Diary: Son, 4, killed soldier dad in gun accident

Digest of stories from The Luton News: Thursday, July 12th, 1917.

Houghton Regis in WW1

  • Troops marching through Houghton Regis in World War One.

A terrible tragedy was enacted at Houghton Regis Camp last night. Shortly before 7 o'clock, Coy Sgt-Major Charles John Simpson, aged 35, of the Motor Cyclist Section of the Royal Engineers, was initiating his little son into the mysteries of a rook [small game] rifle. It is said the boy, who is under five years old, had been allowed to pull the left trigger for one shot at a tin, and the father then placed the rifle on the ground, butt downwards.

The boy then ran round his father, who tried to prevent him, but was just too late. As the father was stooping over the rifle the trigger was pulled by the boy and the charge passed through the father's head, killing him instantly.

The Camp medical officer was quickly in attendance, but life was quite extinct. The tragedy has cast quite a gloom over the camp, for Coy Sgt-Major Simpson was highly respected by officers and men. He had served in France and been wounded, and was residing with his wife and two children at Dunstable.

[A verdict of accidental death was returned by an inquest jury at the King's Arms, Houghton Regis, on July 14th, followed by a funeral service with full military honours at All Saints churchyard, Houghton Regis, the same afternoon.]

  • In no thoroughfare has there been such an agreeable change as New Bedford Road and Manchester Street. Messrs E. Ward & Co, the famous milliners, were the first to realise the possibilities of this continuous thoroughfare as a shopping centre. Now they have acquired the extensive site on the north side of their premises in New Bedford Road with a view to the erection of more shops to be opened as costumes, tunics, children's and ladies' outfitters. The existing premises will be demolished and the very fine sequence of shops extended beyond. The work will begin as soon as practicable after the war, sooner if permission could be obtained.

  • At the meeting of the Luton Education Authority on Tuesday evening, the Deputy Mayor (Councillor W. J. Primett) said he had made inquiries into the listlessness and want of attention of pupils in one of two schools in the town. He did did not think it resulted from the lack of sleep from the Daylight Saving Act, but some people thought that the bread the children had to eat was not sufficiently sustaining. It was a serious matter if the children generally were suffering. Alderman Arnold said there was a distinct difference in the alertness and vitality of some of the boys attending school.

  • A case of much importance to agriculturists as showing the powers conferred on War Agricultural Committees, and the first of its kind in the country, was heard at a court case in Woburn Sands on Friday when farmer George A. Fountain (45), Cowridge Farm, Toddington, was summoned under the Defence of the Realm Regulations, for contravening the Cultivation of Lands Order 1917, No. 3, by failing to cultivate certain lands at Toddington in accordance with a notice given by the Beds War Agricultural Committee. For Mr Fountain, it was stated that as a farmer for 20 years he did not believe he would get a crop from the land in question, which was liable to flooding. The Bench convicted and imposed a fine of £10, describing it as a small one designed to act as a warning to others.

  • Mrs Silsby, of 94 Spencer Road, Luton, has received official news that her husband, reported seriously wounded on May 1st, is listed as missing. Pte Harry Edgar Silsby was aged 29.

  • News has reached Mrs Harriet Pakes, of 31 Malvern Road, Luton, of the death in action of her son, Pte Reginald Walter Pakes, in France on June 7th. The deceased young man was formerly in the 5th Bedfords but received his discharge from service before they went to Gallipoli. He subsequently rejoined and was drafted out to France with the Royal Fusiliers.

  • Mrs Birchmore, of 34 Ivy Road, Luton, appealed for any information about her husband, Pte Bertram Norman Birchmore, of the Northumberland Fusiliers, who was officially reported as missing about a month previously. He is 29, went to France in January of this year and previously worked for Messrs Vyse, Sons and Co, hat manufacturers, of Bute Street.

  • Last evening an interesting meeting took place at Wellington Street Baptist Church. The members set themselves to raise £180 during this year in connection with the school building debt, and the Pastor (Rev C. Evelyn Charlesworth) recently announced that £70 would be required to make up the total. Yesterday the Pastor sat in his vestry to receive gifts, and when the proceedings terminated with an evening meeting, all by 30 shillings had been secured.

  • There will be much regret among Midland Railway passengers at the news that Mr Tom Burnham, the platform inspector at Luton Station, is leaving to take up a similar post at the more important station at Derby. Inspector Burnham came to Luton from Kettering six years ago as a foreman. He was promoted in May 1914.

  • Limbury Parish Council wrote to inform Luton Rural District Council that the military had stopped the path from Biscot Road, by the mill, and as a number of residents went that way to work at Commercial Cars and George Kent's, it was a hardship. It was pointed out that the military had since issued passes to those residents.

  • The Luton Borough Tribunal agreed to give absolute exemption from military service to Allan C. Claydon, 24, married, manager of Hepworth & Co's clothing shop, Luton. The County Tuberculosis Officer, Dr Welch, had certified him to be suffering from chronic pulmonary tuberculosis, but the Medical Board at Bedford had on June 5th passed him fit. The case was to be reported to the Special Parliamentary Committee dealing with Medical Board examinations.

  • An alarming fire occurred at the Midland Railway Station on Saturday afternoon. Shortly after 5 o'clock an alarm was given that the bridge was on fire, but Foremen Charles Knight found that it involved a large hoarding, 50ft long by 20ft high. He and another employee, George Hawkes,quickly got the railway hose in use and, as the fire was discovered early it was quickly extinguished.

  • Members of the Borough Police Force are immensely pleased with the decision of the Watch Committee on Monday evening for an all-round rise of the scale of pay. The new scale will mean an increase of about 3s per man per week, in addition to which a grant of 9d per child will average another 2s per man.

  • At the meeting of the Luton Education Authority on Tuesday evening members were pleased to receive a postcard from Italian school children which ran: "The school boys of Vittonna de Feltrie, near Florence, send to the school friends in Luton an affectionate greeting, and wish that the allied nations may soon be victorious and work together for the welfare of all mankind. The undersigned ask for a reply, for which they will look with particular pleasure." Sixteen signatures are appended. The Chairman suggested that some of the scholars of Luton should be requested to supply.

  • The Mayor and Town Clerk have received invitations from His Imperial Highness the Grand Duke Michael and Countess de Torby to the wedding of their daughter, Countess Anastasia (Zia) de Torby, with Major Harold Wernher (12th Royal Lancers) in the Chapel Royal, St James's Palace, on Friday, July 20th, at 2.30 pm and afterwards at Bath House, Piccadilly.

  • A campaign to kill birds such as sparrows to protect valuable crops came into question in an editorial of The Luton News. It said: Those people who questioned whether the campaign against birds was altogether wise will have their suspicions strengthened by a report recently received from France. The fruit crops there have suffered great damage from insects, and this is attributed to the fact that birds have been systematically destroyed. A French scientist, in urging that measures should be taken to protect birds, says that a tom tit eats 9,000 butterfly eggs in a single day, and to bring up her brood the female tom tit catches 40,000 caterpillars. A couple of sparrows, he points out, need 5,000 caterpillars a week for their young, and a nest of redbreasts devours three million insects before being able to cater for themselves. It will therefore be seen that the operations of birds are not so entirely mischievous as has been presented.