Sunday 3rd
October 1915: The Battle of Loos, which began on 25th September is still under
way, nevertheless, parts of the battlefield have to be cleared of broken and
discarded equipment and dead bodies and defences improved against any German
counterattack. It seems as if, amongst others, the Bedfordshire Yeomanry has
been given this task. It is one, no doubt, far removed from the part they saw
themselves taking in this war, sword in hand at the charge.
A detachment
of 35 men per squadron with 4 officers (Captain Davis, Lieutenant Lascelles,
Second Lieutenant Hollebane and Second Lieutenant Southern) left Lozinghem,
west of Béthune to join a brigade working party. This party under
Lieutenant-Colonel F Pilkington, 15th Hussars, was taken in motor buses to a
point on the la Bassée-Lens road. From there, as soon as it got dark, they
marched about 4 kilometres to the crest of a slope above Loos. As the men were
carrying all their kit, rations for two days, dixies and entrenching tools this
was a very tiring march. The last two kilometres of the road were lined with
dead horses, broken timbers and debris of all sorts. At the crest of the hill,
the brigade turned left-handed and marched over a mile along a trench line
running roughly north-east, intersected by several very deep communication
trenches and immeasurable wires. A section of this trench was allotted to the
Bedfordshire Yeomanry and work was begun at once on the parapet on removing
dead from the trench and clearing up generally
At 11 pm a
party was sent back to the water carts to bring back all available dixies,
water bottles and as much water as possible. This supply has to last the
Regiment 24 hours and there was no chance of replenishing it through the day. At
3.45 this morning the Regiment turned in for well-earned rest
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