Stories from The Luton News: Thursday, September 2nd, 1915.

While casualties among the 1/5th Bedfords were taking the headlines, Lutonians with other regiments were also being killed or wounded. Among them was Saddler Albert Walter Bunker (pictured), affectionately known as 'Nibbo' and the son of Mr Albert Bunker, the well-known harness maker of 4 Bridge Street, Luton.

The last message from him was a postcard written at Alexandria, and yesterday morning a letter dated August 22nd was received from Edward C. Tiegehen, Officer Commanding 2/1st East Anglian Field Coy, Royal Engineers, to say Sapper J. W. Bunker, 1779, had died after being struck in the head with a fragment of shrapnel while the camp was being shelled on August 21st. He had died within an hour without regaining consciousness.

"He was buried early this morning close to our camp on the upper part of a ridge overlooking the sea. His comrades were present, and a short service was held. The officers and men of Company feel they have now lost a willing and brave comrade."

• Mrs Ward, of Letchworth Road, Leagrave, received a letter yesterday morning from her husband, Pte James Ward, who wrote that he was wounded in the leg and was in hospital. Before enlisting, Pte Ward was a navvy, and he describes fighting the Dardanelles as being "considerably different to working on Houghton Regis sewer".

• Pte A. W. Lee, 4340, was wounded on August 15th - his birthday - and is now lying in one of the base hospitals. He is the eldest son of Mr and Mrs Lee, of Highgate, and was in the employ of Luton Gas Company until the war broke out.

• Pte Charles Boughton wrote to his mother at 56 York Street, Luton, that he had had his first taste of the trenches. "A piece of shrapnel cut through my water bottle and then went into my pouch of ammunition, but it never went off, I am glad to say."

• As a reminder that the war wasn't now confined to Gallipoli, the parents of Pte Horace Hammett, 7435, 1st Battalion, Bedfordshire Regiment, were anxious for information concerning their 19-year-old son. He had gone out with a draft from Felixstowe on April 26th and had not been heard from since May 6th. Mr and Mrs Hammett, of 114 Castle Street, Luton, hoped for any news of their son. [Pte Horace Hammett, 3/7435, was killed in action near Hill 60 on May 5th, 1915, and is commemorated on the Menin Gate Memorial, Ypres].

• Official notification was received by Mr and Mrs Bunyan, of 84 Langley Road, Luton, that their youngest son, Sgt Herbert Bunyan, 11446, 1st Notts and Derby Regt, was killed in action on August 9th, and is buried in Sanctuary Wood, near Hooge, where terrible fighting took place in the early days of last month. He was aged 22 and had enlisted in the Midland regiment four years ago.

• Piper W. Gamack, of the 1st Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders, who was recently married in Luton to Miss Minnie Ogden and intended to make his home here after the war, has died with tragic suddenness in Edinburgh. Some time ago he was badly wounded by shrapnel and was at Woolwich for a time recovering. He recently spent seven days leave at Luton with his wife, who lives at 35 New Bedford Road. He died from heart failure and was given a military funeral at Sunnyside Cemetery, Alloa.

• Pte Harry E. Black, formerly in the Luton branch of the London and County Bank, who was wounded while serving with the 24th County of London Regiment (the Queen's) has had his right arm amputated near the shoulder and is still in hospital.

• Ernest S. C. Chivers, son of Mr Ernest Chivers, Ashton Road, Luton, has been gazetted Second-Lieutenant in the Royal Engineers.

• Mrs Goodman, of 100 Boyle Street, High Town, must be proud of her sailor son, John, aged 17, who has been honoured at the hands of Admiral Jellicoe. He recently sent home a silver cup, the second prize for boxing, which he has won in the sports of the Grand Fleet held during the wait for the Germans. The cup is now on view in the shop window of outfitter Mr F. Cook, 3 High Town Road.

• Recruits enlisted in the Regular Army at the Luton Corn Exchange in the past week: W. W. Gazeley (Caddington Green), W. E. Gore (Luton), J. Weedon (Luton), T. Smith (Leighton Buzzard), C. Lack (Luton), G. S. Rolph(Luton), J. Bransome (Luton), O. E. Newbury (Luton), T. Stone (Heath and Reach), J. W. Webb (Heath and Reach), T. Risbridger (Luton) and E. F. Vicars (Leighton Buzzard).

• Councillor Charles Dillingham, well known in Luton's straw hat trade, has completed 25 years service on the Town Council. He was first elected on August 12th, 1890.

• Through a collision in New Bedford Road between tram No. 9 and a horse and cart owned by Mr H. Davies, hay merchant of High Town Road, and driven by William Stokes, of Charles Street, the horse was knocked down and somewhat injured and the front part of the tram damaged.

• Three boys, two aged nine and one aged 12 and all from Warwick Road, were fined at the Borough Sessions for trespassing on the Great Northern Railway line near the new bridge in Dallow Road. A watchman had sent them away, but they returned and were throwing stones at telegraph wire and insulators and had placed four-inch French nails on the track. A representative of the railway company said insulators had been damaged over the past 12 months between the Luton West signal box and Chaul End.

• Farewell services were held during the weekend to mark the departure of Capt F. C. Dewey, the Church Army evangelist, after four years work in the parish.

• Yesterday at the Borough Sessions, the licence of the Duke of William pub, Duke Street, was transferred from John F. Waller to William Hill, and that of The Bull, Park Street, from Charles Thompson to Joseph Phillips. The Mayor warned the incoming tenant of The Bull that it was not an easy house to manage, but he would at all times have the assistance of the police.