In one full Company of Highlanders at Bedford there are only six surnames, and they all begin with Mac.

So many of them also have the same Christian names that when the roll is called it is necessary to distinguish them by where they come from - for example, Macduff of Dunsinane.

Stories from The Luton News: October 8th, 1914

An order has been received from the War Office for 1,000 mattresses to be made in Luton within the next 14 days. The mattresses will be made by women and girls who were previously employed in the trade but who, owing to the war, have been unable to follow their work at their respective places.

"We call that getting out of hell, and we consider we shall get out of anything after that," remarked Private A. G. Haynes, of the Royal Marines, to a representative of The Luton News.

In the October 6th casualty list Driver Percy Snoxell, of the 68th Battery, Royal Field Artillery, is given as "wounded and missing".

Driver Snoxell is the eldest son of Mr Alfred Snoxell, of 84 Grange Road, Luton, and is well known in local football circles, having played for the Granville FC. He was in his last year of service. The official information sent to Mr Snoxell does not state when or where his son was wounded. Mr Snoxell has two other sons serving the King - one in the R.A.M.C. and one in the Territorials.

The condition of Territorial soldiers, particularly those billeted in the Dunstable district, was the subject of a pointed discussion at the Luton Board of Guardians meeting on Monday.

The report of H.M. Inspector with regard to the Hitchin Road Boys' School states: "The school is well organised and capably and intelligently taught, and its general condition is very satisfactory.

Combination among manufacturers in the hat trade, which has been very difficult to secure in the past, is now developing rapidly, and from sectional reports presented to the Council of the Luton Chamber of Commerce at Monday's meeting it appears that the difficulties created by the war are playing a very important part in bringing firms not previously associated with the Chamber to see the value of united action.

Stories from The Luton News: Thursday, October 1st, 1914

With Beech Hill School already closed because of 14 confirmed cases of the contagious bacterial infection diphtheria, a special campaign was launched in Luton aimed at stopping the spread of the disease in the town.

Striking evidence of a particularly successful year's working of the Old Lutonians Club was given at the third annual general meeting held at the Modern School on Saturday evening.

Were penny-in-the-slot machines in pubs there as a healthy form of amusement or as an illegal type of gambling on licensed premises?

Annie Darton, licensee of The Goat pub, 182 Park Street; William G. Cooper, of The Chequers, 112 Park Street; and William Edward Foxley, of The Panama, 34 Waller Street, were summoned at Luton Borough Sessions for allowing gaming to be carried on in their respective licensed premises.

The following is the list of those who have joined the 5th (Reserve) Battalion of the Bedfordshire Regiment at Luton this week. A considerable number of would-be recruits are to be medically examined.

Allen, Horace: Ramridge Road, Stopsley.

Bacchus, Charles: 6 Bolton Road, Luton.

Barton, Reginald: 31 King's Road, Luton.

Brandon, Ernest: 23 Duke Street, Luton.

The latest casualty list shows that the Bedfordshire Regiment has suffered severely. Of the list on non-commissioned officers and men reported in the list as killed, wounded or missing, by far the greater proportion belonged to our county regiment, and even then the list only gives the casualties up to September 9th. The men of the Bedfordshire who have laid down their lives in the service of their country, or have been wounded, or becoming "missing" are:

KILLED

Argent (10166) Pte G.

Baldwin (9889) Pte C.H.R.

A War Materials Fund was set up in Luton to enable working parties of women to buy material to make garments for troops. But more money was needed to carry on the work, resulting in this letter published in The Luton News on October 1st, 1914.

May we, through our kind assistance, make known the object of our War Materials Fund. It has been created to meet the urgent need for money wherewith to purchase materials for the various ladies working parties which already exist in the Luton district.

To further stimulate recruiting for the 5th (Reserve) Battalion, Bedfordshire Regiment, a meeting was held outside the Luton Corn Exchange on Thursday evening. For some time before the commencement of the meeting a party of 11 pipers, drawn from the Highland Territorials now in training at Bedford, paraded the town accompanied by a party of Boy Scouts with bugles and drums, and the result was a very large crowd at the meeting.