A Territorial who signed himself merely as "Grenade" sent The Luton News an account of his experiences during a day in the trenches, with just a few moments of excitement and tragedy amid what was mostly mud and routine. This is what he wrote:

The sergeant popped his head in at the stable door, where my section was billeted, and shouted, "No. 3 Company to parade in full marching order at 3.30 outside billets. Remember, it's our turn in the trenches tonight!" He then disappeared.

Stories from The Luton News: Thursday, March 18th, 1915.

The brilliant work of the East Anglian Royal Engineers on February 20th, when they stormed and blew up some German trenches, has been fittingly recognised. Lieut C. H. Humphreys, formerly of Luton, has been awarded the Military Cross. He is the only Territorial of the 25 officers who received awards.

For some weeks past rumours have been prevalent in Luton that the treatment and feeding of the men of the 5th Battalion Bedfordshire Regiment at Bury St Edmunds was very bad. It was evident to the South Beds Recruiting Committee that these rumours must have a very prejudicial effect on recruiting unless the lie could be given to the stories which were being circulated.

Pte E. F. Birchmore, one of five Lutonians serving in the 2nd Border Regiment, sent a graphic account of the fighting at Neuve Chapelle to Mr Herbert Burgess, of 3 Adelaide Street.

"Come on my lads, now's your chance. Charge!" was the call to which the regiment answered in the thick of the fight. They went through a terrible ordeal to attain success, and casualties were many. Of the five Lutonians only Pte Birchmore was in fighting trim when he wrote. Two others were wounded, one was sick at the base and the fifth was missing.

The Parliamentary event of last week was the introduction by Mr Lloyd George of the Defence of the Realm (No. 2) Bill. The original Defence of the Realm Bill, it will be remembered, authorised the Government to take over, if it thought fit, any factory or workshop actually engaged in the production of war material.

Lord Kitchener announced in the House of Lords on Monday evening [March 15th, 1915] that the 1st North Midland Division, Territorial Force, had arrived in France, together with other divisions and units, to strengthen the Field Force.

Stories from the Beds & Herts Saturday Telegraph, March 13th, 1915.

Driver John Powers, of the 12th Field Coy, Royal Engineers, is home on leave at 2 Brantwood Road, Luton, after being invalided to a Liverpool hospital suffering from blood poisoning. He would be returning to the front next week.

More names of men serving King and country.

Driver C. C. UNDERWOOD, 213 Coy, 37th Army Service Corps - 13 Essex Street (Surrey Street School), Luton.

Rifleman Reginald A. CORNISH, 1810, E Coy, 1st Battn, Queen's Westminsters, 16th London Regt, British Expeditionary Force - Linslade, Leighton Buzzard.

In a letter under the heading A Wife's Complaint, Mrs A. Deller, of High Town Road, revealed how her promised allowances when her husband enlisted had been severely cut. She wrote:

Stories from The Luton News, Thursday, March 11th, 1915.

Luton clergy gave their support to a Recruiting Sunday for the Bedfordshire Regiment on March 21st, the principal feature of which would be an open-air mass meeting to be held in the centre of town at 3 pm.

Anglican, Congregational, Methodist and Baptist clergy attended a meeting of the Recruiting Committee at Luton Town Hall last night to give their support.

Parliament is rising for another longish recess. We shall go on like this, I suppose, sitting for a few weeks and adjourning until the end of the war.

The Beds Regt casualty list for Monday, March 8th, 1915.

KILLED

Cole: Cpl George Henry (28), 8152, 1st Battalion, February 16th, 1915 (R.E. Farm Cemetery)

Gardiner: Pte John, 3/7028, 1st Battalion, February 16th (Menin Gate Memorial, Ypres)

Gumbrell: Pte John George, 8037, 1st Battalion, November 15th, 1914 (Menin Gate Memorial, Ypres)

Noakes: Pte Arthur Benjamin, 8101, 1st Battalion, February 18th, 1915 (Menin Gate Memorial, Ypres)

Luton had the news of the signing of the Versailles Peace Treaty on Saturday, June 28th, 1919, sooner than most provincial towns.

Stories from the Beds & Herts Saturday Telegraph, March 6th, 1915.

Lady Wernher at Luton Hoo has intimated that she will equip 50 men of the Luton Volunteer Corps. The announcement was made by corps vice-chairman Mr Harry Inwards at a smoking concert given by the committee of the corps on Thursday evening in a Town Hall decorated with plants and the flags of the Allies.

That was the pre-Peace Day 1919 headline in the Beds and Herts Saturday Telegraph, of July 12th, 1919. It was an article by a V. G. Lewis, not a snubbed ex-serviceman but a member of the Luton Board of Guardians.