Serbian Relief Appeal

Old Leighton Buzzard Library (formerly Temperance Hall, now Lecton House), Lake Street, 1956 [Z1432/2/1/23/64]

Wednesday 18th December 1918: We have reported on several occasions the work being carried out by the Leighton Buzzard War Hospital Supply Depot, most recently in February when the Secretary received a letter of thanks from the Edmonton Military Hospital. The women of the town have been asked to continue their splendid work, this time for the benefit of the Serbian Relief Fund. Two women from the Belgravia Workrooms, the Central War Hospital Supply Depot, have addressed a meeting at the Temperance Hall where they congratulated Leighton Buzzard on sending the best needlework of any depot. They trusted the town would not fail now when their efforts were so badly needed by Britain’s Serbian allies. One worker who had kept a hospital and a soup kitchen going in Belgrade for 3½ years had reported that everything had been deliberately broken up by the Austrians. The work of reconstruction specially entrusted to England was the care of returned prisoners of war and the provision of hospitals. This had persuaded them to extend the work the Supply Depots had done during the War. They hoped that Leighton Buzzard workers would continue to help “as a thank offering for having been spared the horrors of invasion”.

Source: Leighton Buzzard Observer, 17th December 1918

1st Leighton Buzzard Girl Guides

Mrs Laura Lawson Johnston, Girl Guides County Commissioner [X698/9/5]

Friday 6th December 1918: The 1st Leighton Troop of the Girl Guides, which was started in May by Mrs. Reeve of “Athelney”, Albany Road, has held its first enrolment meeting in the Church Room at Leighton Buzzard. Thirty six smart and enthusiastic guides paraded before the County Commissioner and the District Commissioner for North Bedfordshire, giving a well-trained and disciplined display of drill and marching. Unfortunately the proceedings were disrupted by the bad behaviour of a number of children who live near the hall.

The officers of the troop were formally invested with badges and colours by the County Commissioner, Mrs. Lawson Johnston. The newly enrolled Captain W. Flemming in turn enrolled two patrol leaders and two corporals. The company sang songs, demonstrated marches and dances, and signalled a greeting to the County Commissioner – who confessed that despite the best efforts of her daughter to teach her she had not managed to learn to read signals. In an address to the Girl Guides she reminded them that they had a great responsibility, especially the older girls, to help to train their younger sisters to be good girls and good citizens. She asked them to maintain the very high standard they had set themselves as Guides, and to show people who knew nothing about the work what it meant to be a Guide by their behaviour. She ended by telling them to “always be jolly, but also remember their responsibility and duty to their homes and their parents”.

Source: Leighton Buzzard Observer, 10th December 1918

Landlord Ordered to Repair Cottage

Stanbridge Village c.1909 [Z1306/108/4]

Saturday 19th October 1918: A soldier’s wife is refusing to pay rent for the cottage in which she is living in Stanbridge until repairs are carried out. The cottage is one of a row belonging to Mr. George Olney, and its poor condition had already been brought to the Council’s attention two years ago. There are large holes in the bedroom floor, and she is concerned that her children could fall into them. The matter was again reported to the Council, whose Surveyor declared that action should be taken to ensure that the woman and her children could live in reasonable comfort. The landlord has been given two weeks to make repairs. If this is not done, the District surveyor will carry out the work and recover the cost from him

Source: Leighton Buzzard Observer 22nd October 1918

Munition Worker Fined for Drunkenness

Waller Street, Luton c.1905 [Z1306/75/10/60/3]

Monday 14th October 1918: Amy Lawson, aged 25, a munition worker lodging at 63 Church Street, Luton, has pleaded guilty to having been drunk and incapable in Waller Street last night. Police Sergeant Matsell said that he had found her helplessly drunk at 11.30 p.m. He lifted her up but found she could not stand, and with the help of Inspector Janes he got her to the police station. Miss Lawson is a single woman from Rochdale working at George Kent’s, who has been lodging in Luton for eight weeks. She expressed her sorrow for being in such a position and agreed to enter into a bond to abstain, however she was a “frequenter of public houses” she was fined ten shillings and no bond was imposed, the magistrate appearing to be concerned that it would simply lead to her getting into more trouble.

Source: Luton News, 17th October 1918

Landlord Refuses to Rent House to War Widow

24 Cardiff Road, Luton, with two children at the gate, 1910 [Z1306/75/10/7]

Saturday 28th September 1918: A soldier’s widow has written to the Luton News describing the difficulty she has encountered in trying to find accommodation for herself and her two children. She signs herself “the insulted one”, and it is clear that her situation reflects disgracefully on landlords who refuse to rent property to the widows of those who have given their lives in the service of their country:

“I am the widow of a soldier who was killed in France little more than a year ago. Since his death I have put my furniture in store and have been living with my friends. But there is nothing like a home of your own, however kind one’s friends may be, and lately I have been trying to find a house so that I could have a place to myself once more. On Saturday last I heard of a house to let which would meet my need, so I called on one of the most reputed house agents in Luton and made application for it. Having stated my reason for calling, the agent asked, “Where does your husband work?” I relied that he did not work anywhere. He died in France. “Oh,” said the agent “That’s enough: I shouldn’t let my property to a soldiers’ widow!”  I produced my former rent book to prove my respectability, but he would not even look at it. He then asked, “Where do you work?”  I told him. He then said “If you can get your master to take the house, and he cares to sublet it to you, he can do so, but I shouldn’t care to let it to you!”  I leave it to your readers to judge the quality of the person who can talk like this while he pursues his business and enjoys the comforts of his home unmolested only because brave men have sacrificed their lives and the comfort of their dependents. But what I want to know is this: Am I and my two children, and every other woman and her children, to be debarred from having a home of their own simply because our husbands have fallen in the country’s cause? If so, our husband’s death is our disgrace, and instead of dying to make a bad world better they have made it worse for those they loved most. I do not deny the right of any landlord to let his property to whom he will, neither do I object to him trying to secure himself in his rent; but when the sole ground of his refusal is that one is a solder’s widow, it is surely time to protest, not only for oneself, but for the thousands of others who hear a like reproach.”

Source: Luton News, 26th September 1918

Women’s Army Auxiliary Corps Recruitment March

Swan Hotel, Bedford [Z1306/10/23/1]

Sunday 15th September 1918: A procession of one hundred and twenty girls of the Women’s Army Auxiliary Corps marched through Bedford today behind the band of the Royal Engineers. When they arrived at the Soldiers’ Memorial, they were addressed from the balcony of the Swan Hotel. The aim of the meeting was to find an additional one hundred members from Bedford, as the town’s quota of the 30,000 required for Queen Mary’s Army Auxiliary Corps. The women are needed  as cooks, and will be offered free training at full pay of ten shillings per week. They will also receive uniform and full board. One of the speakers, Major Jayne, said that the preparation of food for men had always been one of women’s noblest duties, and it was their duty to obey the command. Although scandalous things have been said of the splendid women serving in this way, these were reported to be completely untrue – mothers were assured that they need have no fear in giving consent to their girls joining the Corps. The Mayor hoped that this would be the last recruiting call from Bedford, as he expects that in the near future peace will be proclaimed.

Source: Bedfordshire Standard, 20th September 1918

Company Fined for Employing Girls on Sunday

Welders at Morgan and Company Limited 1914-18 [Z1432/2/13/22/15]

Tuesday 20th August 1918: Morgan and Company Limited of Leighton Buzzard have been summoned for unlawfully employing women and girls at their factory in Lake Street on three Sundays in June. The Factory and Workshops Act does not restrict the employment of men over 18, but limits the hours of work of women, young persons and children; unless special exception is made, they cannot be employed in a factory or workshop on a Sunday. Morgan’s have obtained an exemption order which allows women over 18 to work exceptional hours, but this is specifically limited to weekdays. While there was no suggestion that the company had acted from improper motives, it was a matter of principle – not only were there religious considerations, but in many cases Sunday work destroyed family life and reduced people’s social enjoyment. Experience had also shown that it was not economically desirable.

Constance Alice Louisa Pooley, aged 14, of 32 Dudley Street, gave evidence that on 9th June she was employed on machine work from 7.30 a.m. to 5 p.m. with ten minutes for lunch at 10 a.m. and an hour’s break at 12.30 p.m. She had volunteered to work overtime, and was paid double time of sixpence an hour. She had just had a week’s holiday and a money gift from the company, she was happy in her work and her health had not suffered through the Sunday work. The firm put in a guilty plea, but pointed out that it was engaged in work of great national importance; it was contracted to produce a fixed quota of machines in a given time, and had been successfully meeting its quota. At the time of the offences some of the machinery at the main works in Linslade was out of order and could only be mended at the weekend. As a result the work’s manager had asked if any of the girls at the Lake Street works could help, without thinking about the working hours restrictions. However, in November 1917 the company had been sent a warning letter after an inspector had found Morgans was employing women and girls for more than the legal limit of sixty hours a week - some were working as many as eighty-eight hours and staying at work into the early hours of the morning. In view of this a fine of £16 was imposed.

Source: Leighton Buzzard Observer, 27th August 1918

Frenchwoman Insulted at Luton

Employees outside works building at George Kent Ltd, 1916 [Z1306/75/17/18]

Wednesday 31st July 1918: At the Luton Borough Police Court today Marie Burnand, a Frenchwoman who is employed at George Kent’s works in Luton, and whose husband is serving in the forces, summoned another employee at the same works for using insulting language. She gave evidence that George Marsh, a 46 year old discharged soldier of St. Ann’s Road, called her a German, and said she was a spy and that her husband had gone back to Germany. On July 20th he had kicked the wheel of her bicycle on Farley Hill and created a disturbance. She resented this abuse as she was French and her husband was fighting for his country. George Marsh said he was sorry he had been in company in a public house, but alleged that Mme. Burnand had also created a disturbance. He was sorry if he called her a German. This was George Marsh’s 31st appearance in court, and he was known to be a violent man. As his last appearance had been in 1915 he was treated leniently and bound over for six months, with an order to pay costs.

Source: Luton News, 1st August 1918

Woman Ambulance Driver Receives Military Medal

Miss Hilda May Dickinson and Great Dane [Luton News, 1st August 1918]

Friday 26th July 1918: News has reached Leighton Buzzard that Miss Hilda May Dickinson, whose widowed mother Adeline lives at Heath Cottage in Heath Road, has been awarded the Military Medal for bravery. Miss Dickinson went out to Belgium as a nurse at the beginning of the war, where she helped the wounded during the fighting at Antwerp and was decorated by the Belgians for her work there. She then spent six months nursing in a French hospital. After returning to England she worked at Woolwich for eleven months before joining the Military Transport in London. She was sent back to France on Christmas Eve last year and is now serving as an ambulance worker in the First Army Nursing Yeomanry. General Plummer’s notification states that the Military Medal was awarded:

“For conspicuous devotion to duty during the hostile air-raid, on the night of May 18th, 1918. This lady was out with her car during the raid, picking up and in every way assisting the wounded and injured, showing great bravery and coolness, and was an example to all ranks.”

Before the war Miss Dickinson was an enthusiastic breeder of Great Danes, and was a familiar sight in the town with her animals. One champion dog has accompanied her throughout her travels; she says it is a great protection to her when the enemy gets at close quarters. We reported in January 1916 on the adventures of Miss Dickinson’s sister Edith, who escaped from Serbia in a hazardous trek across the mountains following the fall of Belgrade, where she had been serving as a hospital chauffeur orderly.

Source: Luton News, 1st August 1918

Daisy Day at Bedford

Matron, voluntary helpers and children at Bedford Day and Night Nursery 

Tuesday 23rd July 1918: In October 1918 he Bedford Day and Night Nursery opened at 92 Midland Road. The Nursery provides a very necessary service to the mothers of Bedford who responded to the call to fill the places of men who have left war work to join the Forces. Before the Nursery opened mothers had to leave their little ones with a neighbour or an older child; now babies and toddlers can be left at the Nursery in the knowledge that they will receive the same level of care and attention they would receive from their mothers. The Nursery has airy rooms and a garden where the children play and sleep in warm weather. The Government pay half the expenses of the Nursery, mothers pay sixpence per day for each child, and the general public are asked to make up the remaining cost. On Saturday a “Daisy Day” street collection was held at Bedford to provide funds for this essential service, raising a total of £167. 1s  8d.

Source: Bedfordshire Standard, 19th and 26th July 1918

Soldier Fails to Provide for his Wife

Former Court House, Wing Road, Linslade (2008)

Saturday 6th July 1918: A former soldier has been charged at Linslade with abandoning his wife and three children, leaving them to be provided for by the Leighton Buzzard Poor Law Union. Reginald Arthur Noke, now of Birmingham but formerly of Wing, pleaded not guilty. The court was told that Noke had met with his wife at Northampton on 29th April and had given her £13 out of a cheque for £16 which had come for him from America; with this money she had paid off her debts. The Chaplain of Northampton Gaol had arranged for Noke to start work in the town, but he did not do so. As his wife heard nothing more from him she had to seek relief from the Poor Law Guardians, who had paid her four guineas. In the meantime Noke’s war pension had been reviewed, and he was now entitled to a balance of £40.

Noke said he had now got a job as a driver on the Birmingham Tramways at 25 shillings per week. He expected to pass out on Sunday as a qualified driver and would then earn £3 a week. If his wife would come to Birmingham he would provide for her there; if not, then he would pay her an allowance. He had written to the War Office and made over his pension to his children, and he was also willing to hand over the £40 due to him. The magistrates granted him bail while enquiries were made about the outstanding pension.

Source: Leighton Buzzard Observer, 9th July 1918

Maiden’s Day Women’s Recruitment March

Women Hoeing at Arlesey House, 1917 [Z49/495]

Sunday 2nd June 1918: Yesterday was Maiden’s Day in Luton, as members of the Women’s Land Army held a recruitment  drive. A bit platform was built in front of the Town Hall, and the building was adorned by banners with slogans such as “Men in the field; women in the fields”. A contingent of land girls wearing smocks, breeches and leggings paraded into the town and took up positions behind the speakers on the platform. One of the speakers was a Miss Bedford, a land worker and member of the National Service Corps (made up mostly of teachers), who has been working for a long time at Manor Farm, Caddington. She described how she and her colleagues have worked in all weathers, and slept in a leaky barn until accommodation could be found for them. Their employer could not speak too highly of them. She said she wanted the “sporting girl” who “can keep her lips up when everything goes dead wrong”.

The committee formed to organise the event where keen to go one better than Bedford, where a similar demonstration was held a week ago. The Mayor told the crowd that at least 30,000 women were needed immediately due to the shortage of men on the farms. Lady Trustram Eve made it clear that the country depended on women to win the war. For every man who went to the trenches a women was needed here to do his work. England was now producing more food than ever, and this required more labourers. The men at the front must be fed! It was hard work with no place for the wrong sort of girl, but she believed Luton would turn out the right sort, able to do men’s work. They would have to get up early, and would get muddy and dirty, but it was a healthy life. Councillor Primett advised girls to try the work as “It is one way to get a husband. The young ladies who will take the best husbands will be those who have joined the Land Army”.

As a result of the event about sixty new recruits volunteered. This is considered a satisfactory number for a town like Luton.

Source: Luton News, 6th June 1918

Fare Dodging by Munitions Workers

Dunstable Town Railway Station, c.1928 [Z1306/36/14/2]

Wednesday 8th May 1918: Three young women have been fined for fare dodging on the London and North-Western Railway. Linslade Police Court heard that on 27th February Elizabeth Maud Vincent, of 52 Wing Road, Linslade, and Daisy Sutton of 10, Summer Street, Leighton Buzzard arrived at Leighton Buzzard Station from Dunstable. When asked for their tickets as they were leaving the station both young women said they had lost them. They claimed to have walked from Chaul End, where they work in a munitions factory, to Dunstable, and to have booked their tickets there. When inquiries showed this was not true, Vincent admitted she had used her brother’s weekly ticket while he was on night work, and had not paid the fare either way. Sutton said she went to Chaul End with her sister Mabel; when she returned  she had borrowed her sister’s weekly ticket and had also not paid the fare. Daisy Sutton and Elizabeth Vincent were fined £1 5s.6d. and £1.15s.6d. respectively for travelling without tickets, and Mabel Sutton was fined £1.0s.6d for transferring her weekly ticket to her sister. Vincent told the court “I know this sort of thing is being done by other girls”.

Source: Leighton Buzzard Observer, 14th May 1918

A Tragic Boating Accident at Bedford

View from Bedford town bridge towards William H. Chetham, boatbuilders c.1925 [Z50/9/880]

Monday 6th May 1918: An inquest has been held at the Bedford Police Station into the tragic deaths of Cadet Malcolm Peter McLachlan of the Royal Engineers, and Winifred, the sixteen year old daughter of Mr. E. A. Gilbert of 7 Offa Road, Bedford. Thomas George Cox, waterman for Messrs Chetham, told the inquest that the young people had hired a three-seated canoe from him at 8.30pm on Saturday. Cadet McLachlan took the stern seat, the young lady the seat in front, and the front seat was empty. Both were paddling the canoe. The river was normal, perhaps a little faster than usual, but boats had been out all week. About twenty minutes later he heard that two people were in the water and took a boat out. He found the canoe had floated across to the opposite bank, the right way up but full of water. The paddles were floating some yards away, and the backboards and cushions had been picked up by a punt.

Mrs. Huckle of 10, Pilcroft Street stated that she was walking along the path through the Cattle Market when she saw the couple in a canoe. The lady leant forward as if reaching for something, the boat swayed and tipped over, and both occupants went into the water. The girl was not holding a paddle and the gentlemen was not paddling – they were just letting the canoe float. After the canoe capsized the young man first went for the canoe, but let go when he saw the girl go under. He brought the girl to the surface twice and tried to swim with her to the shore. She clung round his neck and they went down together. They surfaced one more time before disappearing. Four other boats were nearby. A sailor and two civilians in one laughed and passed on. Two soldiers in another boat could not swim, but tried to look for the couple. The other two boats rowed away.

Charles Hartwell, a waterman, saw the accident from the Cauldwell Road walk. As he entered the Bridge the young man was standing up in the canoe, which was going very slowly. and the young lady was sitting. He insisted that his recollection that the young man was standing was accurate, although it disagreed with the previous witness’s statement. He though the young man must have lost his balance, as he sat or slipped down on the side of the canoe, tipping it over. He said there were “ever so many” boats on the river at the time. The man made for the canoe, the canoe rolled over, and that was the last he saw of them. He shouted to some people in a boat to let him have it to go to the couple, but they moved off. He then sent a young man for the lifebuoy hanging near the bridge, but when he got to the spot with it the couple were gone. He believed if he had the use of a boat he could have saved them.

In his summing up the Coroner said it was clearly an accident. That anyone should be so callous as to be nearby and yet not try help was acutely painful; only Mr. Hartwell appeared to have made any effort. It was one of the most painful cases he had ever had to preside over. The Jury returned a verdict of “accidentally drowned”. The remains of Cadet McLachlan are to be taken home to Bootle in Lancashire by train, with full military honours. Miss Gilbert’s funeral is to be held at Bedford Cemetery on Thursday.

Source: Bedfordshire Times, 10th May 1918

Luton Branch of National Union of Women Workers Founded

Women munition workers at George Kent works, Luton 1916  [Z1306/75/17/19]

Thursday 2nd May 1918: A meeting of women workers was held this evening in the Council Chamber of Luton Town Hall and a local branch of the National Union of Women Workers of Great Britain and Ireland was formed. The meeting was first addressed by Mrs. Barbara Prothero, who is the honorary secretary of the Union, a leading member of the National Union of Women’s Suffrage Society, and the wife of Rowland Prothero M.P., President of the Board of Agriculture. She told her audience that she had always wanted to start a branch at Luton as she knew that “when Luton people once put their hands to the plough they never looked back”. Mrs. Prothero emphasised the need for greater education for women now that they had been granted the Parliamentary franchise. The next speaker was Lady Cowan, one of the founders of the Women Relief Munition Workers' Organisation, who explained that the Union was non-party, and welcomed women of all shades of political opinion and none, and workers of all types, not just those in industry. The resolution to form a local branch of the Union was carried unanimously.

Source: Luton News, 9th May 1918

Soldier's Wife to be Evicted

Vandyke Road, Leighton Buzzard 1914 [Z1306/72/13/1]

Thursday 11th April 1918: An application for the eviction of soldier’s wife has been heard at Leighton Buzzard Police Court this week. The court was told that Samuel Chibnall bought two houses in Vandyke Road in 1917, a four-roomed house for his own use and an eight-roomed one. As he was unable to find tenants for the large house he moved into it and let the smaller one. He recently decided to sell the larger house for financial reasons, and now wants to live in the small property. He had therefore served notice to quit on the tenant, Mrs. Laura Breden. He had let the house to her on the understanding that it was likely to be sold, and before he decided to sell the larger property he had heard that she intended to move to be nearer to her mother. He knew that Mrs. Breden’s husband was fighting in France, and that she had two young children, so had given her a fortnight’s notice even though she was only a weekly tenant, paying four shillings a week. He had also offered to sell the house to her and her husband, but they were not able to buy it.

Mrs. Breden said she did not know the house was for sale until she had lived there for some time. If she had known, she would not have taken the tenancy. There was a shortage of houses in Leighton Buzzard due to the large number of men coming to the town to work at Morgan’s, and it was impossible to get another house. Her solicitor asked the court to dismiss the notice to quit – under the Courts Emergency Powers Act the court had absolute discretion to do so. Mr. Chibnall had sold his house over his own head and now wished to turn out of her cottage the wife of a man who was serving in France. The magistrates however made an order that Mrs. Breden should give up possession of the house in two calendar months.

Source: Leighton Buzzard Observer, 16th April 1918

Bigamy Case at Leighton Buzzard

All Saint’s Church, Leighton Buzzard

Wednesday 20th March 1918: A discharged soldier has appeared at the Leighton Buzzard Petty Sessions Court accused of bigamy. Charles Frederick Smith, aged 27, was charged with marrying Theodora Pratt at Leighton Buzzard in September 1918 when his former wife Florence Smith was alive and living in South Africa. A Quartermaster-Sergeant of the South African Expeditionary Force Pay Office stated that Smith had joined the colours on 11th August 1915 as a married man, giving his wife’s name and an address in Port Elizabeth, Cape Province. She had been paid a separation allowance since that time. Smith applied for discharge on the grounds of medical unfitness and left for South Africa on 9th October 1917; he had since returned to Britain.

Police Inspector Thomas Vincent told the Court that on 8th March he went to London by the same train as Miss Theodora Pratt, and at Euston Station he saw her with her mother and Smith. He identified himself to Smith and cautioned him. When questioned Smith admitted marrying Theodora in September, while he had a wife living at Port Elizabeth. Smith said “I expected this, as I knew inquiries had been made about me. I only arrived in England from South Africa last Tuesday (March 5th), and I wish the boat had been torpedoed before I landed here”. He later said he had arrived back in South Africa in early November and had stayed with his wife for about a fortnight, before leaving her and staying at a hotel. He had seen her at various times before left South Africa on 29th January. They had married in February 1913, and he had left her because of her misbehaviour with another man.

Miss Winifred Blackhaller, a dressmaker from Shepherd’s Bush said she had known Smith for about two years. He had returned wounded from France last summer, and in September he showed her a photograph of a young lady named Dora Pratt. She asked if Dora knew Smith was married and he said she did. Miss Blackhaller next saw Smith after he returned from South Africa, and he told her he had come back because of his wife “carrying on”. She said her mother had received a letter from Miss Pratt asking if she knew that Smith already had a wife in South Africa. He told her he might be arrested for bigamy.

Theodora Pratt, of Plantation Road, Leighton Buzzard, said that when she first knew Smith he was a sapper in the South African Signalling Company stationed at Fenny Stratford. She kept company with him and they became engaged in February 1917. In August he had a week’s leave and came to lodge at Leighton Buzzard. He then went to Yorkshire, but visited her a fortnight later when she told him certain things and he proposed they should get married. On September 7th she sent a letter to Smith’s commanding officer, as a result of which Smith came to her and they were married at Leighton Buzzard Parish Church on 13th September. Smith described himself on the marriage certificate as a bachelor. He left for camp on the following Tuesday, but they met again before he left for South Africa and arranged he would return and take her out to South Africa before Christmas. She applied for a separation allowance, but was told that Smith already had a wife and child living in South Africa. She then went to the police.

Smith was remanded to the next Assizes and was granted bail.

Source: Luton News, 21st March 1918

Note: Charles Smith was found guilty of bigamy at the July 1918 Assizes and was sentenced to 8 months imprisonment with hard labour.

Appeal for Women Volunteers

Group of nurses of the Voluntary Aid Detachment Bedford No.2, c.1914-1916 [Z1306/12/10/3]

Tuesday 12th March 1918: Lady Ampthill, head of the Voluntary Aid Detachment, has appealed for more women to prepare for hospital service. She says:

 “We want women not only for France, but for Salonika, Malta, and Egypt, and for the nursing of the wounded we want the very best type of woman. It is not essential that she should have a first aid certificate; if she is the right sort she will readily be accepted and trained. The friction that existed to some extent between the trained nurse and the voluntary helper has died, and they are working together today in the happiest spirit.

We can place about fifty cooks a week, and the cook of forty-five or fifty is just as welcome as the younger woman. Special cookery courses are provided for members to give them a knowledge of hospital needs. We have 300 V.A.D.s driving transports and ambulances in France, and we should be very glad to get more drivers, only they must have had at least six months’ experience. There is an opening for women as laboratory assistants; we give them the necessary training.  

We hope that some of the women discharged from munition works will come to us. The care of the wounded is surely the finest work women can do – the general service member helps in the task no less than the actual nurse. We need a steady flow of recruits during the coming months.”

Source: Bedfordshire Standard, 15th March 1918

Explosion at Munitions Works

George Kent Ltd Munitions Workers, 1916 [Z1306/75/17/21]

Saturday 2nd March 1918: The Press Bureau has issued a statement concerning an explosion which took place in a munition works in the Home Counties, resulting in injuries to some of the girl workers. No further information has been received. [1]

Source: Luton News, 7th March 1918

[1] The explosion took place at the George Kent works at Chaul End on Friday 1st March. Four girls died of the injuries they received: May Constable, Lillian G. Harris, Kate Tomkins, and Florence Warnes. While more minor incidents were usually reported in the local press in some detail, it seems that the authorities were keen to suppress news of a tragedy on this scale.

Bedford Soldier in Court on Bigamy Charge

Pavenham, c.1912 [Z1306/87/5/5]

Tuesday 19th February 1918: Albert Victor Herbert, a soldier from Bedford, has appeared at the Maidenhead Police Court on a charge of bigamy. His wife Agnes, the daughter of Thomas Clare of Pavenham, said she married him at the Bedford Registry Office in 1911 and they had two children. Her husband was home on leave last July and wrote frequently. Mabel Haynes, of Norfolk Park Cottages, Maidenhead, said that she met Private Herbert when his regiment was stationed at Maidenhead in January 1916 and started walking out with him. After hearing rumours that he was a married man she questioned him and he denied it. When he went to France he wrote her a letter every day. When the rumours that he was married were repeated he advised her to write to a “Mrs Childs” at Willesden, who told her that Private Herbert was an old friend and a “straight man”, who had been married but was now a widower, his wife having died in childbirth two years ago. After this they arranged to marry on December 22nd last year. The “married man” rumours still continued, and he gave a document supposedly signed by a lieutenant of his regiment certifying that “Herbert was not a married man, as has been stated”. They finally married at Maidenhead Parish Church on 30th January. She stayed with him at Maidenhead for some time before he left for Hitchin, ostensibly to get his discharge; he had since visited her occasionally. Private Herbert was refused bail and was committed for trial at the Assizes. The Mayor remarked on the fact that he gave his age as 21 at the first wedding and 22 at the second, six years later!

Source: Bedfordshire Standard, 22nd February 1922

[1]  Albert Victor Herbert was found guilty of aggravated bigamy at the Berkshire Assizes on 4th June 1918, and was sentenced to prison for 12 months.