Stories from the Luton News: Thursday, May 11th, 1916.

Luton Fire Brigade in 1917.

Concerned was being expressed in Luton over whether the town would be able to maintain its experienced, efficient volunteer fire service due to men being called up for military service.

The Town Council had received a letter from the National Brigades Union pointing out that under existing recruiting conditions they had no assurance of being able to keep their volunteer firemen. Alderman Williams, recording the fact that several of the Luton Brigade had been called to the Colours, said he thought the situation was unfair on a town like Luton that did not possess a full-time professional fire brigade. The brigade had already been reduced to 11 men, four of whom might be called up. It would be a very serious thing indeed if a large proportion of the town's fire brigade was taken, especially with the additional risk of Zeppelin raids.

Councillor Yarrow pointed out that men of military age were far more desirable than men over 40 years of age, especially if they were novices as firemen. Men were needed to fight fires as much as to fight other enemies, and there was no evidence that men had joined the fire brigade to evade their military responsibilities.

In the year ended March 31st, the brigade had attended 51 incidents, 45 of them fires, and on six occasions firemen had been called to stand by in readiness for hostile air raids. Sixty-six hours had been spent extinguishing blazes. The authorised strength of the brigade was 22, including a Chief Officer and a Second Officer.

• The deaths of more local soldiers killed in action were reported. Cpl Reginald Sydney Buckingham (Oxford and Bucks Light Infantry), from Marsh Road, Leagrave, died on April 6th while serving in the Persian Gulf; Pte Charles Ellingham (8th Bedfords), of Spring Place, Luton, fell on April 19th near Ypres; and father-of-six Pte Walter Ernest Gore (8th Bedfords), of St Ann's Road, was also killed in the April 19th action.

• George Kent Ltd was granted exclusive use of the Waller Street swimming baths on Monday and Wednesday evenings for the use of women employed by them on munition work. Kent's were to pay £1 15s for each evening for up to 200 swimmers, the firm to provide costumes and towels.

• Tram services were again disrupted by accidents. On Saturday morning in Dunstable Road a horse and trap swerved in front of tramcar No. 1, driver Mr J. W. Verran, of the Crown and Anchor Inn, Manchester Street, and his son Stanley being trapped underneath the trap while the horse was pinned under the front part of the tram but not seriously injured. Mr Verran and his son, who had been unconscious, were taken home in a cab with gashes.

• In a second incident, near the Palace Theatre in Mill Street on Wednesday, the wheel came off a cart, spilling sand across the tram lines. Services were halted while the sand was shovelled to the side of the road until the cart was repaired and reloaded.

• A further letter was read from the Secretary of Municipal Corporations suggesting that conscientious objectors should be used in sanitary, fire brigade, hospital and asylum work where possible. Although it was suggested that any Luton conscientious objectors should be given sanitary work, it was decided to take no action on the letter.

• An anonymous letter was read out at the Luton Rural Tribunal on Tuesday asking if something could not be done to bring conscientious objectors into their proper places. The writer understood that one man living in Leagrave had had his notice to join up but was still about doing nothing. "Could not such cases be investigated and justice done before the married men were fetched?" asked the writer.

• A social reunion and concert marked 21 years of the Amalgamated Society of Engineers (Luton District) at the Town Hall on Saturday evening. Artistes gave their service free, and a presentation was made to Mr Murray W. Janes, who had been branch and district secretary since 1895.