An extraordinary affair was described at Dunstable Sessions on Tuesday [June 29th] when a young women was strongly dealt with by the Bench for wearing a soldier's clothes. Her name was Isabella Knight, aged 18, and she was charged with wearing uniform of the Royal Engineers in such a manner as was likely to bring the same into contempt. She pleaded guilty.

Pte Joseph McGuigan, a military police officer attached to the 2/5th Sherwood Foresters stationed at Brewer's Hill camp, said that about seven o'clock on Wednesday evening he was on duty in the High Street in company with Pte Albert Holmes, of the 2/7th Sherwood Foresters at Dunstable. In consequence of certain information they received, they went to Prosperous Row. Here witness saw the defendant in the road. She was wearing a pair of military trousers and was jumping about and dancing with other women. Witness requested her to go to her house and hand over the trousers to him, but she said she would not, adding that it was not his business and he did not buy them. He asked her twice to hand them to him, but she refused.

There was a crowd of people, and eventually defendant climbed over a wall.

Witness then saw P Sgt Tingey coming, and with him went into a house and saw the defendant. They asked her how she came into possession of the trousers, and she first said that her mother bought them, and afterwards that her mother had them to mend. They were handed to the police sergeant.

P Sgt Tingey corroborated and said that when told she would be reported defendant said: "I don't mind if you do." The trousers belonged to the Royal Engineers stationed at Houghton Regis.

The defendant had nothing to say to the charge, nor to the fact that she had defied the officer. On the last occasion she was before the court she had a serious warning.

Mayor Councillor F. T. Garrett, presiding, said it was a much more serious offence than she imagined, bringing contempt on His Majesty's uniform, but the Bench would give her another chance. They could not look over the offence altogether, and defendant would have to go to prison for 14 days. The girl was led away sobbing.

[The Luton News, July 1st, 1915, and Bedfordshire Advertiser, July 2nd, 1915]