Do you have a bladder for a football ?
Burton Mail : Articles from WW1 [Held at Burton Library]
May 1916
MONDAY MAY 1ST 1916: BURTON BOROUGH POLICE COURT CONSCIENTIOUS OBJECTOR FINED (See C/C/M/2/5a/145)
At the Burton Borough Police court today, before Alderman T.E. Lowe presiding and Mr Charles Harrison, Albert Collingwood a burton conscientious objector was charged with failing to report himself to the military authorities on April 20th, prisoner offered no objection to the magistrates on the bench, one of whom is a member of the local tribunal and the other a military representative on that body.
P.C. Gough said that on Saturday he saw Collingwood in Uxbridge Street, he admitted having received notice to present himself to the military authorities but said he had been before the tribunal who granted him non-combative service, the only explanation he gave of having neglected to report was that military service was opposed to his conscientious scruples. Prisoner handed to the bench a letter which the justices read. The chairman said the magistrates had to deal with the case according to the law and prisoner would be fined £2 and handed over to a military escort.
MONDAY MAY 2ND 1916: FOOTBALL FOR THE BOYS
We are in receipt of two leather football cases from Mr. G. Finch of Horninglow Street who purchased them yesterday at Messrs Porters Sales, unfortunately there are no rubber bladders available. Will anyone oblige? On receiving the bladders we will dispatch the balls to the men at the front who will doubtless derive much pleasure from games of football.
FRIDAY MAY 12Th: PRISONERS ON FARMS
In their efforts to increase the area of cultivated land to the greatest possible extent the German Military Authorities are employing a number of steam ploughs and as they are short of experienced drivers they took a number of prisoners-of-war and gave them a course of instructing a Muncheberg.
MONDAY MAY 15TH: OUR READERS VIEWS FREE TRAM RIDES FOR THE WOUNDED
Sir-On behalf of the wounded soldiers located in Burton I would respectfully suggest that the council might see their way to allowing such soldiers the privilege of travelling free on their tram-way system. It may not be generally known but it is nevertheless a fact that soldiers in hospital receive no pay. In the majority of cases their relations are not in a position to supply
them with money and consequently they are debarred from the pleasure of tram-rides. In many case their injuries prevent them from walking much and the advantages of riding free would be a great concession and would be much appreciated by them who have been broken by war. Several other towns have granted this privilege and I am sure the ratepayers of Burton-On-Trent would not object to this small increased burden. Yours etc. Douglas. P. Pielon ex Sgt-Major Cameron Highlanders. Mona Bank, Clay Street, Burton-On-Trent.
MONDAY MAY 29TH: ASHBY TRIBUNAL MEASHAM APPLICATIONS
Mr. T. Vernam presided at a meeting of the Ashby Rural District Tribunal on Saturday.
The Measham scavenger applied for his two single sons aged 22 and 20. He had one son a soldier and two others who were lame, he farmed 80 acres of land and said if they took all the men off the land we should lose the war. He also said scavenging was not a nice job and questioned whether any of the members of the tribunal would take it on. Three months were allowed in each case.
Conditional exemption as recommended by the advisory committee was granted to a Measham farmhand, Measham wagoner, Collerton farmhand, Measham baker, Thringatone innkeeper and a sub-postmaster. Appleby and Willersley farmer’s sons and an Appleby stockman. The clerk said he had received notice of thee appeals.
TUESDAY MAY 30TH 1916: LICENCEE FINED £130
At Newcastle yesterday William Stephenson manager of the Hawthorn Inn at Forth Banks was fined £22 and George Patterson licence holder was fined £130 for offence under the central controls board regulations. It was stated that shortly after six o’clock in the morning of May 20th and 22nd crowds of workmen were on the premises drinking rum and whiskey. The magistrate regarded the case as a flagrant breach of the law.
TUESDAY MAY 30TH 1916: SOLDIER FIGURES IN TRBUNAL DRAMA
Father and son figured in a dramatic little incident before The Northampton Tribunal yesterday. On behalf of his son a boot manufacturer appealed, wearing the uniform of The Royal Horse Artillery. The father said he objected to exemption for his son and declared that the latter “was a shirker” and didn’t want to go, he declared to see the young fellow in the army.
Fourteen days grace was allowed.