Stories from The Luton News: Thursday, July 29th, 1915.

The first organised step of the engineering firms in Beds, Herts, Bucks, Huntingdonshire and Cambs in the direction of providing munitions of war was taken at the Shire Hall, Bedford, yesterday afternoon, when a meeting of all the firms in the five counties had been called by Mr S. H. Whitbread, Lord Lieutenant of Beds.

Nearly 100 delegates were present, including Messrs G. M. Gibbons (Hayward Tyler & Co), T. H. Dryden (Skefko Ball Bearing Co), L. H. Pomeroy (Vauxhall Motors Ltd) and H. Underdown (Commer Cars), of Luton.

Mr Whitbread explained that the meeting had been called as the result of a letter from the Ministry of Munitions. The first step that would be taken was to elect a small committee to organise the area..

"I take it," proceeded the chairman, "that you and the firms you represent are all animated by one feeling - that if the Government will only tell you what they want, you are ready and anxious to do your best to provide the article, whatever it is."

Sir Charles Stuart Smith, from the Ministry of Munitions, said what the Government wanted most at present were big shells, and he had been asked very strongly upon the firms that those which could make bigger shells ought to do so, and leave the making of smaller ones to those works which could not touch the others.

Capt O'Brien, also from the Ministry of Munitions, thought the firms in the five counties might make 1,000 shells a week.

• The London Gazette on Saturday evening announced the promotion of Capt Harold P. Green, 3rd Battalion Bedfordshire Regt, to the rank of Major. He is one of the sons of Mr and Mrs J. W. Green, of the Larches, New Bedford Road, Luton, and has been at the Front some months. His promotion dates from May 17th.

• What the war is costing in money is bad enough, but the cost in human life is simply appalling, said the Luton News leader article. Referring to a statement made by the Prime Minister in the House of Commons that British military casualties alone up to July 18th amounted to 321,889 and naval casualties to 5,106, (4,000 officers and 57, 384 men killed), the writer said the victims of war had previously been counted in hundreds and thousands, but today they number millions. But the slaughter must go on until Germany herself breaks under the strain.

• We understand that Lady Wernher has offered Luton Hoo to Sister Agnes as a convalescent home for officers from King Edward VII's Hospital, 9 Grosvenor Gardens, and it will be opened as such immediately on Lady Wernher's return from Harrogate, where she is received a course of treatment.

• Yesterday, Mr G. R. Worboys received a card from Driver Joseph Clarke, a Clarence FC back, who is now with the Royal Engineers in the Mediterranean.

• Escaping from a guard-room at Luton some months ago, a private remained in the town, got work, made the acquaintance of a girl and married her. A few days ago an NCO from his old regiment saw him in Luton and placed him under arrest. He was taken to Harpenden, where his regiment is now stationed, but again escaped, only to be recaptured at his Luton home and taken back to his regiment.

• The following are included in the long list of men who have joined the Army through the medium of the recruiting office at the Luton Corn Exchange. Regular Army: A. Bowen, A. Catlin, S. Cox, H. Donnett, T. Evans, E. Farmer, H. Glenister, B. Hawkins, A. Hobbs, J. S. A. Hobbs, F. Horle, G. Hughman, F. Jacks, W. Manning, S. Manton, W. Minney, S. Scales, O. Tomkins (all Luton), H. Buckingham (Leagrave), A. Fensome (Stopsley). 5th Bedfordshires: H. J. Ashworth, A. G. Brown, A. Coote, A. Dimmock, F. Franklin, W. Hollis, E. E. Kempson, W. G. Kirby, J. T. Lay, G. Lancaster, W. Reeves, F. A. Stanbridge, F. Tyler, F. Winch (Luton), H. R. Dyer (Leagrave). Seven men are still wanted for the East Anglian Divisional Cyclist Battalion.

• Thanking the volunteers who had offered to help in compiling the National Register of households, the Mayor (Councillor W. J. Primett) told the Town Council on Tuesday that the response to a call for volunteers had been somewhat disheartening. Of 222 teachers approached by letter, only 11 had replied, even though they would be holiday making shortly. Some people who had volunteered could not be accepted because they were at work all day.

• The Luton News revealed why radio pioneer Guglielmo Marconi had not fulfilled his promise to open Luton's extended electricity works in the autumn of 1914. As the Press at the time promised not to reveal, he had joined the Italian Army, confirmed by his arrival in this country a few days ago in the uniform of a lieutenant of the mounted section of the Italian Royal Engineers.

• The Mayor of Luton will attend a service in the Waller Street Church on Wednesday [August 4th] to mark the first anniversary of the declaration of war. He hopes to be accompanied by other members and officials of the Corporation.

• Lady Battersea, who as Mrs Cyril Flower was so closely associated with the South Beds Parliamentary constituency, paid her latest visit to Luton on Monday afternoon, when she was the principal guest at a garden party given to the members of the British Women's Temperance Association at 'Uplands,' London Road, by Mr and Mrs Edmund Wiseman.

• Scare stories circulating earlier in the year that there would be hundreds of "war babies" born in Luton were dispelled by statistics for the quarter ended June 30th. Of 298 births just 16 were illegitimate, including one set of twins. That was four more illegitimate births than in the same quarter a year earlier.

• The vexed question of whether or not a fence should be placed round the Spittlesea Isolation Hospital is at last settled. The Local Government Board regretted the Town Council's decision not to fence the site and said the responsibility for the continuance of the present unsatisfactory hospital must rest with the Council. The Sanitary Committee therefore recommended by three votes to two that a hospital extension scheme be amended by the provision of a wooden pale fence at an estimated cost of £100. One councillor described the expense of a fence as a waste as it would not keep disease in or out.

• Town Clerk William Smith reported to a meeting of Luton's Parks Committee that on June 28th he completed the purchase from the Crawley Trustees to the Corporation of seven acres of land adjoining Dunstable Road, opposite the Laundry, to be used as a site for a recreation ground [Kingsway Rec].

• The Rev W. T. Healey has had a very cordial welcome to the Primitive Methodist pastorate at Mount Tabor, Luton, to which he has come from Bath. He was publicly received by members at 'Whitecroft,' London Road, the residence of Mr and Mrs Henry Impey.

• The farewell service to the Rev B. Fendick took place at Limbury Baptist Church on Monday evening. The schoolroom as full to overflowing to see Miss Stokes, the oldest member of the church, make a presentation of a drawing-room Sheraton clock and a purse of gold. Mr Fendick goes to East Dereham, Norfolk, and commences his serves there on August 15th.

• The Rev G. Lightwood Smith, who succeeds the Rev George Charter as superintendent minister in the Waller Street circuit will come to Luton from Whitehaven, in the Carlisle district. The new leader of the Central Mission at Luton is Mr Robert H. Fairman, from Swindon, who will commence here in September.

• Owing to the action of certain London Southern League clubs, Luton Town FC have been excluded from the group of London clubs which they had been informally invited to join. It is therefore highly improbable that there will be any football except friendly games in Luton next season.

• An example of enterprise and energy is afforded by Leagrave, Limbury and District Horticultural Society. A few years ago their annual exhibition was a fair type of village show, but justly proud of the measure of excellence attained by the village in horticulture and floriculture they resolved on an exhibition which would be a credit to the village and an attraction to all the surrounding district. That they succeeded far beyond expectations is a matter of common knowledge, for Leagrave Show is not one of the most popular institutions locally. In common with other organisations the committee had misgivings as to the advisability of holding the show this year, but it was eventually decided that no good purpose would be served by breaking the continuity of the event, and so it was arranged as usual, and resolved to give the profits to the British Red Cross Society.

[Pictured: The Luton Volunteer Training Corps under Commandant Cumberland Brown, and some of the visitors to the show.]