Sunday 17 September 2017

Forty Ninth Day of the Third Battle of Ypres



Monday 17th September 1917

Those cheery slackers, as the adjutant called them, the 7th Bedfords have been idling at the sea again today. This time, the other five officers and two hundred other ranks. Have enjoyed themselves at Dunkirk. One bar to the Military Medal and twenty nine other Military medals have been issued for bravery shown between 9th and 16th August. One of the recipients is Private George Deacon of 34 Turnpike Road, Husborne Crawley, known personally to your correspondent. George is a stolid but self-effacing man and played down his award as “being dished out with the rations”, others in his Battalion tell a different story.

34 Turnpike Road, Husborne Crawley

Here at Ypres the 1st and 2nd Australian Divisions have gone into the line for the first time in this offensive, taking the place of 47th (1st/2nd London) Division. The replacement of this one division with new divisions suggests, to some of the older hands out here, that something special is being planned in this sector.

Source: X550/8/1

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