Military medical: careless or callous?

 

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.

His employers, Webdale & Sons, with a shop in Wellington Street, for whom he was a horseman, applied for exemption for him. Mr Webdale himself claimed the Colonel at Bedford had admitted that Victor would never make an 'A' man and was probably 'C2' [sedentary duties] but if he had been passed 'C2' the Tribunal would give him exemption. "Once we have got him in the Army we have got the man," Mr Webdale further alleged that the Colonel had said.

Agreeing that there was no military value in getting unfit men into the Army, Mayor Alderman John Staddon, who was presiding at the Tribunal, said it had been decided to dismiss Mr Darton's claim for exemption so that the employers could appeal and he could have another examination, but by the Central Medical Board.

  • Luton Town FC outside-left Gunner Sidney Hoar, R.F.A., youngest son of Mr and Mrs F. Hoar, of the Marsh, Leagrave, was married at Mount Tabor Primitive Church his morning in a double wedding ceremony. His bride was Miss Eva Mullett, second daughter of Mr and Mrs W. F. Mullett, of London Road, Luton, whose eldest daughter, Ellen, married Gunner Percy Pickering, R.F.A., youngest son of Mr and Mrs Pickering, of Alexandra Avenue, Luton, at the same service.

  • The funeral took place on Thursday afternoon of Mr Arthur Holdstock, of 171 Dallow Road, who met with a terrible death at the works of Messrs B. Laporte Ltd last Saturday. The funeral service was conducted at the General Cemetery by the Rev C. Evelyn Charlesworth, of Wellington Street Baptist Church.

  • Pte Victor Whitcher, of the Middlesex Regiment, was among he troops on the mined transport ship Tyndareus which sank off the coast of South Africa. Fortunately, all on board were landed safely in Cape Town, where they were being treated as heroes and expecting to be stranded for a few months. Before enlisting Pte Whitcher, aged 36, was a hairdresser in Wellington Street, Luton.

  • Government Food Controller Lord Devonport's eagerly expected order forbidding the hoarding of food was issued last night. Under its provisions it is made unlawful for any person to acquire an article of food in such quantities that the amount in his possession or under his control at any one time exceeds what is required for ordinary use and consumption in his household or establishment.

  • An alarming aeroplane accident occurred about 2 o'clock today at Kensworth in which the pilot narrowly escaped. It appears that Flight Lieut John Dickens, son of the Kensworh schoolmaster, was flying at Clay Hall, not far from his home, when he had some trouble with his machine, which fell to the ground. The aeroplane was damaged, but Lieut Dickens fortunately escaped injury.

  • Pte A. E. Waller, a member of the Luton Red Cross Band who formerly worked in he Town Clerk's department at the Town Hall until he enlisted last April, was in hospital suffering from septic foot brought on by long and frequent marches on rough roads. Pte Waller arrived in France at the right time for him - "a band had just been formed in the battalion and they wanted more men, so we were immediately made into bandsmen".

  • Luton Town Football Club opened their busy three matches in four days Easter programme with a London Combination visit to Watford yesterday (Good Friday). Ernie Simms completed his first hat-trick of the season as Luton won 7-4 in front of the most profitable gate of the season at Cassio Road. Bob Hawkes, Forsyth, Cumming and Butcher scored Luton's other goals. Watford would be at Luton for the return fixture on Monday (Easter Monday).

  • In a bad-tempered match at Kensall Rise today (Saturday), Queen's Park Rangers secured a 2-2 draw against a weakened Luton Town team - Cumming missed the train from Luton and was then mistakenly taken by taxi to the Park Royal ground after he caught a later train. Early in the second half the referee had had to call all the players of both teams together to give a general caution about bad feeling. Simms scored in each half, his second goal from the penalty spot, to earn the visitors a draw.