday Telegraph: April 14th, 1917.

Luton Town centre forward Ernie Simms (pictured) gave London Combination visitors Tottenham Hotspur a caning by scoring all five goals in the home side's 5-4 win that was only the second defeat in four months for the Londoners.

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.

Digest of stories from The Luton News: Thursday, April 12th, 1917.

The untimely appointment of a 34-year-old as Luton's new Chief Constable (pictured) was nothing less than an insult to Lutonians who had sacrificed their lives in the war. So said a letter writer using the pseudonym "The man in the street".

• Barclays Bank (far right) and George Street in 1954.

A new branch of Barclay's Luton Bank was opened on Tuesday, April 10th, 1917. The Luton News heralded it as marking an epoch in the town's commercial history.

Digest of stories from the Beds & Herts Saturday Telegraph: April 7th, 1917.

Carelessness or callousness? The results of medical examinations conducted at Bedford on behalf of the military were called into question again at the Luton Borough Tribunal on Wednesday. Victor Darton, aged 26, of 29 Wenlock Street, Luton, had medical certificates to show he suffered from chronic bronchitis and heart problems. Yet at Bedford he was classed 'A' - fit for general service.

Truly, the British Tommy sees life in all its aspects. Pte A. E. Waller (pictured), a member of the Luton Red Cross Band who prior to enlistment last April worked in the Town Clerk's department at the Town Hall as the National Registration clerk, writes from "somewhere in France" of his experiences.

Digest of stories from The Luton News: Thursday,April 5th, 1917.

The meeting of the Luton Town Council on Tuesday was quite momentous. A new Chief Constable was appointed, and substantial increases of salary were awarded the Town Clerk and the Borough Accountant on the initiative of the Finance Committee.

After one month at the front, Cpl Hedley Percy Duncombe, of 11 Brook Street, Luton, was admitted to hospital suffering from shell shock and loss of memory. He had been continuously under shell fire all the time he had been in the trenches, and the terrible strain proved too much for his nerves.

He is the son of Mr and Mrs Duncombe, who are well known in the town, Mr Duncombe being organist at Park Street Baptist Church and a master at Surrey Street School.

Digest of stories from the Beds & Herts Saturday Telegraph: March 31st, 1917.

In response to a request from Military Representative Lieut H. Gardner, Luton Borough Tribunal agreed that in future the names of those involved in cases should be named and a few facts published - with the Press asked to use its discretion on what was reported.

• Luton railwaymen - in this picture are Great Northern staff in 1912.

There was no brass band, no fanfare of trumpets to mark the departure of an important, if small, new draft of men who left Luton for the Western Front on Thursday afternoon [March 29th, 1917]. They wore no khaki and were not accompanied by any military officer.

Digest of stories from The Luton News: Thursday, March 29th, 1917.

Digest of stories from the Beds & Herts Saturday Telegraph: March 24th, 1917.

A letter from a doctor's orderly in France conveyed sad and startling tidings to Mr and Mrs William Duncombe, of 11 Brook Street, Luton, on Sunday morning, for they read that their son, Percy,had been admitted to hospital suffering from serious shell shock and loss of memory.

Digest of stories from The Luton News: Thursday, March 22nd, 1917.

• First local attempt at powered flight, in Leagrave in October 1909.

On Sunday afternoon something of a local sensation was caused by two visits of an aeroplanist in the vicinity of Ashburnham Road.

The members of the Beech Hill Unionist Club have just received from one of their colleagues a letter which has an unusually interesting history in that, although written in Luton, it has travelled half way round the world before reaching its destination.