Stories from The Luton News: Thursday, December 31st, 1914.

Flight Commander Francis Esme Theodore Hewlett RN, the only one of the seven naval airmen to be reported missing after the Christmas Day air raid on German warships lying off Cuxhaven, is a son of Mrs Maurice [Hilda] Hewlett, one of the principals of the aeroplane works of Hewlett and Blondeau Ltd, which were recently transferred to Leagrave from Clapham Junction.

Flight-Commander Hewlett's machine was seen in a wrecked condition about eight miles from Heligoland and his fate is at present unknown. When last seen he was sitting in the machine, which was floating on the sea, with a German torpedo boat or submarine - reports vary - approaching him.

Lieut Hewlett is the son of Mrs Maurice Hewlett, who enjoyed the title of being the first British airwoman. Of late she has been the business partner of M. Gustav Blondeau, the well-known French aviator, and has devoted her attention to building aeroplanes and instruction.

Her son, who became a naval cadet in January 1904, was promoted lieutenant in January last, and made flight commander in July. He is described as a fearless and clever but not reckless aviator.

[Two days later the Beds and Herts Saturday Telegraph would report that Flt Commander Hewlett had been rescued by a Dutch trawler]

• This week further portions of the North Midland Division - the Sherwood Foresters and the Notts and Derby - have returned to Luton. Like the Lincolns and Leicesters they have only come back to complete their musketry course, and will be gone again in a few days. It is understood that some thousands of new troops - the Reserve Battalion of the North Midland Division - will arrive next week.

• Despite atrocious weather on Boxing Day morning, 274 persons took advantage of the excursion to Bury St Edmunds, 61 to Newmarket, 41 to Stansted, 70 to Saffron Walden and 44 to Bishops Stortford, while 50 living outside Luton also availed themselves of the trip. The Bedfordshires at Bury and Newmarket met the trippers in force. The trippers arrived home again at about 1.15 am.

• The storm on Monday evening was one of the worst that has been experienced in this district for a long time. For three and a half hours there was a very heavy downpour, and it is stated the 1¼ inches of rain fell in that time. Then snow began to fall, and within half an hour, though the streets had been running with water, everything had a thick white mantle. The gale which accompanied the rain and snow resulted in a chimney at an unoccupied warehouse in Wellington Street (formerly occupied by Stuart, Sons & Co) being blown down. In Dunstable Road a tree was blown down, and this brought with it the overhead wires of the tramway system.

• War conditions did not have the effect of reducing Christmas holiday traffic on the railways. The excursion facilities from Luton were well patronised and business was quite up to the normal. Midland statistics show that 1,400 people went from Luton to spend the weekend in London, while another 200 took advantage of the day excursion to the Metropolis on Boxing Day. The fear of further German attacks did not prevent people going to the coast towns.

• The one thing made evident in dealing with the Christmas post at Luton was the total inadequacy of the buildings housing the General Post Office in Cheapside. Both at the counter and in the sorting rooms the staff were greatly handicapped by want of up-to-date and larger accommodation, and it is very creditable to them that they got through the work so well. The public will hope that the time will soon come when the new Post Office in Upper George Street will be put in hand.

• Local fund raising for the Prince of Wales' National Relief Fund now totals £2,553 0s 9d. Contributions to the Belgian Fund stand at £503 9s.

• The new schools in Tennyson Road are to be opened tomorrow at 2.30 pm, and following the formal ceremony the buildings will be inspected. On the following Monday morning, January 4th, the school will be opened for scholars, who should be presented for admission at 9 am.

• For the 20th year in succession the children of Stopsley Council School were enabled to accept the generosity of Mrs Asher Hucklesby in the shape of Christmas gifts of mince pies and oranges. But indisposition meant Mrs Hucklesby herself was unable to be present.

• The Rev Archibald Russell Tomlin, sixth son of Mr A. G. Tomlin, of Glencore, 205 Castle Street, Luton, and minister of the Zion Baptist Church, Deeplish, Rochdale, was married to Miss Fanny Edith Bird, eldest daughter of retired bank manager Mr S. A. Bird, of Madron, Penzance, Cornwall, at the Clarence Street Baptist Church, Penzance, on Boxing Day.

• For the first time in its long history, a Christmas morning service was held at Park Street Baptist Church, which was comfortably filled. And the Parish Church broke with tradition and held an 8 pm service of special intercession on Christmas Day for our soldiers and sailors.

• We learn that fully 200 townspeople have enrolled themselves in the Voluntary Training Corps which has been formed in Luton, and that the money is already in hand for the uniforms for two platoons. The first drill is fixed to take place on Monday next at 8.30 in the Corn Exchange.

• During the few days before Christmas there was a break in recruiting at Luton, but since Monday the recruiting office at the Luton Corn Exchange has again been proceeding briskly. The following men have already been sent off to join various regiments: F. Abbott, A. Billington, J. C. Birdsey, A. Eames, S. Fensome, H. Flitton, G. Fox, W. Hill, W. Hill, E. Kilby, G. Marlow, A. Newbery, H. Pedder, V. Quick, P. Raleigh, A. Rance, E. Reynolds, C. H. Richardson, A. V. T. Smith.

• Pte J. W. Dolling, attached to the 1st Beds Regt and living at 34 Grange Road, Luton, has been invalided home from the front with rheumatism, developed following an advance on German trenches. A sniper held his whole company at bay and they had to lie in about six inches of mud and water in a ditch for nearly three hours.

• Pte J. Crann, 2684, D Company, 24th Battalion (Queen's) County of London Regiment, whose home is at 27 Ashton Street, Luton, writes: "There are a good lot of us Luton boys in the 24th Battalion. We are stationed at St Albans. Most of us play football for the battalion, and we are champions of the 2nd London Division. We beat the 21st for the championship on Christmas morning."

• Next Sunday in Luton, and throughout the country, churches of all denominations are to take part in the special Day of Intercession. The collections in all the churches will be appropriately given to the fund for the sick and wounded administered by the general committee representing the British Red Cross Society and the Order of St John of Jerusalem.