A Long Walk to the Front Line

Sunday 2nd January 1916: Sergeant A Brawn, D Squadron, Bedfordshire Yeomanry, now in France, has written to his wife at Laburnum-road, Sandy, that he is now enjoying a rest out of the trenches and had been to a picture show run by some of the Army Service Corps and the Division. He goes on: “How nice it will be when it’s all over: it will be worth waiting for the end, but it will come one of these fine days when we little expect it. I cannot tell you the part of the line we are holding when we are in the trenches but the trench we go in by is 24 miles long and it takes us over an hour from the time we get in the trench to the time we reach the firing line and it’s about eight feet deep, so we relieve each other in the day-time(1), some of the Bedfordshire Yeomanry were out in front of one of the saps putting wire entanglements up only about 20 or 40 yards from the German front line the other night, and I can tell you that out boys are quite as good soldiers as the Regulars, and perhaps better than some of them. The officers in charge of our Brigade spoke very well of our Regiment while in the trenches. Remember me to all in Sandy who enquire after me”.

Source: Bedfordshire Times 28th January 1916

(1) The Yeomanry were in the front line at Loos.

3rd/5th Bedfords at Windsor

Windsor Great Park by Martin Morgenstern

Sunday 29^th August: The following is from one of the Battalion members: “This Battalion, which, it will be remembered, was formed as a result of the Recruiting March held last June under the aegis of Major Orlebar, who is now in command, is at present encamped at Bears Rail, Windsor Great Camp. We left Bedford on August 9th and after about two-and-a-half hours’ run were landed safe and sound at Windsor”.

“Our camp is situate about two-thirds of the way along the Long Drive, or as we call it, the “Three Mile Walk”. One end is crowned by a gigantic equestrian statue of King George III and our home; the other is graced by the towering walls of Windsor Castle, the home of our King George”.

“Our main purpose, of course, is to train and send out drafts to fill up those much regretted but unfortunately essential gaps that occur in our first line, the 1st/5th, now fighting hard out at Suvla in Gallipoli”.

“Tent life we find is very jolly, and a great change from the billet era of our previous existence. We are not without some of the luxuries of life either, as a maternal Government has arranged such items as shower baths and floor boards for our tents”.

“Members of the Royal Family constantly visit our lines, even HRH Prince of Wales, home on leave from the front(1). We have frequent calls from battle-planes which come careering madly round the Castle, over the Camp and away again before we have got the stiffness out of our necks”.

“While I think of it, we are all anxious that amongst our forthcoming recruits we should have some good footballers and cricketers; we’re keen to play and beat the Essex, Northants, Hertfords, RAMC(2), ASC(3) etc. who are all here in Camp with us, not to mention the Guards”.

Source: Bedfordshire Standard 27th August 1915

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(1) The future Edward VIII, he joined the Grenadier Guards in August 1914 but was not allowed by Lord Kitchener, Secretary of State for War, to serve in the front line. He still managed to win a Military Cross in 1916. This later made him popular amongst Great War veterans.

(2) Royal Army Medical Corps

(3) Army Service Corps

A Bedford Bus Driver in France

London Bus converted for troops

Thursday 22nd July 1915: Driver F N Reeve of the Mechanical Transport, Army Service Corps, who before the war was the driver of the motor bus from Bedford to Leighton Buzzard writes from France: “The men of the Beds Regiment, the Engineers, yeomanry and other regiments out here are doing splendid work. There are, to my knowledge, twenty drivers, including myself from the LGOC Garage, Bedford,[1] out here either driving lorries with supplies, ammunition or buses. These men, with thousands of others, are doing splendid work, working under trying circumstances and have travelled thousands of miles in France. I have frequently come into contact with several of them and it certainly does one good to meet each other occasionally. Many are the tales which we tell when we meet and when we all return to Bedford and take up our duties again with the LGOC, there will be many tales told on Saint Peter’s Green. I personally have had some very exciting times, some of which I hope never to experience again. I remember some time ago going with my lorry to a certain town in Belgium and just as we entered the town one of our Military Police suddenly appeared from somewhere and said: “For Heaven’s sake don’t go any further yet, the Germans have already sent us eight shells. A moment later one crashed into a house about 50 yards away and sent some of it into the garden at the back”.

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Source: 20th August 1915

(1) London General Omnibus Company 

Families in Service

Monday 1st March 1915: Sergeant Albert Allen, of the 2nd Battalion, Bedfordshire Regiment, is home from the Front, suffering from injuries to the eyes. He is a son of Mrs Allen of Woburn-road, Luton, and when war broke out his battalion was stationed in South Africa. they answered the call and after a short sojourn in England went to the Front on 14th October. The battalion had been nineteen days in the trenches when they were given a rest. They were billeted in houses behind the firing line and on 14th November - the first day of their rest - Sergeant Allen received severe injuries to the eyes, caused by the bursting of a gas tank in the house in which he was billeted.

Mrs Allen has another son, Private Walter Allen, who joined Lord Kitchener's Army, and was sent out to the Front with a draft of the 2nd Bedfords, having left England a fortnight ago. He served in the South African War. Company Quarter Master Sergeant Mart is a son-in-law of Mrs Allen, who was attached to the 4th Battalion of the Bedfords, but is now with the 12th Battalion, doing yeoman service for his King and country. He has four brothers in the same battalion, who have all reached the rank of sergeant, and another brother in the 1st Battalion, while yet another brother of his is serving in the Navy(1).

Source: Luton News 11th March 1915

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(1) Albert Allen seems to have survived the war; 3/8671 Private Walter Allen, who may the Walter referred to above, died on 10th May 1920 and is buried in Crawley Green Road Cemetery. He is described as attached to 319th Motor Transport Company, Royal Army Service Corps, he was 49 and married to E Allen of 22 Warwick Road, Luton. The Commonwealth War Graves Commission entry for him states that he served in the South African Campaign. Company Sergeant Major Frederick Charles Mart of 4th Battalion was killed in action on 29th April 1917 and is buried in Bailleul Road East Cemetery, Saint-Laurent-Blangy.

Ally Sloper's Cavalry

Tuesday 22nd December 1914: the adjutant of the 1st Battalion tells us that they have had a hard frost during the night. This has added a frosting of ice to the unholy Victoria Sponge of mud and water. Those of us safe abed last night should give thanks for our clean, dry, warm blankets.

The enemy continues to shell the roads leading up to the front line. They are trying to kill men and animals in the wagon and mule trains bringing up food, drinking water, ammunition and other provisions. The adjutant adds that we should spare a thought for the men of the Army Service Corps engaged in this dangerous activity. The ASC is usually looked down on by the fighting troops and dismissed as Ally Sloper's Cavalry(1) so their situation must be quite hazardous for front line troops to be sparing them any thought.

Source: X550/2/5

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(1) Ally Sloper (1867-1916) was a cartoon character of the time, renowned for being lazy and dreaming of useless get-rich-quick schemes.