An unfortunate accident occurred in the military camp at the Biscot Huts on Tuesday evening [November 30th, 1915] when one soldier was killed and another slightly injured.
Shortly after five o'clock a van was drawn up outside the bread store in the road nearly opposite the windmill, when a military motor lorry came along. One or both horses in the bread van took fright and bolted.
The driver of the van jumped clear, as the horses started on a mad scamper down the road to the stables. In the gathering darkness several soldiers had narrow escapes from serious injury. The van was overturned and loaves of bread scattered for yards along the muddy road. The van was smashed, and the body and hind wheels parted from the front wheels within a few yards.
The frightened animals approached the stables just as a number of men had been dismissed from those, and dashed right amongst them. Driver William Griffith Williams, 1906, of the 3/4th West Lancashire R.F.A., and Driver James Donoghue, of the 3/1st Welsh R.F.A., were knocked down, and the former was run over and trampled under the hoofs of the horses, which were speedily brought to a standstill.
Driver Williams was seen to be on a most precarious state, and he passed away soon afterwards. The body was afterwards removed to the mortuary.
Donoghue was at once removed to the Bute Hospital, where he is making good recovery from severe shock and bruises to the right side.
Driver Williams was the son of John and Grace Williams, of 20 Fir Street, Southport, Lancashire, and at the time of the 1911 Census he was living at home with his parents, two older brothers and a younger sister.
His father, a joiner, gave evidence of identification when an inquest was held at Luton Court House on Thursday, December 2nd. A verdict of accidental death was returned by a jury, who said they failed to find that anyone was to blame for the accident.
At the opening of the inquest, Coroner Mr G. J. M. Whyley said the accident had happened at about five o'clock on Tuesday evening. The pair of horses had been attached to a van standing outside the bread stores at Biscot Huts in the charge of Driver Richard Gooch, Lancashire R.G.A. A motor van driven by a civilian on military work with the Army Service Corps turned a corner near the windmill and came past, apparently startling the horses, who bolted in the direction of the stables.
The deceased man and a number of others had just been dismissed from the stables and were making their way to the huts when the horses dashed into them. Driver Williams was struck either by the horses or the van.
Witness Driver John Edward Williams, 3/4th West Lancs R.F.A., shouted "look out" as the horses approached galloping at full speed in darkness about 20 yards away. One man jumped one way and the deceased jumped the other, into the path of the horses.
Dr Hubert O'Meara said death was due to fracture of the skull and laceration of the brain, but abdominal injuries alone would have been sufficient to cause death.
The body of Driver Williams was taken by train on Saturday morning, December 4th, for a military funeral and burial at the Duke Street Cemetery, Southport. A gun carriage drawn by seven horses and accompanied by all the men of the 3/4th West Lancs Howitzer Brigade R.F.A. based at Biscot bore the coffin, draped in a Union Jack, to the Midland Railway Station.
[Luton News, December 2nd, 1915; Beds & Herts Saturday Telegraph: December 4th, 1915]