Digest of stories from The Luton News: Thursday, August 23rd, 1917.

• The London Road-Ashton Road junction where the tragedy occurred (image  early 1900s).

A terrible and fatal accident which occurred in London Road, Luton, at 6.45 on Monday morning was the subject of am inquiry by the Deputy Coroner (Mr G. J. M. Whyley) at the Court House yesterday afternoon.

It appeared that Pte Archibald Harvey (84003), aged 38, a clerk in the Bedfordshire Regiment and stationed at Bedford, was cycling on his way back to Bedford from his home in St Albans, when he lost control of his machine. He came down London Road at a great pace and, when near the Children's Home, dashed into the lamp-post which stood at the junction of London Road and Ashton Road.

The force of the collision was so great that the lamp-post was knocked clean over, breaking off at its base. The unfortunate rider was thrown off and dashed from the lamp-post into the wll of the house at the corner.

His injuries were terrible. There was a fracture of the base of the skull, and the collar-bone was also broken. He sustained other injuries also, and was in a pitiful state. Blood poured from the wounds and from one of the ears, and he was, of course, rendered quite unconscious.

People in the vicinity who witnesses the alarming incident rushed to the soldier's assistance, and one called Miss Phelps, the Matron of the Children's Home. She rendered all the first aid that was possible and telephoned for the police ambulance. The man, who was then in a highly delirious state was removed to the Bute Hospital, where he received immediate medical attention, but succumbed on Tuesday.

Witness Albert Smith, of 35 Lyndhurst Road, said e saw the soldier cycling down the hill at a very fast pace. He could not say whether the tramline caused the accident, but at the junction with Ashton Road he seemed undecided which road to take and appeared to choose Ashton Road, but it was too late and he dashed into the lamp-post.

Death was due to extensive haemorrhage inside the skull, and the other injuries. A jury returned a verdict of accidental death.

• A girl who until recently was living at41 Alma Street and working in a warehouse in Cheapside, Luton, left to go on the music hall stage and found herself in the Police Court at Bath on Monday, charged with failing to report as required by the provisions of the Alien Restrictions Order. He name is Cleda Emma Bailly, aged 21,and she was engaged at the Palace Theatre, Bath, in the popular revue, Dream Girl, when arrested. She had originally registered in London as a refugee from Belgium but her identity book was not properly filled in with the stamp of police authorities where she had lived. She pleaded guilty, but the case was adjourned for further enquiries.

• A further 17 Lutonians were each fined 20 shillings on each of two charges of making false statements to obtain sugar and acquiring sugar for purposes other thean the domestic preserving of fruit grown by the preserver.

• A special meeting of the Luton Rural District Council was held on Monday afternoon at the offices of Messrs Austin and Barnard, George Street West, Luton, to appoint a local Food Control Committee. The Clerk read the instructions of the Ministry of Food and said that the committee would eventually have to fix prices of certain commodities in the district.

• We regret to record the death of Lieut-Col James Valentine, one of the most familiar figures in aviation circles throughout Europe. The nephew of Mr and Mrs William Austin, of Rye Hill, Luton, he was the first Englishman to cover the route of the Daily Mail flight over England. Aged 29, he died after an operation at Kieff, on the Russian frontier, on August 7th or 8th, after a distinguished military career.

• A letter from a Royal Flying Corps chaplain to Mr and Mrs Day, of 27 Elizabeth Street, Luton, informed them that their son, Second Lieut Herbert James Day (Gloucestershire Regiment) was shot while flying on patrol with the R.F.C. over the German lines on August 7th. The pilot landed him near a casualty clearing station, but he passed peacefully away about 1pm the following day.

• Yet another of the original Luton contingent of the old 24th Londons has been wounded. Second Lieut Frederick Lewis Pedley, aged 22, son of Mrs Pedley, of 73 Conway Road, Luton, was hit by splinters of a shell which burst in the billet in which he was sleeping behind the lines. He is wounded in the head, jaw, hand and abdomen. The former Vauxhall Motors employee had been posted to the Lancashire Fusiliers and it was the third time he had been wounded. [Frederick Pedley died of his wounds on August 23rd, 1917].

• Pte George Buggs (Beds Regiment), son of Mrs W. Buggs, of 52 North Street, Luton, was captured by the Germans on June 22nd and is interned in Westphalia, Germany. At the age of 20 this unfortunate soldier enlisted on October 25th, 1915, and went to France in April 1916.

• A letter from Major C. F. Forestier Walker to Mrs Smith, of 15 Cowper Street, Luton, informed her of the death from wounds of her son, Gunner Frederick Charles Smith (Royal Field Artillery), on August 10th, shortly after being admitted to hospital in France.

• Sincere sympathy will be extended to Mrs Bone, of 64 Cowper Street, Luton, following the death of her husband, Pte Sidney James Bone (Norfolk Regiment), on August 2nd. He was well known in the town as a master dairyman.

• Pte John Anderson (Beds Regiment) had been in France only six weeks when he was reported missing on June 28th. It now appears from a letter sent sent by a chaplain that he was killed on that date. He leaves a wife and child at 84 Pondwicks Road, Luton.

• A young widow and one child are left to mourn a husband and father, Gunner Arthur William Loney (Royal Field Artillery), of 169 Wellington Street, Luton, who was accidentally killed in France on August 12th.

• A sad blow has befallen Mrs Hare, of 63 North Street, Luton, whose husband, Pte Joseph William Hare (Beds Regiment), to whom she had been married only 16 months, was killed in France on July 28th.

• During the recent operations in the Eastern theatre of war, Pte Herbert Bysouth, of 123 Russell Street, Luton, had a narrow escape from death. A bullet went through his helmet but did not injure his head. His brother Fred was killed in the same attack in Palestine on July 20th.

• L-Cpl Ernest Richardson (Beds Regiment) was wounded at Umbrella Hill in Palestine on July 20th. Parents Mr and Mrs A. W. Richardson, of 12 Inkerman Street, Luton, were informed that their son sustained a bayonet wound in the left thigh and was admitted to the 2nd Australian Stationary Hospital, El Arish, Egypt, three days later.

• Meanwhile, L-Cpl Richardson's brother, the Rev A. Humphrey Richardson, had returned home on June 28th after nearly two years of missionary work in Nigeria, West Africa, to marry Lillia, second daughter of Mr and Mrs Arthur Wright, of Luton, at Mount Tabor Church on August 1st. The bride's father is a foreman at the Great Northern Railway goods department in Luton.

• Ten wounds have put out of action Pte Harry Risbridger (Beds Regiment), whose home is at 18 Cambridge Street, Luton, and he now lies in hospital at Edinburgh. On July 19th he was wounded by shrapnel, six splinters entering one leg and four the other. Pte Risbridger is aged 27 and married.

• Another casualty due to the severe fighting in France is Pte P. Spacey (Beds Regiment), son of Mrs Spacey, 19 East Avenue, Park Street, Luton. In the early morning on August 14th he was wounded in the thigh and left arm by a shell. Mrs Spacey learned the news that he had arrived back in England from a postcard from her son which was thrown out of a train in London. He is now in East Leeds War Hospital.

• Gunner Sidney Hoar, Luton Town's outside-left, was gassed on July 16th after ten weeks serving in France. He was brought over to Shrewsbury and has now been removed to Hereford Convalescent Hospital. Gunner Hoar, who trained at Biscot with the Royal Field Artillery, married a daughter of Mr W. F. Mullett, 142 London Road, Luton, last Easter. Mrs Hoar still resides with her parents.