Yelden - The War—Among the recent enlistments are the following:- H. York, R. Robinson, B. Bone, J. Rogers, W. Hodgkins, F. Shortland, H. Ford, S. Deadman, G. Sharp, L. Hodgkins, R. Hodgkins, G. Wagstaff, A. Kennel. Others serving and previously joined are as follows:- E. York, A. Ford, C. Ekins, A. Cowley, E. Deadman, H. Langley, W. Shortland, and W. Ekins making a total of 21 from a population of 140.

Yelden—Exemption until Oct. 15 was granted by the Rural District Tribunal on Tuesday on the application of Mr. Hawkey, farmer, Yelden, for John E. Campion, horseman, and Horace Cowley, stockman and horseman, both aged 19. The Chairman said the Tribunal did not like to let off young men aged 19 when there were married men with families.

Yelden - Pte E Wicks of the Bedfords, has been wounded in action.

Rushden Echo, 27^th April 1917, transcribed by Kay Collins

Tribunal—Mr Hawkey, farmer, Yelden, appealed on Monday for Horace Cowley, 18, Stockman. The application was refused, the youth to be substituted in a month. Mr. Hawkey said that if they took his man he could not do the impossible.

Casualties – Pte C Ekins, -- Northants Regiment, was wounded on April 5th and brought to the 3rd Northern Hospital, Sheffield, and has since been moved to the Red Cross Hospital, Bakewell, Derbyshire. Pte Ekins was hit in the left knee from a machine gun. He is now going on very satisfactorily. He wrote that he was very sorry to say that his old pal, Pte Walter Shortland, another Yelden boy, had been killed. He said he met the Beds Regiment going into action as he came out with his “Blighty,” and he inquired for his pal to tell him he had been hit, and they informed him that Pte Shortland was hit by a shell the night before. Since then official news has been received concerning his death, this being the third lad to lay down their lives from this small village. Pte Shortland, who before enlisting worked for Mr Fenton, farmer, was the son of Mr John Shortland.