About noon on Monday [August 28th, 1916] considerable interest was manifest in the passage through the town of a motor machine gun convoy. First came the ammunition carriers, then the box-bodied cars, and finally the actual gunners with their deadly weapons mounted as though ready for action.

Their business-like appearance created a good impression, but how few knew that one of those square hearse-type motor cars carried the body of a brave youngster who, an hour before, was riding one of the ammunition carriers. Death came to him suddenly on the outskirts of the town.

At an inquest in Luton two days later a jury returned a formal verdict of accidental death on Gunner John Morton Sandford Smith, aged 19, son of Dr Henry Sandford Smith, of The Courtyard, Eltham, London, who joined the Machine Gun Corps (Motors) in July 1915.

He was part of a detachment who had left the place where the were stationed for another part of the country and had come through Luton along London Road. They had passed the Luton Hoo Lodge entrance at about 11 o'clock with the young soldier riding on an ammunition carrier with the attached motorcycle ridden by a gunner named Jack Laurie.

Laurie lost his place in the column during a stop at St Albans and was trying to regain it, as required to do, when the fatal accident occurred. He had sounded his hooter before attempting to overtake a box-body car but had been prevented from passing when the driver did not hear him. He tried to stop his machine and then to pass on the left side of the vehicle in front, but he thought part of his wheel touched the car and his machine was knocked to the right and on to grass at the side of the road, along which he skidded for about 20 yards. He was travelling at 15 mph to 20 mph.

Gunner Laurie found himself lying on the ground with his machine partly on top of him. Gunner Smith was on his hands and knees trying to get up. But Dr Lloyd, who arrived soon afterwards, found Gunner Smith dead at the side of the road. Examination at the mortuary suggested that death was due to shock consequent upon concussion of the brain and spinal cord, the result of being thrown from the ammunition carrier.

The jury heard that the road surface was greasy but the machine was in good order. However, the seat on which Gunner Smith sat tilted forward and there was nothing to prevent it doing so. A strap provided was intended just for securing luggage, it was said.

Summing up, Deputy Coroner Mr G. J. M. Whyley said the accident seemed merely to have been due to an error of judgement on the part of Laurie. He appeared to have endeavoured to regain his place in the column, put his brakes on and skidded along until he came to the grass. The corner of the carrier struck the ground and the seat on which Gunner Smith was sat tipped up and threw him out, probably on his face and head, causing the injuries from which he died.

He did not think Laurie's error of judgement was sufficient to be called culpable negligence and he was hardly to blame for the way the deceased was thrown out.

"I can't help feeling that on this seat on the ammunition carrier, and probably all the others are the same, there should be some arrangement for strapping the seat down," said Mr Whyley. "It was pointed out to us that that the strap on the back was for that purpose, but, in my opinion, it was never intended for that purpose and never used for that. I think if one was driven over an ordinary road and the machine was pulled up suddenly, there is very little to prevent one being thrown out."

Gunner Smith, 1971, Machine Gun Corps (Motors), was buried with military honours in Luton Church Burial Ground, Crawley Green Road, on August 31st. A gun carriage, bearers and firing party were present from 'A' Battery of the R.F.A., under Major Allbury. The Vicar of Luton, the Rev A. E. Chapman, officiated.

[The Luton News: Thursday, August 31st, 1916; Beds & Herts Saturday Telegraph: September 2nd, 1916.]