Stories from the Beds & Herts Saturday Telegraph: April 1st, 1916.

Five Zeppelins were believed to have taken part in an air raid over the Eastern Counties last night, reportedly dropping 54 bombs. Although the "squawker" was not sounded in Luton, precautions were taken.

People in some of the picture palaces were immediately advised of the warning received and were asked to leave in order and go to their homes. Meanwhile, members of the Police Force were active in warning residents and asking people to keep all lights low, whilst their later efforts were supplemented by the special constables, who covered street after street of houses. By a courteous intimation that "Zepps" were reported over the country, they succeeded in getting all the lights in hundreds of homes absolutely extinguished. At 11pm very few lights were visible from the heights of the town.

The newspaper's stop press revealed that 23 people had been killed and more than 50 injured in the raids, which did not reach Luton.

• Following on from dissension between the Luton Tribunal and the military authorities over appealing decisions, the County Tribunal, meeting for the second time in Luton on Thursday, added its own rebuke over some of the cases. Some of the large number of cases dealt with involved the straw trade in which call-up postponements had been granted. The County Tribunal suggested the military should withdraw some of their appeals in the cases of small makers whose businesses would have to close when the appellant left. They took the view that the local Tribunal had very full knowledge of the circumstances of the trade, and also had the benefit of a trade adviser, and in such cases very considerable evidence would have to be brought forward to justify a successful appeal.

• This afternoon at the Luton Borough Tribunal a man who was appealed for by his employer said he was called up and had to go to Bedford on Monday with his group. He was medically examined and then sent back to his work and told he would get two months' notice. The Town Clerk (Mr William Smith) said it should be understood that no man was liable to be called up for military service when he had an appeal lodged before any local Tribunal. It was the second case within a week in which a man who had entered an appeal had been called up. Military representative Mr Gardner said that sometimes notices were sent out before the appeal reached him.

• The funeral of the late Cpl Sydney Waring took place at the General Cemetery today when full military honours were accorded. The deceased was severely wounded in the head on August 15th during the 5th Bedfords' famous charge in Gallipoli. He was brought back to England, and it was while undergoing a second operation for his wounds that he succumbed.

• A man from Adelaide Terrace, Luton, found guilty of being drunk and disorderly on Market Hill on March 28th was asked why he was not in the Army. The Chief Constable said there were 27 previous convictions against the defendant, and "the Army would not have him at any price owing to his bad character". Sentenced to 14 days in prison, the defendant said: "Thanks, I can do it. Much obliged to you. I shan't cry."

• A concert and dance given at the Winter Assembly Hall by Commercial Cars on March 18th resulted in a profit of £35 9s to provide furniture for the Wardown V.A.D. Hospital. The matron was selecting furniture up to that amount.

• Yesterday Mrs Mary A. Watts, of 22 Wimborne Road, Luton, was at work at 6.45am at the Diamond Foundry on a cutting machine for sheet iron. He left hand was caught in the knife and several fingers were severed. She taken to Dr Lloyd and then to the Bute Hospital, where she is now an in-patient.

• Later in the day, at 3.40pm, Rose Golby, of 25 Wood Street, Luton, was at work at Kent's on screw-cutting apparatus when she caught her little finger of her right hand. She was taken to the Bute Hospital and Dr Lloyd had to amputate part of her finger.

• Tottenham Hotspur's first team paid their first to Luton since October 12th, 1907, for a return London Combination match today. The Blues were beaten 7-4 in an uneven match at Tottenham. Luton again had a penalty appeal turned down and Roe netted only to be ruled offside before Spurs scored with a 20-yard shot by Bliss. A second penalty appeal by Luton saw Wileman score from the spot to make the interval score 1-1. The scores remained level until seven minutes from the end when Spurs got the winner.