Fifty Fourth Day of the Third Battle of Ypres

Second Lieutenant F C Baldwin [X550/1/81] 

Saturday 22nd September 1917

Today the army has been busy spending a second day consolidating the gains made on 20th September, bringing up the runs, re-registering them on the next series of targets and so on. It is the third day in a row without rain, though the battlefield still resembles a swamp in places.

Second Lieutenant D D Warren [X550/1/81]

Following their action on 20th, the 2nd Battalion, Bedfordshire Regiment has moved back to a camp near the remains of the city of Ypres, though they have been finding some working parties in the front line. Five subalterns have joined them today - Second Lieutenants: D D Warren, J Kerr, W S Goble, F C Baldwin and S Courtney(1).

Second Lieutenant J Kerr [X550/1/81]

The 6th Battalion, Bedfordshire Regiment, we have been told, have relieved the 6th Battalion, Cheshire Regiment, of 39th Division in the front line, at six hours’ notice, being brought up in a fleet of buses. The Battalion was heavily shelled on its way up to the line and the laconic adjutant of the Battalion simply described the whole operation as: “Extremely difficult”. 

Second Lieutenant S W Goble [X550/1/81]

Two officers, Captain J Hislop MC and Second Lieutenant C E Inch have been killed along with four other ranks, twenty men being wounded. The line they have taken over is shown on the map above, facing south-east.

Second Lieutenant S Courtney [X550/1/81]

Sources: X550/3/.wd; X550/7/1

(1) Second Lieutenant Frederick Charles Baldwin, from Bletchley [Buckinghamshire], would die on 11th May 1918 and he is buried at Esquelbecq Military Cemetery.