Magistrates A. B. Attwood and C. H. Osborne had the unique experience on Tuesday of having before them at the Court House two Lutonians who denied charges of being absentees from military service. Both were men discharged from the Expeditionary Force canteens and transferred to low military categories.

One of them had been brought before Mr Attwood only a fortnight previously and remanded to await an escort. He made out such a good case in support of his allegation that there had been a mistake that the magistrates directed inquiries to be made.

This was the case of Stanley Walter Pedder, 25, straw hat blocker, of 119 Maple Road, who was arrested by Sgt E. Janes at his home the previous afternoon on a telegram received from the Commnading Officer ofg a Battalion of the Bedfordshire Regiment stationed at Pakefield, near Lowestoft.

Pedder told the police sergeant he had been "messing about" the camp for a fortnight since he was previously arrested, and on Saturday he borrowed money and came home. He produced a lengthy written statement for the magistrates, backed up by official papers. In this he stated he joined the 1/5th Bedfords in February 1911, passed fit for foreign service, was mobilised in August 1914 and was in training until the following December, when he was discharged as being found unfit for military service. Subsequently he received his discharge papers and a silver badge for services rendered.

In June 1916 he joined the Expeditionary Force canteens as a discharged man and served in France, but after going before several medical boards he was sent back to England as unfit. On reporting at the London headquarters in August last he was told to return home, and his back pay and discharge papers would be forwarded and his clothes returned.

His clothes were returned but he received nothing further until October, when vouchers for ten days' back pay and 11 days' special concession were sent to him along with a letter stating that his services were no longer required.

In the meantime he had received a notice from the officials at the Bedford recruiting office toreport at Bedford Barracks for re-examination, and on being examined he was placed in category C3, receiving a certificate to that effect. But a month or so ago he received notice from the Army Service Corps records office instructing him to report to the Bedfords at Pakefield, as he had been classified in category B1.

His contention was that he was never classified as B1 and that the A.S.C. had no authority to call him up, but he received a notice from the Bedford Regiment that if he did not report he would be treated as an absentee. So he made inquiries of the Town Clerk, and also placed his case in the hands of the Discharged Soldiers' Association.

In both quarters he was informed that a mistake had been made, so he did not comply with the instructions, and on December 1st he was arrested by the police and ordered by the magistrate to be detained for an escort.

When he got to Pakefield they refused to recognise him and did not seem to know what to do with him. He went before the Commanding Officer who, after reading his papers, said it was evident a blunder had been made, but as he was only acting by orders he was powerless to do anything, and therefore he would have to be placed under open arrest until inquiries had been made.

When he made inquiries later on he was refused another interview and was told by the R.S.M. that if he made further inquiries he would be placed in the guard room. He was detained under arrest for a fortnight, during which time he was in civilian attire and receiving no pay.

In the meantime his wife and family had been suffering from want of money to supply their necessities, and as he was refused leave to return home and help support he took steps himself to get home and see if he could get them the bare necessities to carry them over Christmas.

Mr Osborne said it seemed as extraordinary affair, and the Chief Constable replied that the man put forward the same facts when he was last before the court, and the police had heard nothing since except a telegram asking them to arrest him.

Mr Attwood, however, also regarded it as a very peculiar case, and Mr William Austin, the magistrates' clerk, said it certainly seemed a case for inquiry because the man seemed to be badgered about from pillar to post, and nothing seemed to be done with him.

A telegram was stated to have been sent to the military authorities advising them of the arrest, and the Chief Constable presumed the escort would be on the way. Nevertheless, the magistrates decided to release the defendant on his own recognisances to appear when called upon, and directed the Clerk to communicate with the military authorities and acquaint them with the position of the affairs.

"There appears to have been a mistake somewhere," said Mr Attwood. "We are in a very funny position in that we cannot interfere with the military authorities, but we will see if anything can be done."

[The Luton Reporter: Tuesday, December 25th, 1917]