Stories from the Beds & Herts Saturday Telegraph: May 20th, 1916.

Intense local sympathy will be felt for Mr and Mrs J. W. Green in the sad news which reached them last night of the death from wounds in France of their youngest son, Lieut Reginald Green, of the Bedfordshire Regiment.

The sad news was conveyed in a telegram from the War Office, which was received at The Larches [the New Bedford Road home of the Greens] about 6 pm yesterday: "Deeply regret to inform you that Lieut R. C. Green, Bedford Regiment, died of wounds, May 18th. Lord Kitchener expresses his sympathy."

Unlike his brothers, Major Sidney and Major Harold Green, who have for 15 or 20 years past taken a big interest in matters military and devoted much of their spare time to the development of the Volunteer and Territorial Movements, Lieut Reginald Green (pictured right) knew nothing of "soldiering" when war broke out, but there was that in him which knew where duty lay and he immediately took steps to join up with the Bedfordshire Regiment. He obtained his commission with the 3rd Bedfordshires at Felixstowe.

• A feature of the sitting of the Luton Borough Tribunal on Wednesday was the application of the Governmental Order dealing with the heads of small businesses, and two young straw hat manufacturers were exempted subject to the exigencies of the military situation. A question was also asked relating to men being called up before the date certificated by the Tribunal. The Town Clerk [Mr William Smith] stated that it should be known that "the certificates which are granted by this Tribunal are the absolute authority for everything".

• An advert invited owners of one-man businesses to attend a meeting at the Plait Hall on Monday at which one of the speaker would be Mr A. W. Yeo, MP for Poplar, who was sponsoring an amendment to the Military Service Bill in the Commons that would grant exemption for shopkeepers and other small businessmen.

• The Daylight Saving Act comes into force tonight (Saturday) when you must put your clock forward an hour just before going to bed. Tomorrow (Sunday) you will do everything at the usual time by the clock. All railways, post offices and other Government establishments will advance their clocks at 2 am on Sunday to 3 am and these hours will by law apply to public houses, factories and workshops. Thus factories which work from 6 am to 6 pm will begin and finish at 6 am and 6 pm "summer time".

• Luton's Prisoner of War Committee heard that 13 parcels are now being dispatched fortnightly. Since March 10th parcels have also been sent to Drummer F. C. Taylor and Pte A. Taylor, both in the 1st South Staffordshire Regiment, of 42 Collingdon Street, Luton. Mrs Taylor had since been notified of the death of her son Pte Taylor. A total of 34 acknowledgements of parcels had been received from Drummer Taylor, Pte Fensome, Pte Pinney, Pte Good, Pte Odell, Pte Crawley, Pte Samuel, Pte Ward and Pte Smith.

• In just a few weeks one of the bloodiest battles in history would begin on the Somme. The Telegraph suggested that "a prelude to something of importance" was taking place with the possibility of a new German attack near the British front. Everything was suggesting a move was contemplated, especially with the renewed activity of the German air scouts during the past few days, whilst the transport of munitions and men towards the front confirmed the prelude to something of importance.

• Webb Bros (outfitters) Ltd, George Street and Bute Street, wish to make it known that owing to the depletion of their staff through enlistment they will, on and after Monday next close their establishment for the dinner hour, 1 pm to 2 pm (excepting Saturdays). Webbs Bros were the first outfitters in Luton to employ female labour in order to release their male assistants to serve their King and Country.

• On Thursday about 7.55, Sgt Millard at the Luton County Police Station received information that a boy named Charles Edward Ashby, aged eight, son of Edward Ashby who resides in the Hitchin Road at Stopsley, had fallen into a pond at Mr Facer's brickyard and had been drowned. On his arrival the sergeant found that the body had been recovered and removed to Mr Bond's farm opposite. Satisfying himself that life was extinct he had the body conveyed to Mr Hucklesby's to await an inquest. The lad, it appears, was playing with others in the brickyard, trying to catch newts in water which was 12 to 15 ft deep, and fell in. At an inquest held at the Sportsman, Stopsley, this afternoon, a jury returned a verdict of accidental death.

• Thursday and Friday were real outdoor days, the sun blazing from a blue sky. At one o'clock on Thursday in London thermometers placed in the sun registered as much as 116 deg, and in the shade they varied between 70 deg at nine o'clock and 76 deg in the afternoon. The parks and gardens were thronged with crowds of people enjoying the sun, and the straw hat is becoming very prominent.