Lord Kitchener announced in the House of Lords on Monday evening [March 15th, 1915] that the 1st North Midland Division, Territorial Force, had arrived in France, together with other divisions and units, to strengthen the Field Force.
This is the first public announcement of the fact that the division which carried out their training in the Luton district from August to November had gone across the water, but it was well known locally that this was the case. So many of the men got on most friendly terms with people with whom they were billeted that they have kept up more or less regular correspondence since the division left this district, and consequently informed their friends when they were about to go to Southampton to embark.
In addition to this, very many men from Luton and neighbouring places enlisted in one or other of the regiments of the division. Shortly after its arrival in Luton after mobilisation, and when additional men were needed to bring the various battalions up to full strength, the division was very popular with local recruits, who saw that by joining the division there was the probability that they would not have to leave their native town while their training was in progress.
The result is that Luton is very largely represented in the division, and a week or more agao letters and postcards began to arrive telling of the safe landing of the division in Europe.
[Picture: Men of the North Midland Division marching through the grounds of Luton Hoo on their way to Lord Kitchener's review in September 1914.]
The Mayor of Luton, Councillor W. J. Primett, desires to obtain a complete list of Luton men who are serving with the division. The names already sent in are:
ALLEN: 469 Driver Victor J. Allen, 1st Divisional Ammunition Column - 73 Warwick Road, Luton.
BARRETT: 1467 Driver Bert Barrett, 5th Lincoln, 1st North Midland Brigade, R.F.A. - 23 Holly Walk, Luton.
BAVISTER: 049276 Pte George Bavister, 260 Coy, Army Service Corps (Mechanical TRansport), 1st North Midland Ammunition Column - 61 Castle Street, Luton.
BIRD: 1315 Gunner Percival Stewart Bird, 3rd Battery Lincs R.F.A. - 88 Reginald Street, Luton.
COWLING: Driver C. Cowling, Ammunition Column, Notts R.H.A. - 52 Church Street, Dunstable.
DUMPLETON: 1425 Driver Percy Dumpleton, 2nd Lincs Battery, R.F.A. - Girtford, Waldeck Road, Luton.
ELLIS: Driver Fred Ellis, 2nd Battery, D Sub, 1st North Midland Brigade - 38 Spencer Road, Luton.
ELLIS: 1312 Driver Sidney Ellis, 3rd Lincoln Battery R.F.A., 1st North Midland Brigade - 163 Wellington Street, Luton.
FENSOME: 8920 Cpl A. Fensome, 5 S. Staff Transport, B Company, 5th Battalion - 6 Langley Street, Luton.
FENSOME: 1512 Sapper C. Fensome, 2nd North Midland Field Company, R.E. - Osier Cottage, New Bedford Road, Luton.
FENSOME: 1513 Sapper W. Fensome, 2nd North Midland Field Company, R.E. - Osier Cottage, New Bedford Road, Luton.
FIRMIN: 1310 Gunner Alfred E. Firmin, 2nd Battery 1/1 North Midland B.F.A. Brigade - 21 Dunstable Road, Luton.
GATWARD: 1412 Driver Samuel Gatward, 1st North Midland Ammunition Column R.F.A. - 61 Hartley Road, Luton.
GREEN: 1316 Signaller Francis Edward Green, 3rd Battery Lincolns - 42 Wenlock Street, Luton.
HARRIS: 1492 Pte Frank Harris, 1st Battery North Midland Brigade R.F.A. - Redcot, St Peter's Road, Dunstable.
HAWKINS: Signaller Syd Hawkins, 3rd Battalion Lincoln R.F.A. - 76 Cowper Street, Luton.
IMPEY: 1358 Gunner Impey, 2nd Battalion F.A., 1st North Midland Division, British Expeditionary Force - 5 Jubilee Street, Luton.
JARVIS: Gunner Bert Jarvis, 2nd Lincoln Battery, 1/1 North Midland F.A. Brigade - 230 High Town Road, Luton.
JONES: 1311 Signaller Robert Fred Jones, 3rd Battery Lincs R.F.A. - 3 Manor Road, Luton.
LACEY: 1466 Gunner Edward George Lacey, HQ Staff R.F.A. (Lincolns) - 2 Hazelbury Crescent, Luton.
MARSHALL: Gunner Stanley George Marshall, A Sub, 2nd Battalion R.F.A. - 44 Camb ridge Street, Luton.
PLUMMER: 1495 Driver H. Plummer, 1/1 North Midland F.A. Brigade, 2nd Lincs Battalion - 78 Princess Street, Luton.
RICH: Pte F. G. Rich, Leicester R.A.M.C. - 13 Crawley Green Road, Luton.
RUSSELL: 1833 Gunner William Charles Russell, 1st Lancs Battery R.F.A. - 3 Bailey Street, Luton.
SIBLEY: 1411 Driver Percy Sibley, Lincoln R.F.A., 2nd Battalion - 3 Peach Street, Luton.
SMITH: 3325 Pte H. S. Smith, 5th Lincolns - 164 Leagrave Road, Luton.
TARRIER: Driver Herbert Tarrier, 1st Battalion Lincs R.F.A. - 151 North Street, Luton.
THRUSSELL: 1358 Driver Albert Edward Thrussell, R.F.A., British Expeditionary Force - 97 Church Street, Luton.
THRUSSELL: Driver H. Thrussell, 2nd Battery, Lincs R.F.A. - 97 Church Street, Luton.
TOMKINS: 1468 Driver Aubrey N. Tomkins, 1st Divisional Ammunition Column, 1st North Midland Division Expeditionary Force - 66 Talbot Road, Luton.
WARMAN: Gunner J. Warman, 2nd Battery, Lincs R.F.A. - 232 High Town Road, Luton.
[The Luton News, March 18th, 1915]