Diary: Funeral of Amy Martin

 

Amy Martin funeral

Stories from The Luton News: Thursday, October 14th, 1915.

There was a large attendance at the funeral of [murder victim] Mrs Amy Martin on Monday. The body had been conveyed to the house of deceased's father, Mr Plummer in Blythe Place, Russell Street, and the cortege left there shortly after 2 pm.

There was a big crowd outside, and those people followed and helped to swell the vast numbers congregated at the General Cemetery, where the body was interred. The crowds were so great that the presence of police under Inspectors Hagley and Janes was necessary to preserve order.

There was a short service at the cemetery chapel, conducted by the Rev A. F. Wolton. The coffin was covered with beautiful floral tributes.

  • Cpl George Brown, 9592, 2nd Battalion Beds Regt, a son of Mrs G. Brown, of 65 Albert Road, Luton, has been killed in action. A letter to Mrs Brown from Sgt J. Taylor, C Coy, 2nd Bedfords, said: "He was killed instantly last night (October 7th) about 5.30, and suffered no pain." He was aged 26.

  • Nothing has been heard by Mrs Anderson, of 27 Brache Street, Luton, of her husband Pte Edward Anderson, since she was notified of his wounds. He was reported to have sustained severe injuries to the legs during the charge on Sunday, August 15th.

  • News has been received by Mr A. J. Mander, headmaster of Hitchin Road School, that Pte L. Wheeler, of the 24th London Regiment, who was formerly on the staff of the school, had been wounded on October 1st and was in hospital. A piece of shrapnel entered his right leg. during heavy fighting.

  • Two of the three sons of Mr E. W. Bartlett, of 17 Dunstable Road, Luton, have now been wounded. Petty Officer Mechanic Claude Bartlett, of the Royal Naval Air Service, who was wounded at Suvla Bay on September 1st, is now in hospital at Moustapha, Alexandria. Now Trooper Cyril Bartlett, of the Beds Yeomanry, is in St Andrew's Hospital, Dollis Hill, Hendon, having been wounded while serving in France on October 2nd. Trooper Bartlett was burying the dead and had just paused to rest with his hands on top of the spade when a large piece of shrapnel struck both hands, inflicting severe wounds.

  • Suffering from injuries to his right hand received during the severe fighting in the neighbourhood of Loos, Cpl Coleman, son of Mr and Mrs Coleman, of 33 Princess Street, Luton, is now in a London Hospital. While carrying out duties as a dispatch rider in the Army Cycle Corps, attached to the 47th London Division, he came under heavy shell fire, and a piece of shrapnel tore away his thumb and two fingers.

  • Mrs Barton, of 107 New Town Street, Luton, has now received a letter from her husband, Pte Arthur Barton, of the 1/5ths. He was wounded in the first charge at Gallipoli, being shot in the thigh. He now says he is getting on well.

  • Mr and Mrs Ball, of 22 Bailey Street, Luton, have been notified that their son, Pte W. H. Ball, has been wounded in the right elbow while serving with the 1/5th Bedfords at Gallipoli. He was taken to a hospital ship and then to hospital at Brockenhurst, Hampshire.

  • Writing from the Dardanelles on his 19th birthday, Pte George Smith, 4867, C Company, 1/5th Bedfords, says: "I am living in hopes of spending my next [birthday] at 84 Hitchin Road," his Luton home.

  • Two married sons living in Luton of Mrs Jeffcoate, of Baker Street, Leighton Buzzard, are reported wounded. Pte Henry Jeffcoate, whose wife lives with her mother at 91 North Street, Luton, was wounded in the arm and leg in France serving with the 1st Royal Berks Regt. Pte Alfred Jeffcoate, of 13 Langley Place, Luton, serving with the 1st Beds Regt in France, had been wounded in the hand.

  • Sapper F. P. Bodsworth, 1392, 1/2 Field Coy, E.A.R.E., writes to his wife at 28 St Saviour's Crescent, Luton, of two lucky escapes in one morning in Gallipoli. Two Turkish shells burst close by but the bullets from it fell harmlessly into the ground, before a third shell fell on a dug-out, causing it to fall in on the occupants. It turned out the shell case was empty.

  • Rifleman Fred Kempson, of the 17th London Regt, wrote to his parents at 47 Cambridge Street, Luton, to tell them of five or six days in France that had been like "Hell let loose". To hold trenches captured by three other battalions, his platoon had had to walk for nearly a mile along a communication trench full of German dead. "For the first time since we came out here we have realised to the full of the horrors of modern warfare," he wrote.

  • L-Cpl Albert Day, who resides with his sister at 25 Brache Street, Luton, has now been transferred from the military hospital at Leeds to the auxiliary hospital, Baldersby Park, Thirsk, Yorks. The wound in his neck is getting better.

  • Saturday was a great day for the workers in one of the departments of Vauxhall Motors Ltd. Some 350 of them, men and girls, went to Messrs Gray's pleasure grounds at Bricket Wood in a big array of 2-, 3- and 4-horse brakes provided by Messrs Pollard, of Luton. They enjoyed an afternoon of merriment and sports away from the strain of the high pressure under which they had been working for the last few months.

  • By an overwhelming majority, a meeting of Luton shopkeepers held in the Council Chamber on Tuesday night voted in favour of 7 pm weekday closing from November 1st, "at any rate for the period of the war" with its lighting restrictions. A 10 pm closing time on Saturdays had already been agreed. The suggestion that all shops should close on Sundays was described as "a thorny question" and not acted on at the meeting. Wednesdays would continue to be early closing days.