Recruiting to the 5th Bedfords

Friday 9th October 1914: Recruiting for both the 5th Bedfordshire Battalions – for Foreign Service and Home Service – continues very satisfactory. For the Home Service Battalion the recruits are being trained at Luton, Leighton, Dunstable and Bedford and any fine morning the Bedford contingent can be seen drilling and training with evident enjoyment in Bedford Park. With the exception of the Colonel (the Hon. Victor Russell), no officer for the Home Service Battalion has yet been gazetted, but several prospective officers have already taken up their duties of training recruits. As soon as the full complement of officers is gazetted and the staff appointed, arrangements will be made for bringing this Battalion up to full strength, probably by means of recruiting meetings in the areas of those Companies not up to strength. With those coming from the Foreign Service Battalion, and the recruits, there are at present upwards of 600 men towards the 1,000 required. Recruits are also being drafted from the Gwyn Street depot, clothed and equipped, to the Foreign Service Battalion. This depot, which has been under the command of Lieutenant R. O. Webb, has had a busy time since the Battalion left, for upon it has fallen the work of clothing and equipping recruits for the Foreign Service Battalion as well as enlisting and training men for the Home Service Battalion. The temporary headquarters of the Home Service Battalion are at 13 Hassett Street.

Source: Bedfordshire Times 9th October 1914