Digest of stories from the Beds & Herts Saturday Telegraph: February 23rd, 1918.

We are pleased to learn that Sec-Lieut Samuel Deller, of 147 Wellington Street, Luton, has recently been promoted to the rank of Captain, the honour being conferred after a dashing exploit during the fighting in France.

He is an old soldier, having served in many parts of the world before the war. For ten years he worked as a plait warehouseman for Messrs H. Durler & Son, of Guildford Street, Luton. He again joined the ranks at the outbreak of war, and speedily gained a lieutenancy.

Samuel (pictured right) received orders while serving in this rank to lead a patrol party and take a certain objective. The party encountered much difficulty in forcing their way through and, under the lieutenant's splendid leadership, put up a running fight for two hours until they reached their destination.

The gallant officer is now on home leave, and he remarked to us this morning that it was "nothing special" for which he was promoted. He is going back next week, and will be a quartermaster and adjutant at a divisional reinforcement camp.

[William Stanley Deller, to give him his full name, was born in Luton in 1873. He had served largely in the Beds Regiment before and during the war, assisting in the formation of the 6th Battalion with whom he went to France. He was transferred to the East Lancs Regiment before being gazetted back to the Bedfords upon gaining his commission. He had married Rose Harriett Doughty from Luton at St Paul's Church on December 26th, 1906. Sadly, Rose died in 1911 at the age of 30, leaving two young children, one a baby just a few months old. Samuel survived the war and died in 1937.]

• It seems that a rumour is current that Pte Ernest William Richardson (Northants Regiment), of 23 Russell Rise, Luton, who has been missing since the Cambrai reverse, is now a prisoner of war in Germany. Mrs Richardson yesterday informed a Telegraph representative that she had no such news of her husband. She anxiously awaits tidings of any kind. Mr Richardson was formerly a churchwarden at St Saviour's. [Pte Richardson was later listed as killed in action on November 30th, 1917.]

• At a meeting held in the Council Chamber at the Town Hall, Luton, last evening and attended by a large number of local allotment holders, steps were taken towards the formation of a Luton and District Allotment Holders' Association, with a view to eventually linking up with the National Union. Mr J. W. Tomlinson, Borough Engineer and Surveyor, presided, calling upon Mr Murdoch to move a resolution, while himself remarking that the meeting was called at the instigation of any outside movement, not was it in any way connected with the Corporation.

• Luton Methodism rallied splendidly to welcome the President of the Wesleyan Methodist Conference on Wednesday at his visit to the Central Hall. There was an exceptionally large congregation to hear the President speak at five o'clock, and there was a splendid gatheing in the evening for the public meeting.

• The annual effort for the Bute Hospital, Luton, begins today, when the first of the weekly collections in the chief works, factories, shops etc is taken. Each employee subscribes a certain sum each week for 12 weeks, the effort culminating with Hospital Saturday, which this year is on May 11th.

• Last night a serious accident occurred at the Dunstable L&NWR railway station. George Barned, aged 68, of High Street North, Dunstable, who works at the Commer Cars Woirks, Luton, was getting out of a train and fell with considerable force on to the platform, striking his head violently and sustaining very severe injuries to the back of the skull. His injuries were dressed and he was sent home, but today he was taken to the Bute Hospital in Luton.

• An interesting presentation will be made to Bailey Hill Wesleyan Sunday School tomorrow. The Mayor (Councillor Charles Dillingham) is to give the school a large portrait of himself in mayoral robes, taken by Mr F. Thurston and excellently finished in water colours. Bailey Hill Sunday School is really the continuation of the old Albert Road school where the Mayor spent some happy hours as a boy. The framed portrait will furnish a link with those early reminiscences, as well as being an inspiration to the boys at the school in that one of the old scholars is now Mayor of the Borough. The presentation will be made by Mr A. J. Hubbard.

• The wedding took place at Christ Church on Tuesday morning of Miss Olive Elizabeth White, second daughter of Mr H. White, of Bromham House, Alexandra Avenue, and Lieut Arthur James Fyson, son of Mr George Fyson, of Leagrave Road, who is a well-known officer of the 2nd Battalion Beds Volunteer Regiment. Lieut Fyson has seen considerable service in France, and came home on leave. The bride is well known in connection with her father's boot business, to which she will return at the end of the war.

• Luton is showing up very badly just now in its investments in National War Bonds, the amount for the week ending February 16th being the lowest on record - viz £825. The population of the borough is an estimated 59,000, and on this basis £29,500 is due from it weekly in subscriptions to War Bonds. As a matter of fact, the total for the 20 weeks ended February 16th was only £76,535, this being less than three weeks' contributions that would officially be expected.

• We understand that the Luton Trades and Labour Council have now got into an extraordinary position in regard to a Parliamentary candidate. At the last meeting the nominations showed 11 votes each for Messrs Willet Ball and T. Knight, and it is worthy of note that Mr H. N. Brailsford, who spokes at the Town Hall a week or two ago, was nominated but only received two votes. The Trades and Labour Council have left the matter in abeyance for the time being.

• Last night, at a meeting of the Luton War Pensions Committee, the Deputy Mayor (Alderman J. H. Staddon), on behalf of all, congratulated Mr W. J. Mair, the Chairman of the Disablements Sub-Committee, on his appointment to the magisterial bench of the borough.

• The return visit of the Signal School team from the Dunstable Depot to the Luton Town ground this afternoon furnished another lively game. With a sun shining brilliantly into their faces, the Town found their opponents having the better of the first half exchanges and it was the visitors who took the lead after half an hour through Cpl Secret. Butcher levelled the scores by half time, and second half goals from Johnson and 'Bullet' Jones made the final score 3-1 in favour of the Town.