Digest of stories from the Beds & Herts Saturday Telegraph: March 24th, 1917.

A letter from a doctor's orderly in France conveyed sad and startling tidings to Mr and Mrs William Duncombe, of 11 Brook Street, Luton, on Sunday morning, for they read that their son, Percy,had been admitted to hospital suffering from serious shell shock and loss of memory.

The letter also stated that Cpl Duncombe was picked up in a condition of absolute oblivion and that he was first taken to an Aid Station, whence he was sent to a hospital in France. Mr and Mrs Duncombe are now awaiting further tidings of their son.

Cpl Hedley Percy Frederick Duncombe was an old boy of Luton Modern School, and before the war he was employed under the London County Council. He joined the Beds Regt at the age of 17 in September 1914, and was trained at Halton and on the East Coast. He went through the bombardment of Lowestoft, and had many strange and exciting experiences.

On the first day of this year he went to France, where he took part in the battles of the Somme and the Ancre. During the latter part of his time in the trenches he was under continuous shell fire and this, no doubt, was the cause of his breakdown.

He had many narrow escapes in the trenches and on one occasion a bomb fell within two yards of where he was standing, bounced right over his head and fell just behind him. Fortunately it failed to explode. In spite of the many dangers and hardships, his letters home were always cheerful and humorous.

His father, Mr William Duncombe, is well-known locally as organist at the Park Street Baptist Church,and as one of the masters at Surrey Street School.

[Percy died in August 1996 at the age of 99. Photo, right, of Percy in uniform courtesy of his grandson, Alastair Duncombe.]

• A motor transport driver of the Army Service Corps named Henry Harold Barsby, of Attenborough, Nottingham, had a remarkable escape near Chiltern Green last Saturday night. He had been home on leave, and left Nottingham by he 7.45pm express Midland train for St Pancras. Shortly after the train had left Luton he felt unwell and, opening the carriage door flew open, and Barsby was thrown on the line, but naturally with very heavy force. Fortunately he retained consciousness and, although feeling he had hurt his head, hands and side, managed to scramble up and walk nearly two miles to a signal box near Harpenden, from where he was taken to the Milton Road V.A.D. Hospital and put to bed to have his wounded attended. He will probably be discharged in the course of a few days. His haversack and other belongings were found inside the train compartment when it arrived at London, the carriage door still open.

• Many methods of raising money for charitable purposes have been adopted since the outbreak of war, and not the least profitable is the auction sale. By their approval and support farmers in particular have shattered once for all hat reputation for stinginess with which they were credited. Arrangements are well in hand for the Luton sale, under the auspices of the British Farmers' Red Cross Fund, which will take place in Messrs J. Cumberland and Sons' auction market, New Bedford Road, on Monday at 2.30 in the afternoon. Lady Wernher is sending a heifer to the sale, and a novel feature will be a competition to guess the weight of this beast.

• Mrs Fensome, of 33 Inkerman Street, has sustained a sad blow by the death in France of her eldest son, Pte Frederick Arthur Fensome, aged 20, who was in the machine gun section of the Middlesex Regiment. A field card from him on March 2nd stated that he had been wounded in the knee by a gun shot, He was taken to a clearing station, and on March 10th the leg had to be amputated. Pte Fensome succumbed after the operation.

• Sapper William Henry Trotter (pictured right), of 66 Cowper Street, Luton, has been earning athletic renown at Darlington. In a field of 176 runners he was first man to finish in a keenly anticipated cross country run, thus securing the special prize for the first man home, and at the same time winning the approbation of all the men of the East Anglian Royal Engineers. In all, 158 finished, but he was a furlong ahead of the second man in. He was brought to Luton as a baby, attended Surrey Street School and was working at the Diamond Foundry at the time of enlistment. [William Trotter was killed by a shell which hit a medical station near Passchendale on October 7th, 1918, the day he was granted leave and a month before the end of the war].

• On Thursday, Mr and Mrs Impey, of 53 Cowper Street, were officially informed by the War Office that their elder son, Pte William Impey, of the Northamptonshire Regiment, had been killed in action on February 17th. Only 23 years of age, he enlisted exactly a year before his death.

• The Biscot boys gave their last concert of the season on Wednesday evening at the Assembly Hall, when there was a good attendance, Mr Milner Gray presiding. The proceeds are to be devoted to the Mayor's Relief Fund.

• On a beautiful afternoon, some 3,000 spectators were attracted to Luton Town's London Combination home game against Chelsea. While Luton had team selection problems, Chelsea fielded a strong team - their kit arriving late and the kick-off being delayed until 4pm. Luton had two first half penalty claims turned down, while Simms hit the bar from a penalty that was given. Chelsea were 1-0 up at the interval and added a second nine minutes from time to win 2-0.