Diary: Wardown Hospital tops 700 patients

 

Stories from the Luton News: Thursday, July 15th, 1915.

Treasurer Mr R. Tomson Jnr, of Bedford House, New Bedford Road, acknowledged receipt of over £115 in donations to the Luton branch of the British Red Cross Society for its work at Wardown Hospital.

An accompanying letter also signed by Commandants Mrs Mary A. Green and Mrs Nora K. Durler, said over 700 patients had passed though the Wardown Hospital since it was opened in October 1914.

"As we now have a trained London nurse, under whom the Voluntary Aid Detachments work, the expenses are considerably increased and our fund are beginning to run low. We are also providing necessary comforts which supplement, but in no way supersede, the Government allowances," said the letter.

The largest single donation was one of £33 2s 6d, the proceeds of a recent garden party held by Mr Stewart Hubbard at his home at The Chase, Stopsley.

  • Mr James Clark, of Dumfries Street, Luton, has received information that his younger son, Pte Albert Clark, 1st Battalion Bedfordshire Regiment, which he joined four years ago, was killed at the front on June 10th. Deceased, who was only 22 years of age, was at the Front from the start of hostilities.

  • A bantam battalion, to be styled the East Anglian Bantam Battalion, is about to be formed in No 9 District (Beds, Suffolk, Essex, Norfolk and Northants) of which two platoons are to be raised in the 16th recruiting area - one of which will be known as the Luton Platoon. This will be particularly good news to "the little men with big hearts," as the posters which have been issued this week put it, and South Bedfordshire should have no difficulty whatever in furnishing the requisite 75 men of from 5ft to 5ft 2in in height.

  • News has just been received by Mrs Bates, of 100 Hartley Road, Luton, that her husband, Gunner A. Bates (14931), Royal Garrison Artillery, 90th Heavy Battery, has been wounded by a shell during the operations in the Dardanelles and is now lying in hospital at Malta. Before leaving Luton he worked as a blocker for Mr Impey, manufacturer, of Clarendon Road.

  • Since last Wednesday the following Luton men and six others joined the Regular Army, signing on at the Corn Exchange: S. Dorrington, H. Rogers, J. Jarvis, E. S. Plummer and T. H. Reed. The following were among those who enlisted in the 2/5th Bedfords: Percy William Kirby (Luton) and Len James (Limbury).

  • Arthur Holton, of 150 Farley Hill, was fined 20s at Luton Police Court yesterday for discharging a bullet across the hill. The bullet struck Pte Thomas Short, 2/5th Lincolns, in the eye before Holton, who claimed he was firing across the road, ran away. Holton said he had paid 3s for the gun, which he had had only half an hour and was testing. The weapon was confiscated.

  • Luton Board of Guardians on Monday heard that one tragedy of war was a Luton man who joined the Flying Corps in August but was afterwards certified as medically unfit for service. That seemed to have preyed on his mind and he was now in an asylum.

  • Cpl Stanley Brown, Army Service Corps, spent four days on leave at his home at 76 Talbot Road, Luton, before returning to the Front on Monday. It was his second short spell at home during 11 months of active service.

  • The Rev A. Rust, Vicar of Ridgmont, is, we learn, at the present time engaged at the [Hewlett & Blondeau] aircraft factory near Luton. He will continue his parochial duties on Sundays, and assistance, if necessary, will be given during the week.

  • The great increase in juvenile crime in Luton was mentioned at Dunstable Police Court on Tuesday when four young Luton boys aged between nine and 11 pleaded guilty to the theft of three tins of pineapple, valued 1s 3d from the International Tea Co, Dunstable. The boys said they had stopped away from school and gone to Dunstable, one telling the caught that was so they would not get caught in Luton. The 11-year-old and a 10-year-old, described as bad characters, were ordered to be sent to reformatories for five years, the other two were placed under the watch of a probation officer.

  • Towards nine o'clock last night James Smith, of 19 Cambridge Street, slipped into a casting pit at Balmforth's Boiler Works, where he is employed, and injured his ribs. After being medically attended by Dr Bone, he was taken to his home on the police ambulance.

  • On Sunday morning, Henry Taylor, 36, whose home is at 156 Park Street, was knocked unconscious by bricks from a dislodged section of wall separating the flues at the Electricity Works. He had been cleaning the flues at the bottom of the main chimney at the time. He was taken to the Bute Hospital.

  • Town Clerk Mr William Smith and several friends entertained the soldiers at the Plait Hall YMCA Centre on Tuesday evening. He and his wife sang solos and duets as part of the programme.

  • French Tricolour Day in Luton yesterday raised over £120 for the French Relief Fund, the object of which is to give assistance to French victims of the war. Lady collectors had 24,000 flags available to sell at 1d each, 4,000 medallions at 2d and four an a half gross of flags at 3d each. The sellers had to take shelter from the rain later in the day.