Digest of stories from The Luton News: Thursday, May 23^rd, 1918.

The story of the Royal Air Force will be one of the most glorious in this war. Daily we now hear of what our magnificent airmen are doing over the German lines, and Luton takes special pride in the share taken by its own sons in the air offensive.

It will be with deep regret when it becomes generally known that Lieut Arthur Haddon Hill (pictured right), son of Mr Hill, confectioner, of Manchester Street, has been missing since May 10^th. His mother received the sad news by telephone, and that was confirmed by an official letter last week.

Although the parents have written, they cannot obtain any further details, and they do not know what has befallen their son. There is no doubt that he has been in the thick of the action recently.

Only a week earlier he wrote saying that while he was out with a formation three Hun machines attacked him with their machine guns. The tail of his machine was smashed, but he was able to fly into his formation and give the alarm, so that his comrades were able to attack the enemy. He managed to get back to our lines.

Lieut Hill, who was only 21 last February, joined up in the early stages of the war and served with the Royal Marine Artillery. He was transferred to the air service, and received his commission nearly 18 months ago. He went to France last January.

[Lieut Hill was later confirmed killed in action on May 10^th and was buried at Caix British Cemetery. He is included on the Luton Roll of Honour.]

• Other names added to the Roll of Honour: Pte Ballantyne Blake (Herts Regiment), 58 Stuart Street, Luton; L-Cpl Jesse Hugh Smith (Durham Light Infantry), 34 Peach Street, Luton; Pte William James Bass (Beds Regiment), of Limbury; Sgt Frederick James Munns (Grenadier Guards), formerly of Limbury and later London.

• Prisoners of war: Pte A. Smith (East Surrey Regiment), 10 Limbury Road, Leagrave; Pte Reginald Edward Smith (Middlesex Regiment), of Marsom Place, Stopsley; Pte Stanley Ernest Allen (Tank Corps), of 404 Hitchin Road, Luton; Cpl Frederick Charles Winch (Machine Gun Corps), of 104 Ashton Road, Luton.

• Gunner Fred Burley (Royal Garrison Artillery), of 62 Butlin Road, Luton,. Is progressing satisfactorily, if slowly, in a Canadian hospital in France. He was wounded on March 21^st when a shell burst six yards away from him and he was thrown into the air, landing with such force that a thigh bone was broken. He was also wounded in the back and other parts of the body. He formerly worked for hat manufacturers Messrs Currant & Creak, of Bute Street, and joined up in June 1916.

• Pte Horace Creasey, son of Mrs Creasey, of 323 Hitchin Road, Luton, is in hospital near Ipswich, recovering from a severe wound in the thigh. He was one of the Bedfords who went out to Gallipoli, and had to return suffering from dysentery. A Lewis gunner, he was separated from the Cheshire Regiment battalion to which he was attached and attached himself to a Welsh regiment, with whom he fought until he sustained a gunshot wound in the thigh. The Germans took possession of all that was worth carrying away, and left him on the field. He managed to crawl back to the British lines over the next eight hours. He was afterwards sent to England.

• Mr and Mrs Morris, of 30 New Town Street, have received the pleasing news that their son, Signaller Sidney Morris (Royal Field Artillery) has been awarded the Military Medal for bravery under heavy shell fire. It appears he performed a very gallant act in getting horses up. He joined the R.F.A. on March 17th, 1915, at the age of 17, and went to the Front on March 13th last year, being wounded after only five days' service. Prior to joining up Sidney Morris (pictured right) was employed in Messrs Rudd & Sons' bakehouse.

• Mrs A. Smith, of 10 Limbury Road, Leagrave, on Friday received a card from her husband, Pte A. Smith (East Surrey Regiment) stating that he is a prisoner of war at Limburg, Germany.

• A very pleasing ceremony took place at Leagrave Station on Saturday evening, when a small company assembled to present Mr C. W. Marshall, who has been Station Master there for 13½ years and has now been removed to Kibworth, near Leicester, with a handsomen walnut sideboard and vases. Subscriptions had been received from farmers and business people in the district, and the presentation was made by the Vicar of Biscot, the Rev S. H. Collins.

• Some little alarm was caused by the falling of an overhead tramway wire in the vicinity of te Town Hall on Whit Monday morning. There was a considerable number of people in the locality, but there was no necessity for alarm at all. The matter was soon attended to and the only inconvenience was a slight dislocation of traffic.

• Monday being the first anniversary of the opening of St Matthew's Parish Hall, a concert under the auspices of the Young People's Fellowship was arranged by Mr A. W. Algar The Vicar, the Rev H. Coate, opened the concert, saying how useful the Parish Hall had been in many ways.

• Railway traffic has been very heavy this Whitsun and this fact, together with staff shortages, restricted services and the hot weather has resulted in a trying time for booking office officials. The majority of the holiday passengers were munition workers.

• On enquiry this morning we learn that the searchers have not yet found the body of Mr Leonard J. Lee, the Marsh Farm farmer swept away in flood waters. We understand that all articles have been found except the reins, and the general theory is that Mr Lee clung to these, sank into a deep part of the brooks he was crossing in his trap, and was covered by the silted earth.

• There was considerable enthusiasm in the Luton Salvationist camps on Monday on the occasion of a visit at rather short notice of General Booth, the renowned leader of that organisation. He preached at three services at the Park Street Temple, there being very large audiences. The services were enlivened by the music provided by the local united Salvationist bands and Songsters.