Capture of a Naval Gun

Wednesday 6th November 1918

The attack begun on 4th continued today. Opposition has been patchy but the weather has continued its relentless opposition, slowing things to a crawl at times. 1st Battalion, Bedfordshire Regiment, after its success at Jolimetz yesterday advanced to a village called la Poyquerie. herethe enemy artillery was their chief opponent. they were shelled out of the village this morning and as dusk was falling a couple of hours ago the same thing happened again. Thirteen casualties have been the result. The adjutant informed me that during operations they captured a six inch naval gun, the sort of thing one would expect to see on a light cruiser.

Source: X550/2/5

Bedfords at Jolimetz

Tuesday 5th November 1918

The advance begun yesterday by our armies continued today. Progress has not been so fast as the top brass might like but this is not down to want of courage or industry by the soldiers. Those of us present last year during the latter stages of the Battle of Passchendaele are minded of conditions then. The roads are practically impassible by continuous, sheeting rain. This makes bringing up the artillery and supplies a very time consuming operation. the rain has also had its effect on the many small brooks in the area, turning them, at times, into veritable torrents. We understand things are as difficult for our American allies south of us, embedded with the French armies but, like our men, they continue to make progress. Rumour has it that the enemy are withdrawing along a line extending from the River Meuse to Condé.

1st Battalion, Bedfordshire Regiment, part of 5th Division was in action today. near Jolimetz, a mile or two south-east of le Quesnoy where yesterday the New Zealanders returned, for a few hours, to the Middle Ages in storming this walled fortress town. Jolimetz is also on the north-west limits of the Forest of Mormal. The Bedfords seized their first objective without opposition but encountered machine gun fire in advancing towards their next objective which, despite casualties, they also took.

Source: X550/2/5

2nd Battalion in Action

Thursday 24th October 1918

Yesterday's successful attack has continued today. At nightfall most of the objectives seem to have been taken and the armies have fought their way, often against grudging and doubty opposition, to the verge of the Germans' defensive line based on the Sambre-Oise Canal and other natural features.

The 1st Battalion, Bedfordshire Regiment, after its success yesterday, has withdrawn to rest and regroup. Today the 2nd Battalion was in action north-east of le Cateau and the adjutant tonight reported that in the last few days the battalion has lost forty men dead and close to two hundred officers and men wounded. However, they have captured around a hundred men, one 4.2 inch and two 77mm artillery pieces, one trench mortar, sixty machine guns and two anti-tank rifles.

Source: X550/3/wd

Beaurain Taken

Wednesday 23rd October 1918

The enemy are reported to have their last defensive line a little to the east of where our armies are currently grouped, close to the border of France and Belgium(1). Accordingly, today, a major assault has been underway. First, Third and Fourth Armies have been at work, though the main effort has been by the Third Army. 

The attack began at 1.20 this morning, with a bright moon but also with ground mist. The 1st Battalion, Bedfordshire Regiment went over the top at 3.20. They were initially  held up by machine gun fire from their right flank but, after the judicious use of mortars, managed to capture the village of Beaurain, two officers and fourteen other ranks were killed and a total of 112 men, including the padre, Rev J B Mayal, were wounded; five men are missing.

The Bedfords were not alone. Fighting was hard in places and at times but this evening it is clear that advances of up to five miles have been made and ,most objectives seem to have been taken.

Source:
X550/2/5


(1) The so-called Hermann positions, based, not on constructed defences but on natural obstacles such as the Sambre-Oise Canal, Schelde Canal and River Selle. 

1st Battalion Moves Up

Tuesday 22nd October 1918

The adjutant of 1st Battalion, Bedfordshire Regiment told me this afternoon that they are at the village of Beaurain, five miles or so north of le Cateau. As noted in yesterday's piece the pace of the advance allows commanders to rotate units, resting those which have been in action and introducing fresh ones for the next attack. The Bedfords are part of 5th Division and have not played a major part in the latter part of the great offensive and so are now fit, rested, trained and ready to take their part in the next attack, probably tomorrow.

Source: X550/2/5

Crossing the Selle

Sunday 20th Octbober

Today Third Army has crossed the River Selle in force, captured the village of Solesmes and taken all its objectives. One of the battalions in involved in this operation was 1st Battalion, Bedfordshire Regiment, whose advance took place without incident. Elsewhere there was heavy fighting but all along the line the enemy has given way. An attack by First Army on the left flank of Third Army has also met with success, though the Canadians, in taking Denain, met with considerable resistance. 

The pattern of strong defence in some parts of the line and a readiness to fall back without a struggle in others, which has been apparent for some weeks, thus continues. It is simply another factor of chance in war, whether the individual soldier will have an easy day or a hard one, will live another day, or lose his life. War seems to be an activity in which luck plays a greater part than in  almost any other.

Source: X550/2/5

More Small Actions

Tuesday 1st October 1918

Today the 1st battalion, Bedfordshire Regiment has moved back to huts at Neuville. They are still close to the action, however. The transport was heavily shelled resulting in the deaths of three horses, with three others being wounded, as well as one man in each category.

Operations at Vendhuile have continued for 2nd Battalion but they are due a relief tonight and a move back to Ronssoy. 4th Battalion duly took their strongpoint, Faubourg-de-Paris which they consolidated before moving back to Cantaing to become battalion in divisional reserve.

Elsewhere the splendid New Zealanders have taken the village of Crevecoeur and other davisions have taken Rumilly. Four other villages have fallen, but at some cost, particularly to the Canadians. The men from the prairies and mountains now have a clear view into Cambrai where it looks as if the enemy are preparing for a fight.

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

After the Lord Mayor's Show

Monday 30th September

As often happens in this war, following the spectacular success yesterday, today has been a much quieter day, with smaller operations being carried on all the way from Ypres southwards. At the Saint-Quentin Canal, after the stunning success by 46th (North Midland) Division yesterday, the enemy has everywhere retired to the east bank which they are continuing to defend stoutly. To the south the French have attempted a crossing of the canal themselves, without success.

Otherwise the actions of today can be exemplified by the three battalions of the Bedfordshire Regiment remaining on the Western Front. The 1st Battalion, which has been in action at Beaucamps moved forward during the day as the enemy retired. 2nd Battalion were ordered to proceed from Ronssoy to Vendhuile to act as moppers-up for an attack but the attack was unsuccessful so they themselves had to attack and clear the village.

4th Battalion was in action on the outskirts of Cambrai. They are in the two squares marked 26 and 27 on the map below. They have been ordered to take the strongpoint named the Faubourg de Paris.

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

Stunning Success at the Saint-Quentin Canal

Sunday 29th September 1918

We have heard that 46th (North Midland) Division has, today, achieved something truly remarkable. This body of troops, which spent part of its time in Luton before going over to France, has not had a good reputation since its failure to make progress on the first day of the Battle of the Somme resulted in the sacking of its commanding officer, major-General Montagu-Stuart Wortley. Today that bad reputation has been wiped away. The division was given the task of crossing the Saint-Quentin Canal in small boats. The canal is thirty-five feet wide and defended by belts of barbed wire both on the banks and in the water. Nevertheless, the men of 137th Brigade not only crossed but stormed the enemy trenches, scattering them. The bridge at Riqueval has been seized intact and the village of Belleglise captured. 32nd Division then advanced through the victorious Midlanders and drove the enemy still further back. The much vaunted Hindenburg Line, our enemy's greatest hope for continuing the war, has been breached.

On their left the Americans of 27th and 30th Divisions - men from New York and from North and South Carolina, Georgia and Tennessee. 27th Division has struggled but 30th Division has done better and the Australians, advancing through the Americans have carried on an advance which has taken Bellicourt. 

Further north Third Army has continued its attacks with the redoubtable Kiwis being particularly successful. Advances have been made all along the line and The Canadians, we hear, are only a mile from the town of Cambrai. 

In the far north operations have continued around Ypres. Messines, Terhand and Dadizeele have all fallen. Everywhere our foe seems to be in retreat. 

In all of this advance on a very broad front the Bedfordshire Regiment has played its part. The 1st Battalion has made progress at minimal cost and 2nd Battalion has returned to the fray at Ronssoy, once more, fighting in Ronssoy Wood.

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

The Fight Goes On

Saturday 28th September 1918

Today the attack by First and Third Armies continued. 57th and 63rd Divisions penetrated the German defences on the line from Marcoing to Cantaing and took the third objective from yesterday. 4th Battalion, Bedfordshire Regiment was still in support after its success yesterday and moved forward to a position near Cantaing in the area marked by a cross on the map above. Yesterday's casualties were one officer and twelve other ranks killed, seven officers and 61 other ranks wounded. Pushing on, the divisions crossed the Schelde Canal and captured Marcoing. Further north the Canadian 3rd Division took Fontaine-Notre-Dame and the left wing of First Army is now level with the left wing of Fourth Army. Today the 1st Bedfords found to their delight that the enemy had evacuated the village of Beaucamps and, in common with other units, moved forward through the ruins.

Further north still a major offensive began today in the shellscape around Ypres. The Belgians and our Second Army, as ever the main axis was the road from Ypres to Menin. Amazingly it has taken just one day for the Belgians to seize Passcehndaele and its ridge, which took our armies four months of the summer and autumn last year. British divisions have managed equally impressive advances - up to five miles. Messines and Wytschaete have been abandoned by the enemy, we understand. All this simply underlines how the allied armies continue to learn new tactics whilst the enemy falters.

The Bedfords in Action Again

Friday 27th September 1918

Two of the three battalions of the Bedfordshire Regiment on the Western Front have been in action today as today has been another all-out effort by First and Third Armies. The Canadians, on the left flank have attacked Bourlon on the old Cambrai battlefield from last November and December and word has just reached us that Bourlon has, indeed, fallen. 11th Division and 56th Division have also captured a number of villages. At its greatest extent the advance has been five miles today.

South of this the battlefield is riven with countless old trenches and gives much better defensive possibilities. Thus 52nd Division has struggled and halted its advance west of Anneux. 63rd (Royal Naval) Division includes the 4th Bedfords. It passed through 52nd Division and attacked Anneux and Graincourt. The Bedfords, like the other attacking troops today had to cross the Canal du Nord (a dry ditch, in effect as the canal was still being built when the war started). They succeeded in this and captured their objective and are now in the position shown above, just west of Graincourt (see the map above) where they are acting as support. The rest of the division finally managed to take the two villages, the second objective, early this evening. 57th Division should now be passing through to attack the third objective, though darkness is falling.

To the south Guards Division, 3rd Division and 62nd Division have all taken ruined villages and have mostly taken their second objectives. 5th Division made an attack south-east of Cambrai towards Villers-Plouich. the 1st Bedfords' objective is shown on the map below and they took it by lunchtime. This afternoon, however, a strong attack caused the battalion to withdraw to the sunken road and evacuate Beaucamps - 2 officers and 19 other ranks have been killed, 6 officers and 96 other ranks wounded, including Captain Riddell, the adjutant. Twenty men are missing tonight.

The only sad note has been the attack by the American 106th Regiment. The Australian general Monash, in command of IX Corps decided to push these troops into a position overlooking the Saint-Quentin Canal but, unfortunately he underestimated the strength of the defences and the Americans could make to headway. So once again, the offensive has not been entirely successful but he who expects all objectives to be gained in this war lives in a fool's paradise and very significant gains have been made, gains which, only three months ago would have been hailed as miraculous. 

Yesterday, well to the south the French and the Americans opened an attack either side of the Argonne Forest. The Americans did well, advancing between two and four miles, though the French did not manage so great an advance progress has been satisfactory and we hear that Montfaucon, at 1,200 feet above sea-level, has fallen to the Americans today. This is very different country to Picardie and Flanders, being hilly and bedecked with thick forest, so any advance is made with great effort.

Almost everywhere on the Western Front the allies are moving forward.

Sources: X550/2/5; X550/5/3

Pause

Wednesday 4th September 1918

After their great advance yesterday the 1st Battalion, Bedfordshire Regiment were relieved overnight. They marched back to Lebucquiere, east of Bapaume, where they have camped. Total casualties yesterday amounted to nine men wounded.

Source: X550/2/5

No Enemy to Attack

Tuesday 3rd September 1918

This morning the 1st Battalion, Bedfordshire Regiment were preparing themselves to attack the enemy east of Bapaume only the find, on reaching their objective that the enemy had abandoned it and withdrawn. The attacking companies, B and D then advanced about four miles until they came in contact with the enemy, when they then dug in.

This seems to suggest that the enemy have done as they did in March 1917 when they withdrew to their Hindenburg Line. If that is the case there may be a lull in the advance as commanders prepare to attack this highly defended position.

Source: X550/2/5

Peronne Falls

Monday 2nd September 1918

More advances have taken place today. Most importantly, perhaps, the Australian Corps has taken the town of Peronne. 5th Division has been one of the attacking formations. 1st Battalion, Bedfordshire Regiment, forms part of 15th Brigade in this division and acted as reserve for this attack east of Fremicourt. Nevertheless, it suffered ninety-four casualties, killed and wounded.

Source: X550/2/5

Longueval Falls

Wednesday 28th August 1918

For the last two days 12th (Eastern) Division has seen hard fighting in a area made infamous at the end of July 1916 - Hardecourt and Maltz Horn Farm south of Guillemont. Today their efforts have been crowned with the capture of Hardecourt. This evening we have heard the good news that with great dash the Welshmen of 38th Division have cleared not only the mess that is Delville Wood but the pathetic ruins of what was once the village of Longueval, a place which took two months to capture in 1916.

In the north the twin villages of Thilloy and Ligny-Thilloy have been heavily bombarded all day. 42nd Division has been brought in to replace 63rd (Royal Naval) Division and the 4th Bedfords have gone to rest up at Miraumont. The 1st Battalion, Bedfordshire Regiment, part of 5th Division is now in the vicinity of Bapaume though not in action. A group of 62 reinforcements joined the battalion today.

Sources: X550/2/5; X550/5/3

Day Three of Attacks on the Somme

Friday 23rd August 1918

Again today the business of war has been transacted by IV Corps in the north, around Achiet-le-Grand V Corps in the centre around Aveluy and Saint-Pierre-Divion and III Corps in the south near Albert and Meaulte. 42nd Division of IV Corps succeeded in taking a position known as the Dovecot near Achiet-le-Petit which was initially captured on 21st and lost to counterattack yesterday. 5th Division took the village of Irles and then attacked Loupart Wood and Grevillers, which, sadly, they were unable to take, whilst 37th Division seized the village of Bihucourt, moving through the line established by 63rd (Royal Naval) Division and 4th Bedfords who are being withdrawn this evening, their task, for the moment, over.

1st Battalion, Bedfordshire Regiment, part of 5th Division, moved up in front of the village of Achiet-le-Petit and went into the attack at eleven o'clock this morning. It secured all its objectives although it suffered quite heavily from machine gun fire. The commanding officer, Lieutenant-Colonel H Courtenay MC has been badly wounded(1), Lieutenants G Abbott, H J A Watson, E I F Nailer, A R C Eaton and R H Arnholz, Second Lieutanants F H Fox and W T Paine have all been killed and two other officers wounded. Altogether the battalion has lost 129 other ranks killed and wounded, a heavier "butcher's bill" than it has had for some time. This evening the battalion will withdraw into the reserve, its job emphatically done. 

The result of these three days of action by IV Corps is to have established the front line east of the railway line between Albert and Arras and almost all the high ground south and west of Bapaume has been taken. Only a ridge running from Loupart Wood through Grevillers to Biefvillers remains in enemy hands. It is reckoned that over two thousand prisoners have been taken along with twenty five pieces of artillery. Readers will be familiar with names such as Bihucourt and Achiet-le-Grand and Petit from the actions of 18th Division in the Spring of 1917 as it is here that Private Christopher Augustus Cox of the 7th Bedfords won the Victoria Cross. To those of us who have been with the armies since 1915 so many of the names of places where actions are currently being fought are horribly familiar.

Last night some soldiers from 38th (Welsh) Division finally managed to cross the marshy River Ancre north of Thiepval Wood. They managed to establish themselves near Saint-Pierre-Divion and, despite enemy counter-attacks have clung on. This morning the rest of the Welsh Division, deployed between the Albert to Bapaume Road and the Ancre attacked and seized Usna Hill meaning they now look towards the pathetic heaps of ruins that mark the sites of the twin villages of Ovillers and la Boisselle.

18th Division has pushed on another thousand yards, in the face of stiff opposition and 3rd Australian Division, again in the teeth of strong opposition has managed a short advance on the north bank of the River Somme towards the south end of Bray-sur-Somme. 2nd Bedfords remain in their positions, having taken no part in today's attack.

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

(1) He died later on that evening and is buried at Bagneux British Cemetery, Gezaincourt. He was just thirty years old.

Albert Retaken

Thursday 22nd August 1918

Today the attacks have continued and to the immense pride of the army our old base at Albert has fallen once more into our hands. V Corps, bogged down in the quagmire around the Ancre to the north of the Somme has made no attack today but it was felt that conditions were suitable for 18th (Eastern) and 38th Divisions to make their attacks. 18th Division began south-west of Albert and 38th Division north-west. 

Overall III Corps began the day astride a piece of high ground known as the Morlancourt Ridge and was tasked with advancing two miles on a four mile front with 18th (Eastern) Division on the left and 3rd Australian Division on the right and in the centre 47th (London) and 12th (Eastern) Divisions. A good deal of softening up of the enemy was undertaken by bombing from the air by the Royal Air Force. 

The attack by 47th Division was over by eight o'clock this morning and achieved little. 12th Division, however, achieved the capture of the town of Meaulte, in happier times, an industrial suburb just south of Albert. The honour of retaking Albert fell to that splendid formation, 18th Division, 54th Brigade to the south, 55th Brigade to the north and the attack was greatly assisted by patrols last evening pushing across the River Ancre and establishing themselves on the road between Albert and Meaulte. Tonight the division is consolidating a line well to the east of the ruined town.

The 2nd Bedfords were in reserve for the attack by 54th Brigade. Colonel Percival is temporarily in command of 54th Brigade so the battalion was led today by Captain W E Aylwin MC. Altogether the battalion reports that it has lost one officer (Second Lieutenant W Whitbourn) and six other ranks killed, Lieutenant G B Reed and 48 other ranks wounded and two other ranks missing.

Like V Corps to the south of it, IV Corps has undertaken little in the way of offensive action today as it consolidates before once more taking up the advance. 1st Bedfords are still in support behind the new front line, where they stopped yesterday and have suffered a heavy bombardment by gas shells in which Lieutenant W M Stanton was wounded and Second Lieutenant H Maw has been killed. Part of the corps has been attacked by the enemy who made initial progress near Achiet-le-Petit but were then driven off.

About 5.30 this morning sentries of the 4th Bedfords noticed about a hundred of the enemy leave huts and advance in a south-westerly direction to attack one of the posts on the left of the battalion's position. Once observed C Company fired on them and reckoned to have killed nine of them. About thirty minutes later another party of the enemy approached a post in front of the battalion's centre held by A Company. they, too, were driven back, though sadly, Second Lieutenant Flory, who was in charge of the post was killed in the firefight. Later in the day strong attacks were made against 7th Battalion, Royal Fusiliers on the Bedfords' flank but were repulsed.

So ends a satisfactory day, with the remains of Albert once more in our hands. It is also a day in which all three of the regiment's remaining battalions on active service in France have been in action.

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

The Attack on the Somme Begins

Wednesday 21st August 1918

The great attack by Third Army got underway early this morning. Two corps have been involved. IV and V. IV Corps have been in action in the northern part of the old Somme battlefield. New Zealand Division, eager not to let their cousins from across the Tasman have all the glory supported the attack by 37th Division. The village of Puisieux quickly fell and the division finally ended its advance a good thousand yards beyond. It was then the turn of 5th Division to the south of Bucquoy. This formation advanced two miles during the day and well to the fore was 1st Battalion, Bedfordshire Regiment

The Battalion went forward at 4.45 in a misty morning. It encountered but slight opposition and the objective was quickly achieved and consolidated as the 1st Battalion, Norfolk Regiment passed through to attack the next objective. Total casualties - killed and wounded were just 46.

The position of the 1st Battalion tonight

63rd (Royal Naval) Division attacked to the north of Bucquoy and the 4th Bedfords were in support to the attack. First, however, they had to get to their attack positions. The adjutant informed me via the telephone that they had considerable difficulty in getting into position near Foncquevillers as the road was blocked by lorries and a tank but they were all in position by 4.15. The attack was made by 189th Brigade and as the Bedfords followed them up the fog made it difficult to see, meaning they became somewhat disorganised. They then followed five tanks to the central part of the railway between Achiet-le-Grand and Miraumont at which point 189th Brigade dug, the Bedfords consolidating the line shown below just west of Achiet-le-Grand

The position of the 4th Bedfords tonight

Further south V Corps were tasked with crossing the River Ancre, of evil memory from the autumn of 1916. 21st Division were around Grandcourt, 17th (Northern) Division at Hamel and 38th (Welsh) Division around Aveluy. The Ancre, it is reported is as much of a swamp today as it was towards the end of 1916. During the day Beaucourt has been taken by 21st Division but the rest of the attack has been unable to make headway because of the marshy nature of the ground, so the Ancre retains its evil name with the army.

Despite this frustration around the Ancre good progress has been made during the day and there is the hope of more steady progress tomorrow.

Sources: X550/2/5; X550/5/3

The Advance Will Continue

Tuesday 20th August 1918

Word is that the great advance will begin again tomorrow, but it will be north of Albert and will be undertaken by Third Army. We understand that among the divisions taking part will 5th Division with 1st Battalion, Bedfordshire Regiment to the fore and 63rd (Royal Naval) Division with 4th Bedfords in the vanguard and 37th Division which contains 1st/1st Battalion, Hertfordshire Regiment which has absorbed 6th Battalion, Bedfordshire Regiment.

Sources: X550/2/5; X550/5/3

1st Bedfords Move East

Monday 19th August

Today has been a wet one, with a driving rain most of the day. We heard from 1st Battalion, Bedfordshire Regiment today that they have moved five miles or so east from Orville to Sailly-au-Bois today. They are moving towards the front and may well be about to take part in a continuation of the great offensive.

Marching in such rain will not have been an entertaining experience. Tonight will not be too pleasant either as Sailly has been hard hit by the war and the battalion is billeted in ruined houses. As the adjutant remarked, any tents with holes in them will be particularly despised tonight.

Source: X550/2/5