Digest of stories from The Luton News: Thursday, November 29th, 1917.

Our photographer secured the above picture at Luton's latest infant welfare centre, at Mount Tabor Schoolroom, Castle Street, the other day. The Mayor (Councillor Charles Dillingham) is seen holding Luton's largest and finest baby, while Councillor W. J. Primett is trying to make the baby smile for the photographer.

It is the boy child of Mrs Rose Watson, of Liverpool Road, whose husband is a driver in the Royal Field Artillery. This is her only child and, although only five and a half months old, had a remarkable weight of 27½ lbs. This is more than the normal weight of a baby two years old, and the average weight of a child of five months is 15½ lbs.

It is all a healthy development, simply the result of natural feeding. The baby has excellent health and temperament, and was quite at home in the arms of the Mayor and Councillor Primett. In fact it seemed to enjoy the unusual experience of being photographed.

Special work is being done at the welfare centres by voluntary workers, under the able direction of Dr Cox and Nurses Evans and Walton. At Mount Tabor (the last centre opened) the workers are Mrs Primett, Mrs Farr and Mrs Porter.

There are now three centres, and the Health Committee of the Corporation intend to open another shortly.

• On Friday morning considerable excitement was caused by the enforced decent of an airman in a small field between Mangrove and Cockernhoe, near the farmhouse of Mr H. C. Farr. The pilot had lost his bearings coming from London to Northampton. On re-starting he was about 50ft in the air when he collided with the top of a tree and came down with a crash. Although the biplane was practically a wreck, the pilot was not even badly hurt, although cut about the face by the flying splinters of his sighting glass and bruised about the body. Mr Clutterbuck, of Putteridge Park, kindly entertained the pilot until Saturday afternoon, when he was able to leave for his headquarters at Grantham. The wrecked machine was guarded by men of the R.F.A. from Biscot until Monday, when a squad of Royal Flying Corps men from London dismantled it and took it away on a motor lorry.

• A protest against the enforced vaccination of poor law children before being accepted into care homes was passed by 13 votes to 10 at a meeting of the Luton Board of Guardians. Councillor Primett described vaccination as "this antiquated operation". He said doctors supported it only because Lord Lister or some other learned doctor said it was a good thing. "I thought we had got away from that dark ages, feudal sort of thing," said Councillor Primett.

• "The war forgetting by the war forgot," the Luton Volunteers in large numbers made merry last night at the Winter Assembly Hall. The occasion was a "soiree amusante" and, although the title sounded rather fearsome, the occasion was most successful and enjoyable. The event was an incident in the social side of the energetic recruiting campaign not being carried into operation.

• Advert: Mr T. G. Hobbs wishes to announce that that he is about to melt down the blocks from which the book he published, "Luton and Neighbourhood," was printed. Persons interested in any of them which they think should be preserved are invited to communicate with him immediately.

• The water used by the Luton Fire Brigade in extinguishing the two big fires was, approximately, 570,000 gallons. At Messrs Brown & Green's premises 120,000 gallons were pumped, and at Messrs Wing, Arnold & Wing's premises 450,000 gallons. Of the latter it is estimated that 150,000 gallons were pumped from the river. I appreciation of the work of the Brigade, Mr T. D. Galer, of Messrs Brown & Green, had given a donation of £20 to the brigade.

• Among many well-known sportsmen at Biscot Camp is Driver A. Clinton, familiar before the war on the flat and in steeplechasing circles. If military duties permit in the coming season, he is going to ride for H. Leader, Newmarket. He has applied to the National Hunt Committee for a licence to ride under their rules this winter in England.

• Capt Connor, who had been chaplain at Biscot for the past fortnight, has been called away for service in Mesopotamia, and the new padre, Capt Edwards, arrived at Biscot on Friday afternoon. Capt Edwards has been working in France with the 3rd Cavalry Division for six months. Before that he was senior curate at Chippenham Parish Church, Wiltshire.

• Yesterday morning at Christ Church, a pretty wedding took place when Canon C. Morgan Smith joined in holy matrimony Miss Florence Adelaide Norman, daughter of Mr and Mrs S.W. Norman, of 3 Grove Road, Luton, to Lieut Hubert William Gilbert, of the Royal Garrison Artillery and son of Mr and Mrs F. Gilbert, of Lewes, Sussex. The wedding was by special licence, the bridegroom having arrived on leave from France only at the beginning of the week. He will be remembered as a master of science and mathematics at the Modern School in its early years.

News from the battlefields

• Cpl E. Grubb, of 9 Windmill Street, Luton, has just won the Military Medal for bravery in the field. He is now home on one month's leave. He was wounded in August 1915, and has seen considerable service both in Gallipoli and other theatres of war.

• For the third time, Pte Sidney W. Ansell, of the Bedfordshire Regiment, whose wife and four children reside in Dudley Street, figures in the casualty list. He has been gassed once and wounded twice, and he is now in a Glasgow hospital. It appears that he went 'over the top' in the charge for the Ridge on October 31st, and immediately sustained bullet wounds in the left arm and another part of the body. He managed to walk back to the dressing station.

• Suffering from gunshot wounds in the left and right arms, Pte Arthur Ward, of 3 East Avenue, Park Street, Luton, is lying in a stationary hospital at El Kantara, Egypt. He sustained his wounds on November 9th. At the outbreak of war he was stationed in India and served in France and Salonica before going to Egypt. He is 29 years old.

• Pte Charles W. Marshall, eldest son of Mr and Mrs C. Marshall, of 120 Park Street, Luton, is in hospital in Carlisle suffering from wounds in the back sustained a fortnight ago. He has been with the Canadian Regiment in France for 18 months.

• Pte S. J. Ellis, the only son of Mrs Ellis, of 11 East Avenue, Park Street, Luton, was seriously wounded in the head, face and leg on October 30th and is now lying in Huddersfield War Hospital. He is only 20 years of age, and enlisted last January in the Bedfordshire Regiment, proceeding to France in April. He was previously employed by Mr W. Weatherhead, engineer, Dumfries Street, Luton.

• Pte Ernest Peck, of 6 East Avenue, Park Street, Luton, is ill in hospital in Egypt. He has served with the Egyptian Expeditionary Force in the Bedfordshire Regiment for two years and four months.

• Pte Fred Holland, of 170 Park Street, Luton, is ill at a base hospital in France suffering from trench fever. In July 1916 he enlisted in the Forces and was soon drafted to the Front. He was at the time of his admission to hospital serving with the Labour Corps. He is 41 years old.

• Owing to the falling in of a dug-out, Sapper Albert E. Cannon, of 83 Park Street, Luton, has been wounded and injured in the back. He is now at St George's Hospital, Stockport. Aged 35, he was formerly employed by Mr H. Lacey, builder, Hazelbury Crescent.

• Sapper Sidney O. Bent, of 135 North Street, Luton, a former employee of the Great Northern Railway, is in hospital in Egypt suffering from dysentery and gastritis. He enlisted in May 1915 and has been serving in Egypt for 19 months.

• Trooper H. J. Clark (City of London Yeomanry), son of Mr and Mrs C. A. Clarke, 48 Avondale Road, Luton, has been wounded. His parents have been notified he was admitted to hospital on November 13th. He is 21 and before the war worked for his father.

• Pte W. Rackley, formerly of Aley Green and now of 36 Regent Street, Luton, was wounded on November 4th, and is at the Canadian General Hospital, Etaples, suffering from a shell wound in the arm and left side. He belongs to the Royal West Surrey Regiment.

• Mrs Rogers, of 32 Maple Road, Luton, had been notified by the War Office that her son, Pte W. Rogers (Royal Irish Fusiliers), received gunshot wounds in the left leg on November 9th, and is lying seriously ill in hospital at El Kantara in Egypt. He has been wounded twice and was gassed in France in 1915 and invalided to England. He was afterwards drafted to Salonica and from there to Egypt in October 1917.

• Lutonians will regret to hear of the death from wounds of Lieut Frank J. Miles, who was officer commanding the signal school at Biscot for almost 12 months. He came to Luton in January 1916, prior to which he was with the London Howitzer Brigade. With 24 hours notice he was sent overseas to Salonica last April. He became very popular in Luton.

• Although official intimation of the death of Pte Fred Linger (Northumberland Fusiliers) has not been received by the parents, Mr and Mrs Walter Linger, a letter from the padre and one from the captain of the regiment contain the sad news that he was wounded on November 14th and died the following day, being buried on the 16th.

• "Your son was one of a working party which went to dig a trench not far from the front line, and whilst digging it he was hit by a bullet which pierced his side. He was immediately taken to the field ambulance, but unfortunately his wound proved fatal and he died the following morning." So writes C.S.M. A. Cook to the bereaved father of Pte Sidney George Ward, of 94 Dallow Road, Luton, who died on November 2nd.

• The wife of Pte Wallace James Oxborrow, of Hitchin Road, Luton, has received a letter stating that her husband was killed instantly by a shell on November 12th when he was sent up the line with some wire. Mrs Oxborrow has received no official communication from the War Office.

• Mrs Bysouth, of 123 Russell Street, Luton, has received notification that her husband, Pte Herbert Bysouth (Bedfordshire Regiment), has been killed in action oat Gaza on November 2nd. Before enlistment he was an employee of the Luton Co-operative Society.

• Rifleman Arthur Hawkes, of the Royal Irish Rifles, has been missing since August 16th. Joining the Bedfordshire Regiment, he went out to the Dardanelles, where he was wounded in the back on September 19th, 1915. After returning to England he was transferred to the Royal Irish Rifles. [Riflemen Hawes, of 18 Dudley Street, Luton, was later confirmed killed on August 16th].

• From the Record Office on Friday, Mrs Bates received intimation that he brother, Pte Percy Edwin Snoxell, aged 19, had been posted as wounded and missing on October 26th. Transferred to the London Regiment, he went to France in July.

• Capt T. G. D. Burditt, the nephew of Mr Burditt, Wellington Street, Luton, was killed in action on November 6th. Before the war be belonged to the Officer Training Corps of Pope's University College. He took part in the Gallipoli campaign, and later fought in the Egyptian desert and in the first battle of Gaza.

• Pte Harry Crawley, aged 24, whose home is at 12 Rothesay Road, Luton, was killed in action on October 30th. He joined the Bedfordshire Regiment at the outbreak of war, was trained in Ireland and went to France in April this year.