Diary: Joy and sorrow for a serving soldier

 

Stories from the Luton News: Thursday, December 23rd, 1915.

In the family life of Luton has this week occurred an incident which is heart-rending in its tragedy and pathos. Among those who answered the call to arms in Luton was Pte Hastings, of 1 Wood Street, Luton, and he left behind him six children when he went to fight in the Balkans. The family roll call was increased to seven less than a fortnight ago, and it is extremely doubtful if Pte Hastings has yet received the news.

But the joy of that will be shortlived, for there is to follow the news of the death of Mrs Hastings on Sunday afternoon at the early age of 33. The difficulty of the situation lies in the fact that the family hail from the North, and there are no relatives in Luton.

Nurse Robins, who had attended Mrs Hastings, sought the advice and assistance of the Mayor (Alderman J. H. Staddon), who discovered that Pte Hastings' mother [Martha] lived at Carlisle and was quite unable to assist. The Mayor took steps to see that the body of Mrs Hastings received the respect due to a soldier's wife and a private grave was secured. The funeral took place this afternoon.

The week-old baby was taken into the careful keeping of Nurse Robins and neighbours have undertaken the care of the other children.

[No military details were given about Pte Hastings other than his rank and that he was in the Balkans. But it is reasonably certain his full name was Charles Henry Hastings, born in Urswick, Lancs, in 1880. He married Mary Helen Hinds in Carlisle in the summer of 1902 and the family were living in Carlisle at the time of the 1911 Census. They had arrived in Luton before the birth of their sixth child, Gertrude, in early summer 1914. The seventh child, as mentioned, was named Mary Hinds Hastings. It is to be hoped that father and children were eventually reunited.]

  • The Luton distribution of armlets to the men who have attested under Lord Derby's SCheme began on Monday morning and has been continued during certain hours of the morning and evening each day. During the Christmas holidays the recruiting office at 35 Manchester Street is to be closed, but the distribution of armlets will be resumed after the holidays. Not many armlets have been seen in the streets up to the present.

  • Lady Wernher has given 500 presents to men of the Bedfordshire Regiment at the Front this Christmas, having sent out 200 knives and 300 Kitchener writing cases. To her son's regiment, the 12th Royal Lancers, she has sent 688 knives containing blade, tin opener, hoof pick etc. Locally, she has sent a Christmas tree and 130 presents to the Luton Children's Home and a Christmas tree and evergreens to the Bute Hospital.

  • Messrs J. W. Green Ltd, the well known local brewers, have now over 40 of their employees serving with H. M. Forces. A number of men from the Luton brewery are at present in France and a few are with the British Mediterranean Expeditionary Force. Christmas parcels have already been forwarded to those men who are abroad, and gifts of cigarettes are this week being despatched to the men who are stationed in England. The usual Christmas beef tickets have also been issued to the wives of those employees serving with the Colours.

  • Pte J. Burley, 7318, Machine Gun Section, 2nd Beds Regt, whose home is at 71 Warwick Road, Luton, returned to the Front yesterday after a week's leave. He had been on active service for 13 months, having been called up as a special reservist in August 1914. He had seen fierce fighting at Ypres, Fleurbait, Festubert, Givenchy and Hulloch.

  • Mrs Davis, of 30 Hastings Street, Luton, has received a letter from her husband, Cpl H. B. Davis, who is now in St John's V.A.D. Hospital, Southport, recovering from dysentery and septic poisoning. He was admitted to hospital in Alexandria on October 6th before being transferred to England in November. Prior to the war he worked at Messrs Hayward Tyler and Co's engineering works.

  • Mr James Wonmer, of 17 Clifton Road, Luton, whose life was saved by a V.A.D. nurse administering first aid when he collapsed unconscious in Ashburnham Road on December 11th, was charged at the Borough Court on Monday with attempting to commit suicide. He had admitted to police that he had taken salts of lemon. The case was adjourned until yesterday, but the defendant was then too ill to appear and proceedings were adjourned for a further fortnight.