Stories from The Luton News, Thursday, March 4th, 1915.

Wooden blocks from the floor of Wardown House had been used as firewood during its use as a military hospital. Luton Town Council's Parks Committee reported that the military authorities were to pay £29 19s 1d for damage to Wardown Mansion and a further £118 1s for damage caused by the military occupation of recreation grounds in Luton.

The military were also reported to be renovating certain rooms at Wardown at their own cost, and Col Clarke had applied for permission to erect a temporary wooden building on the east side of, and communicating with, the dining room of the house for use as an additional military hospital containing 20 beds. This was agreed subject to certain conditions.

Alderman Staddon said the Council were anxious to meet the military authorities in every way they could. The Council's experience of troops who were previously at Wardown made them take very great care as to the future letting of that place. He was happy to say that the soldiers who were now at Wardown were treating the place as they ought to, and the committee hoped no more wood blocks would be torn up for firewood.

• A fresh appeal for recruits is issued this week by the East Anglian Divisional Signal Company, RE, whose headquarters in Luton are at 27 Biscot Road. It is intended to increase the establishment of the 2nd Signal Company to war strength, bringing the establishment from 136 to 220. The new men will be telegraph linesmen, electricians, telegraph operators and drivers, and there will be one or two harness makers and shoeing smiths. Between Saturday and Tuesday 15 men were enlisted in Luton. All will be mounted and be required to lay the cable from the cable wagon to patrol lines on horseback, and to repair faults.

• The men who enlisted were: Frederick J. Bent, Walter Suttle, George Smith, Edward James Tew, Sidney J. Norris (Pioneers); Robert Nelson, Herbert Andrews, Francis Gailey, Arthur Goddard, Stanley Stares, Gilbert Godfrey, Clarence Coleman, Isaac Gurney, Sidney Maskell (Drivers); Harry Bates (Trumpeter).

• The fine new YMCA centre for soldiers at the Plait Hall, Waller Street, was formally declared open on Monday evening by Brigadier-General H. B. McCall (commanding the 2/1st North Midland Division). The building had been commandeered and was being used by the military authorities as stores. But when approached by the representatives of the YMCA, they immediately gave it up for the splendid purpose to which is now put.

• Luton Town Council's gave approval for the 46 slipper baths at Waller Street Baths to be reserved for soldiers in uniform on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 7 am to 3 pm. In response to a letter from Col Jackson, commanding the Lincoln and Leicester Brigade, there was to be a reduced charge of 2d per man per bath, the Council to supply soap but the men to provide their own towels. Not more than 600 men were to attend on any one day.

• Another family of men serving with the forces were the husband and three sons of Mrs H. G. Judge, of 45 Ramridge Road, Round Green. Mr Judge is a member of the band of the 5th Beds Regiment stationed at Newmarket; eldest son Sidney Judge, 24, and officer's servant, has been serving in India with the Royal Horse Artillery (B Battery) and is with his regiment at Leamington awaiting going to the front; Pte Douglas Judge, 21, joined the Royal Engineers in Luton on the outbreak of war and has been drafted to Yarmouth; and youngest son Stanley, 19, is an able seaman serving on a ship in the North Sea.

• Alec Harry Phillips, of 33 Newcombe Road, Luton, was awarded £10 from the £200 Workmen's Compensation Fund at Davis Gas Stove Co Ltd to buy artificial fingers following an accident there. The fingers, he said, would cost £5 10s and he would have to make two journeys to London.

• Luton Town Council accepted a Public Libraries Committee recommendation to pay £20 to insure the Library and its contents for £16,000 against war risks from aircraft. If a bomb did drop on the Library it would be practically impossible for the committee to continue its work, the Council was told. No other Corporation property was to be insured against damage by hostile aircraft.

• Thanks to the kindness of Mrs Crawley, Stockwood Park was the scene of Luton Voluntary Training Corps operations on Sunday under Commandant Cumberland Brown. An attack on an imaginary enemy was one of the main features with No 2 Platoon acting as support for No 1 Platoon. Led by the bugle band the men marched down London Road and Castle Street to the Corn Exchange, where they were dismissed.

• The Mayor's Belgian Relief Fund reported that 120 Belgian refugees, representing some 48 families, were now being housed and maintained in various parts of Luton at an estimated 7s per week per head. One of the families was now self-supporting with the husband finding work as a diamond cutter at the Chocolate Works.

• In common with many other public bodies and private firms, Luton Corporation have decided that in view of the increased cost of living they will increase the wages of their employees. Councillor A. B. Attwood said he was prepared to move a 2 shillings rise all round.

• Men of the Notts and Derby Brigade, who were away from Luton undergoing training in trench construction when Sir Ian S. M. Hamilton, General Officer Commanding the Central Force, inspected the 2/1 North Midland Division at Luton Hoo Park, marched to Stockwood Park on Tuesday morning for their 11 am inspection by Sir Ian. They were drawn up across Stockwood Park near the cricket ground, stretching almost from the London Road boundary to the lane at the back of the park. The men were back in town by one o'clock. Picture below