Bakers Selling Bread to German Prisoners

Chalgrave Church [Z1130/26/2]

Friday 16th August 1918: Another case involving the passing of food to German prisoners of war was heard today at the Woburn Police Court. This time Hockliffe bakers Walter Harris, aged 28, and his brother John Harris, aged 17, were charged with selling bread on June 17th to a prisoner of war at Chalgrave. John Harris was also summoned for a second offence which took place the following day. Evidence was given by Police Sergeant Dennis of Toddington, that on June 18th, as a result of something he had heard, he hid near a field where the prisoners were working at Lord’s Hill, Chalgrave. He saw John Harris drive past. Some of the prisoners whistled; Harris then turned back and served the prisoners with four half-quartern loaves. He challenged Harris, who admitted he had done wrong, but said he had sold the prisoners only four loaves although they asked for six. He also admitted serving the prisoners with bread on the previous day, when his brother Walter had been with him.

When interviewed Walter denied selling any bread, saying “I have never served a prisoner with bread and I have repeatedly cautioned my brother not to do so”. He admitted being with his brother, but said he had only held the reins of the cart and did not know whether his brother had served the guard or the prisoners. The prosecuting solicitor pointed out that if Walter had been aware of the sale it was a ‘contemptible wriggle’ to blame his brother. Such actions showed a ‘gross want of patriotism’, with the men seeming to care nothing for their country provided they could get a bit of extra money in their pockets. William Garner, a postman from Dunstable said he saw the baker’s cart on June 17th standing opposite a field gate with several German prisoners round it. They had a bag with them which he assumed contained bread, although he did not actually see any bread change hands. As Harris drove on he called out “You ought to get six months for serving German prisoners!” 

Sergeant-Major Richard Malone of the prisoner of war camp at Leighton Buzzard said there were forty prisoners in the camp at this time, who were being sent out in gangs of six with one soldier in charge. The prisoners had breakfast at 6 a.m. of biscuit, bread, jam, cheese and coffee. When they came back from work they had potatoes, meat or fish, and there was no need for them to buy bread except out of greed or for other purposes. He had received no complaints that they did not have enough food from the prisoners.

John Harris gave evidence that on June 17th the guard in charge of the prisoners had asked for the loaf of bread, had paid for it, and then went back into the field with the prisoners. The next day the prisoners had come out of the field with a bag and asked for six loaves, but he only sold them four as this was all he had in the cart. He had told the policeman he was very sorry if he had done wrong, but the guard had told him that he could supply the prisoners – Sergeant Dennis however denied that Harris had said this. Unfortunately the prisoners’ guard, Private Rumble, could not be called as he was in hospital with double pneumonia and was given little chance of recovery. The element of doubt over whether the guard had neglected his duty and told John Harris that he could sell bread to the prisoners made it impossible for the magistrates to decide on the case without his evidence. Due to Private Rumble’s illness the hearing was adjourned indefinitely.

Source: Leighton Buzzard Observer, 20th August 1918

Hockliffe Soldier Dies After Fall From Car

Hockliffe c.1905 [Z1130/60/11]

Wednesday 8th August 1917: A minor car accident has caused the death of Sergeant Herbert Henry North, the landlord of the Bell Hotel at Hockliffe. Sergeant North had served with the Bedfords during the South African War and rejoined the regiment for the present war. On Friday he was given seven days’ leave and was offered a lift from Kempston Barracks to Hockliffe by two Leighton Buzzard men. Although the car was only a two-seater all three men squeezed into the front seat, with Sergeant North on the outside near the door. Near Milton Bryan some partridges flew into the front wheels; without waiting for the car to stop, Sergeant North jumped out, apparently intending to run back and fetch a bird. However, when he jumped he lost his balance and apparently hit his head on the road. A doctor was fetched from Aspley Guise and the sergeant was taken home in an army ambulance that happened to be passing. His wife, Lizzie North, was out shopping when her husband was brought home; she returned to find him on the bed unconscious. He recovered slightly on Saturday, but died on Sunday afternoon.

Mr Ernest Heady, a motor car proprietor of Bridge Street, Leighton Buzzard, gave evidence at the inquest that Sergeant North had said “There are some birds down; pull up and I’ll get them”. He had told him to wait until the car had stopped and  slowed; when the car was almost at a standstill Sergeant North opened the door and stepped off in the opposite direction  to that in which the car was going. Mr Heady saw him lying in the road. He spoke to him but could not get an answer so went for the doctor. He thought Sergeant North was in a hurry to get the birds as he thought they were only stunned and wanted to pick them up before they got away. He was known to most of the jury as a very excitable man. P.C. Racher of Eversholt said he was on duty on Woburn when Mr Heady drove up and told him of the accident. He returned to the spot with Mr Heady and found the soldier lying at the side of the road in a pool of blood. The doctor who attended Sergeant North at home said there had been an extensive haemorrhage from the injured man’s left ear and he concluded he was suffering from a fracture at the base of the skull in addition to concussion. The jury returned a verdict of accidental death.

Source: Leighton Buzzard Observer, 14th August 1917

Death of a Crimean War Veteran

Royal Oak, Friday Street, c.1925 [WL800/2]

Thursday 5th July 1917: The funeral has taken place today of Leighton Buzzard’s last remaining veteran of the Crimean War, who has died at the age of 82. George Wilson, of 85 South Street, enlisted on Midsummer’s Day 1844 in the 46th Regiment, now the Duke of Cornwall’s Light Infantry. He was sent first to St. Helena and then to the Crimea. By the time he was twenty had spent two winters in the trenches at Sebastopol, where he suffered hardships from lack of suitable food and clothing which exceed any that British soldiers have to endure in the current war. Although a piece of shell took the heel off one of his boots and another knocked a pipe out of his hand, he was never wounded, though he suffered sores from lying on hard ground. He was present at the Battle of Inkerman where he helped to bury the dead.

After the Crimea he went to India where he helped to put down the Indian Mutiny. He was among the soldiers who relieved Lucknow; he also attended the consecration service at the infamous well at Cawnpore, into which the bodies of women and children killed during the mutiny had been thrown. He was discharged after twelve years’ service. In 1882 he became the landlord of the White Swan Hotel at Hockliffe, and  later of the Royal Oak in Friday Street, Leighton Buzzard. He and his wife had seven children (four of whom are still alive) and celebrated their golden wedding two years ago. His wife’s grandfather fought and Waterloo and four of her brothers were in the Army. Two of his sons-in-law are serving as Sergeant-Majors, and four grandsons and four nephews are serving in the Forces. One of his grandsons was badly wounded at Gallipoli. Despite poor health for the last year or so he remained bright and alert, and had been following the present war with interest. Once he became unable to read the newspapers he had the whole of the war news read to him daily.

Mr. Wilson’s funeral was attended by a large number of people. The local police and a detachment of Royal Engineers from the Dunstable Depot led the funeral procession. The body was carried from the house in South Street to the Cemetery. on a gun carriage drawn by six horses, and was covered by a Union Jack onto which Mr. Wilson’s medals had been pinned.

Source: Leighton Buzzard Observer, 3rd and 10th July 1917

Bedfordshire and the Belgians

Silver Street, Stevington, 2009 [CR-PH Stevington]

Wednesday 28th October 1914: Letters have been sent from towns and villages across Bedfordshire to the Relief of Distress Committee in response to the committee's inquiry into the provision being made for Belgian refugees. These sample replies give an indication of the generosity with which the people of the county are responding to the desperate situation in which so many Belgians have found themselves:

Stevington

“An offer to provide for a family of five or six is being sent to the authorities today. A cottage in Silver Street – old fashioned, of course, but clean and fairly roomy and the best we can do under the circumstances has been promised, and the villagers, almost without exception, are willing and anxious to contribute to the family’s support.”

“The cottage is not an ideal one: it is old fashioned but clean, and can be made quite comfortable. I has three bedrooms and on the ground floor are two fair sized living rooms with store room, larder etc. I am instructed by my Committee to offer the above cottage and maintenance of a Belgian peasant family of five or six members, preferably women and children, for a period of six months. The cottage can made ready for their reception in a very few days”.

Harrold

“On Friday last we formed a committee of 6 Ladies and 6 Gentlemen for the purpose of asking for 6 or 7 of the refugees as we have a very good house to put them in kindly lent for that purpose by Dr Henry Somerville”

Hockliffe

“A vacant cottage has been taken – a good double cottage with good sanitary arrangements. It has quite recently been done up and distempered and there is ample room to accommodate 2 married couples with 2 children each. Furniture has been given and sufficient funds subscribed voluntarily for the maintenance of this number.

… The nearest Roman Catholic Church is at Leighton Buzzard 3½ miles distant and Major Haines has promised to make arrangements for the refugees to be taken there to attend Divine Service at least once a week.”

Source: Relief of Distress Committee correspondence re Belgian Refugees [WW1/RD/5/2]