Stories from the Beds & Herts Saturday Telegraph, March 13th, 1915.

Driver John Powers, of the 12th Field Coy, Royal Engineers, is home on leave at 2 Brantwood Road, Luton, after being invalided to a Liverpool hospital suffering from blood poisoning. He would be returning to the front next week.

He had moved with his section to Armentieres on January 1st, billeted in a lunatic asylum from which the Germans had released the inmates. They were shelled out time after time and lost a lot of men. It was here he fell ill and was invalided home after being in hospital in France.

Earlier they passed through a village from which the Germans had retreated after being shelled to bits. They found eight naked girls in a field, all of whom had been bayonetted and required treatment from the Royal Army Medical Corps.

Driver Powers was with the 5th Bedford Territorials before he joined the Regular Army at Christmas 1913 and was drafted to Ireland. He went out to France early in September 1914, at first fixing barbed wire entanglements and repairing bridges. At Bois Grenier her drove a waggon containing the charges used to blow up a house being used by German snipers.

He had slept in several chicken houses and spent a night at a farm deserted by all but a cow. "We were thirsty and we tried to milk the cow, but it was easier said than done. We all chased the cow round for long enough, and had no idea how to milk it when we caught it. But we managed it eventually, and got a can of milk which we enjoyed."

• Of the five sons (pictured right) of Mrs Charles Farr, of 3 Chobham Street, Luton, four are serving with the colours, including one now a prisoner of war. Cpl Charles Farr, the eldest and married with a wife living in Newcombe Street, had returned to the depot at Sheerness after being wounded in the leg with the Rifle Brigade. Pte James William Farr, also with the Rifle Brigade and married with a wife living in Duke Street, has been a prisoner of war in Germany for some time. Pte Edward Matthew Farr is with the transport section of the RAMC at Woodbridge in Suffolk. And Sidney Herbert Farr is a sapper with the Royal Engineers at Peterborough. All are old boys of Queen Square School.

• A verdict of suicide was returned by a jury on Rifleman Harnwell Jackson Borley, aged 23, of the 21st County of London Battalion, 1st Surrey Rifles. He had put the muzzle of a rifle in his mouth and pulled the trigger with his toe after returning to his billet in Cowper Road, Harpenden, from a night drinking.

• Solicitor Mr William Bloomer, with a practice at 15 George Street West, Luton, was awarded £500 damages and costs at the High Courts of Justice, London, after he was found to have been libelled in the Odhams magazine John Bull. In an article headlined "Bloomer's bloomer. Luton lawyer's lamentable lapse" Mr Bloomer was accused of mishandling a fraud case.

• Inspector Edward Franklin, a Luton police officer for 26 years, was presented with a marble clock to mark his retirement on March 11th by Chief Constable Teale. As a result, Insp Hagley, with 22 years service, was promoted to senior inspector, and Sgt Fred Janes was promoted to inspector. PC Arthur Clarke was promoted to sergeant.

• With a political truce applying, there would be no East Ward election to Luton Board of Guardians on March 29th. The seven retiring members were formally re-elected - Mrs Minnie Dorothy Attwood, of Highcroft, London Road; Mr Ernest Philip Chantler, of 25 Bute Street; Mr Henry Impey, of 4 London Road; Mrs Violet Gwendoline Lewis, of 1 Union Street; Mr Albert Joseph Pitkin, of 12 Church Street; Mr Walter James Primett, of 27 London Road; and Mr Charles Rainbow, of 102 Dunstable Road.

• Luton Town won their Southern League match away to Swindon 2-1. Rollinson and Hoar were the Luton scorers in the first half.