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

The Saturday Telegraph placed the spotlight on the role brewer Mr John William Green and his family were playing in the current crisis and included photographs of eight members of the family.

Mr Green himself had never taken any military office, his work lying in preparing for the care of the sick and wounded. Two years ago he was appointed Honorary Commandant of the Men's Voluntary Aid Detachment.

Major Sidney Joseph Green, his eldest son, has from boyhood delighted in military training. At Bedford School he belonged to the School Corps and in early manhood joined the Volunteers as a lieutenant. Twelve years or so ago when the Beds Yeomanry was formed he relinquished his captaincy in the Volunteer Infantry Force and took a commission as lieutenant. He is now in command of A Squadron stationed at Hatfield Peveril, Essex.

Second son, Capt Harold Green, of the 3rd Bedfords at Landguard, Felixstowe, received his early drills at school and as a young man also became attached to the Volunteers. Having attained a captaincy he transferred to the Militia, which was commanded by the Duke of Bedford, and continued as an officer when the Militia became the 3rd Battalion Bedfordshire Regt (Special Reserve). Since they were mobilised on the outbreak of war he has been on duty on the East Coast.

Second Lieutenant Reginald Green, third son, was gazetted to the 3rd Beds last October.

Mr Green's son-in-law, Mr Sidney Tabor, left the Stock Exchange, joined the Bedfordshires, was offered a lieutenancy and was in the trenches within three months of being gazetted. In France he was detailed to the 1st Bedfords who were recuperating after suffering severe losses, including that of their colonel. He is married to Mr Green's eldest daughter, has three children and lives at Little Berkhampstead, near Hertford.

Mr Green's wife, Mary, became commandant of the Women's Voluntary Aid Detachment of the British Red Cross when it was formed in Luton in 1911. Now the work of the Red Cross nurses is considerable, for Wardown Military Hospital has 36 beds. Mrs Green took an active interest in furnishing the hospital, loyally supported by her daughters Miss Green and Miss Elsie Green, both certified Red Cross nurses. The latter, as quartermaster, is largely responsible for arranging the rota of nurses in addition to taking her own share of nursing duties.

• British middleweight boxing champion Pat O'Keefe is in training at Luton with the 21st Battalion County of London Regiment, 1st Surrey Rifles, in which he is a lance-corporal. Aged 32 next St Patrick's Day, he has twice won the Lonsdale Belt and has his eyes on winning a third this year before going to the trenches.

• Yesterday the 21st Londons took part in a divisional field day. They left Luton by train early in the morning for St Albans and the conclusion of the day's activities was a route march back to Luton. The battalion will leave Luton on Tuesday for Harpenden to relieve another battalion. The 21st have been in Luton only since January 20th, when they followed the 23rd Battalion London Regiment.

• The 26th annual meeting of the Children's Sick and Convalescent Home in London Road held at Luton Town Hall last night was told that income for 1914 was about £55 more than for the previous year, while expenses were decreased, leaving a surplus of about £100 on the year's working. Medical superintendent Dr J. W. Bone reported that 242 children were under treatment during the year, of whom eight died. A total of 118 operations under anaesthetic had been performed.

• Pte E. Summerfield, 2nd Battalion Beds Regt, writing to his parents, said: "I am still in the best of health, but I had a bullet go through my hat. My luck was in, wasn't it?"

• Pte Fred Howe, 1st Battalion Beds Regt, wrote about a colleague who had had been awarded the Distinguished Conduct Medal. After charging trenches from which the Germans had been driven, he went a little further ahead and found himself overlooking a trench in which there were ten Germans. He immediately raised his rifle and the surprised Germans all surrendered. Pte Howe had helped bring in the ten prisoners.

• When the 5th Bedfords go abroad, it is stated that the Reserve Battalion now in training will be moved on to the war station nearer the East Coast. It would seem probable that we shall then have to recruit a second reserve battalion of Territorials. Rumour reaches us that recruitment will soon be booming again in the county.

• Thomas Smith, of Lea Road, pictured right, acknowledged in 1907 as the oldest agent of The Luton News, died at the aged of 78. He had sold the paper for around 20 years from his little shop on the corner of Queen Square and Langley Street, where he also sold greengroceries, crockery and other sundries.

• The fact that there has been only 35 fatal cases of typhoid among men of the British Expeditionary Force was greeted as "admirable testimony to the effectiveness of the Army Medical and Sanitary Service. Of those, 34 had not been inoculated and the other inoculated only once instead of twice.

• By friendly agreement between delegates representing the Luton branches of the Amalgamated Society of Engineers, the Steam Engine Makers Society, the Toolmakers' Society and the federated employers of the Luton district, the wages agreement which came into effect three and a half years ago, and was due to expire 18 months hence, has been revised. The men, in a mass meeting, have agreed to accept the terms which give a general increase in the time rate of ¾d per hour based on a working week of 54 hours. This raises the district rate of wages from 36s to 39s 4½d per week.

• On a rain and snow-drenched pitch, Luton Town beat visitors Cardiff City 2-1 after training at the interval. Robinson equalised from a disputed penalty, before setting up Hawkes for a late winner. There were nearly 3,000 spectators, including many troops.