Stories from the Beds & Herts Saturday Telegraph: September 2nd, 1916.

The "rounding up" by the Luton Police of Belgians in the town who are of military age resulted in proceedings at the Borough Court this morning against two Belgian refugees for failure to comply with the Alien Restriction Consolidation Order by neglecting to furnish the Chief Constable, as the registration officer for the borough, about a change in residence and their intended new place of residence.

Chief Constable Teale (pictured right) said the Belgian Government, in conjunction with the home office and police all over the country, were endeavouring to gather the Belgian men of military age to serve in the Army. He had sent out something like 18 notices and had been able to serve only one. All the others had cleared out of Luton, and had gone away from their previous addresses. It had not been possible to find 17 men.

One defendant of military age who should have appeared before the court had gone to London, and a warrant was issued for his arrest.

A second defendant, who did appear, had left the town without notice to live in Luton and had since returned to Slip End. He had a book of identity issued in the London police district as he was employed on munitions. The identity book was in order, but showed him to be medically unit. There seemed to be a misunderstanding about informing the local police here.

The Chairman of the Bench told the defendant that they thought he had misunderstood the matter, but at the same time there were several men who had to be rounded up, and if everybody did what the defendant had done there would be chaos. A fine of 10 shillings was imposed.

• By the death of Pte Hedley Farr, of the Middlesex Regiment, a widowed mother liiving at 32 Liverpool Road, Luton, has lost a devoted son. She left no doubt as to her opinions concerning the unfitness of her son, a view shared by many of his friends. Although he had a history of heart problems, he left for France on July 25th, and on August 8th he was announced as dead.

• Another sad story of the consequences of war. Happy husband Pte Lionel Worsley returned in February with war trophies to his newly furnished home, wife and babe at 24 Ash Road, Luton, before returning to France. He was killed in the Big Advance on July 1st.

• Lieut-Col Edgar Brighten, commanding the 1/5th Bedfords who by then were in Egypt, wrote to Mr Ed Rimmer, Secretary of the Luton Co-operative Society, to thank him for three parcels of cigarettes sent for his men by Co-op employees. He went on: "The work we are now on does not show a lot but it is none the less necessary, and the conditions under which the men live are not exactly ideal. But they stick it well and we are all doing splendidly." Ed Rimmer had lost a son, Frank, during the Gallipoli advance by the 5th Bedfords on August 15th, 1915.

• Intimation was received yesterday by Mr and Mrs Charles Green, of 73 Hazelbury Road, Luton, that their second son, Pte Ralph Green, is wounded. The news came through on a field postcard written from hospital by Pte Green himself. Charles Green, Secretary of Luton Town FC, would later learn that Ralph, who was serving with the Royal Welsh Fusiliers, had died on August 30th, two days after sending the card.

• Well known in local football, Sgt E. C. Holdstock, of the Suffolk Regiment, is now in hospital at Calais recovering from gunshot wounds in the head. The son of Mr and Mrs Frederick Holdstock, of 58 Reginald Street, Luton, the former Diamond Foundry employee had played for Havelock Rangers and Granville football clubs.

• Pte Albert Crawley is a prisoner of war in Germany, being one of the early captives when the 1st Bedford were helping to fight the rearguard action in the first days of the war in France. His widowed mother residing at 92 Langley Road has two other sons servinbg - Pte William with the Bedfordshire Regiment in Egypt, and youngest son Charlies in training with the Royal Wets Kent Regiment in this country.

• One of the employees at the Vauxhall Motor Works, named S. H. Denny, of 59 Park Road West, accidentally got his right hand in a cog wheel, with the result that he lost the tops of two fingers. He is under treatment at Bute Hospital.

• Yesterday afternoon, a boy named Frank Burley, of 36 Bury Park Road, was working a grinding machine at Messrs Kent's works when his left first finger was caught in the screw, severing the top joint. he was given first aid before being taken into the Bute Hospital, where he is going on well.

• On order to assist cases of distress among old age pensioners, the Government has decided to make a grant to meet the cost of allowances, up to a maximum of an additional 2s 6d a week to those suffering special hardship from the high prices of food and other economic conditions arising from the war.

• One hears, says the local correspondent of the Hatters Gazette that Japan has decided to prohibit all exports of Japanese wood or manufactures thereof. This would put the lid on to all our chip plait imports from that country. The well-known 'three-end chip' and the many fancy varieties made from Japanese wood-fibre would by such an order all be stopped.

• The Rev Ernest E. Ormiston has terminated his connection with the Waller Street Metodist Circuit. It was not until he had left the town on Thursday that any outside his closest friends learned of his decision, but an announcement that he is to be ordained into the Church of England will not come altogether as a surprise. He resigned from the Wesleyan ministry at the beginning of the present week and informed a few friends that he has made attangements to be ordained by the Bishop of Liverpool on the first Sunday in Advent.

• The event of the week in the sporting programme of the 6th Reserve Brigade (London R.F.A.) stationed at Biscot, was a road race from Harpenden to Biscot. Oringinally planned for Tuesday night, the inclement weather necessitated a postponement until Thursday, when it was duly accomplished. Driver Walker, 'B' Battery, eventually forged ahead and arrived at the windmill 100 yards ahead of Bombadier Chalmers in an excellent time of 42 minutes.

• Luton ladies are busy again today on the occasion of another Russian flag day, and they are heroically doing their best in spite of the weather, which has been a very depressing feature of the day. Flag day Secretary Mrs Shane said she optimistic as to the final total collected. This evening the Boy Scouts will call upon the generosity of those entering the Palace Theatre, and collections will be made at the Grand Theatre and the Gordon Street Electric Theatre.

• The first serious play of Luton Town's football season began at Kensal Rise this afternoon against Queen's Park Rangers in the London Combination. The Blues [Luton] were quickly active and took the lead with a Butcher header, Wileman adding a second before the interval. Butcher scored twice in the second half to complete his hat-trick, with Fox scoring for Rangers in the closing stages, to make the result 4-1 in Luton's favour.