Good Bedfordshire Recruiting Record?

Thursday 21st January 1915: At the meeting of the Bedfordshire Education Committee the other day, the Lord Lieutenant (Mr Samuel Howard Whitbread) asked the Committee to sanction a proposal he had to make to the head teachers in the county schools. He thought it was very desirable after these months of war and recruiting that they should ascertain if possible, the number of men in the county who were now serving in His Majesty’s Forces, and those who had volunteered, but who were rejected because they were medically unfit. He believed it would be a very satisfactory return, as he had heard that Bedfordshire and Cambridgeshire had a very good recruiting record – one of the best in the Eastern Counties – (hear, hear). But that was gossip and he thought some steps should be taken to establish a fairly accurate return. It seemed to him that the most practical way was by means of asking the head teachers in the different schools in the county to assist. In the majority of cases rolls of honour were kept and returns could be made of men who were in the Forces, whether before the outbreak of war or those that had enlisted since, and those, too, who had volunteered, but were rejected because they were unfit – (hear, hear).

Source: Luton News 21st January 1915