Changes

Lieutenant G M Betty [X550/1/82]

Monday 7th January 1918

Three new officers have arrived in Italy to join 1st Battalion, Bedfordshire Regiment. They are Lieutenant G M Betty, Lieutenant W T Morris and Second Lieutenant L J Hobson. Meanwhile there has been training by platoons with boxing in the afternoon.

2nd Battalion has left the Stirling Castle area near Ypres. It got on trains at Dickebusch Station this morning and went to Ebblinghem, west of Hazebrouck. From there it marched to Wardrecques, which it reached about an hour ago.

The British soldier wears pouches, packs and so on attached to belts as a means of storing food, water, ammunition, tools and other necessities. Officially they are supposed to wear 1908 pattern webbing; the equipment being made from strong woven cotton. However, because of the vast increase in the army’s numbers since 1914 manufacture has been unable to keep pace, consequently many men went to war wearing equipment of the same design but made of leather, which is inferior to webbing as it is not so strong or so durable. Only now is 7th Battalion, Bedfordshire Regiment, beginning to exchange its leather equipment for webbing. A and D Companies will retain the leather for now, whilst B and C Companies are being fitted out in webbing.

Sources: X550/2/5; X550/3/wd; X550/8/1