The special war services held in Luton last night (August 4th, 1915) marked the close of one year of the great European War, and it is an appropriate stage at which to recall some of the things which have happened in the town since war was declared, for since August of last year much local as well as national history has been made.
It was on the night of August Bank Holiday [August 3rd, 1914] that the 5th Battalion came home hurriedly from the annual training camp, which was being held last year at Ashridge Park. They had been in camp a week when the war cloud caused the authorities to give orders for all Territorial camps to be broken up, and for the men to return home and await mobilisation orders. Theses resulted in the Luton detachment leaving, amidst a demonstration of war enthusiasm, on the Wednesday for Bedford, and later for their appointed station in East Anglia. Shortly afterwards the Engineers and the Eastern Mounted Brigade Field Ambulance went.
All left prepared for active service, but our shores have been so immune that none of them have been called on to fight in the defence of their motherland. The foreign service obligation was generally taken, and the 1st Field Company, East Anglian Divisional Engineers, were the first Bedfordshire Territorials to find themselves on foreign soil. Since that date the Yeomanry have gone abroad, and the 1/5th Beds, as it has since become, and other Engineers have now also left this country to join in the great fight.
But although it was a long time before any of our Territorials left these shores, the war was but a few days old when it began to take its toll from the homes of Luton. Since then many soldiers and a smaller number of sailors have laid down their lives in the country's service, and there are several homes which have given more than one son.
The war fever, and the appeal for men, naturally drew into the Army hundreds, if not thousands, of men who in the ordinary course of events would not have thought of enlisting. Some helped to swell the ranks of the local Territorials, some joined the New Army, others the London battalions which came into training nearby, and still others the division which was sent down from the North Midlands to complete its training here. Men from the engineering works went into the Royal Engineers, and expert motor drivers found themselves readily absorbed into the Mechanical Transport Section of the Army Service Corps.
Of the Luton men with the Colours quite a number have since won distinction in the field, and one man [QMS Arthur Andrews] has achieved the proud feat of twice winning the coveted DCM. The formation of \New Territorial Battalions has taken away more men, but still there are others who can go to fill up the gaps that occur in the ranks, and only require a little more persuasion to induce them to take the decisive step.
After out own Territorials left it was not long before the 1st North Midland Division came and took possession of the town and neighbourhood, and since that time Luton has been a centre of training and its streets have been full of soldiers. The coming of such a large body of troops, and the consequent spending of thousands of pounds in the town, undoubtedly helped many Luton people to more easily get through what might have been a very difficult time immediately after the declaration of war.
Since then, although it may not quite have been business as usual, the trade of the town has been very fair. The boater trade is probably the hardest hit, as so many potential wearers took to khaki. But if the work was reduced in some directions, it has created work in others, and with the shortage of available labour the position of the worker has not been altogether bad.
The Mayor (Councillor W. J. Primett), speaking to a representative of The Luton News yesterday, said he had been asked by a national patriotic organisation to hold a public meeting, but did not think it necessary to do so.
"All the factories are working and doing their best," he said, "any I think the loyalty of Luton people is such that there is no necessity at the moment to bang the drum of patriotism, especially as we have been rather flooded with meetings of late.
"Luton has done well," he continued. "I am proud of the town. In the matter of recruiting Luton and South Beds have done remarkably well, and while there are still some single young men who ought to go, our record compared very favourably with other parts of the country. Some have beaten us, but we stand pretty high up in the list.
"A splendid response has also been given to the various charitable appeals that have been made. Fire it was the soup kitchens, then Prince of Wales' Fund, the Belgian Relief Fund, Red Cross work, the War Prisoners' Fund and lastly French Relief Day.
"The working parties have also done splendidly. They have worked in many branches, centring around Lady Wernher's depot, and thousands of useful articles have been sent out to our soldiers in the field. The latest effort in this direction has been the making of mosquito nets for the 1/5th Beds.
"Considering the war, the trade of the town has been very satisfactory - equal to or better than most years, as far as I am able to judge. People have been earning good money, and they have given splendidly, not only to war funds, but also to Rose Day and to the Hospital Saturday Fund.
"I should like to express my personal thanks to the different works in the town, and particuularly the engineering works and chocolate factory, for the way they have assisted one in utilising Belgian labour. They have taken men who could not speak a word of English, and a good many of them are now earning very good wages, while in no case has there been any suggestion of sweating. We have been complimented from headquarters on the way we have got our Belgian refugees into employment, looked after them and enabled so many of them to become self-supporting."
[The Luton News, August 5th, 1915]