Day One Hundred and Thirty Seven on the Somme

Tuesday 14th November 1916 From our Correspondent in the Field

During the day today 4th Bedfords have been counting their losses whilst acting as carrying parties taking bombs, sand-bags and other accoutrements to the men in the front line in front of the village of Beaucourt. This afternoon they withdrew to their second line trenches of yesterday.

The  commanding officer told me today that he reckons nine officers and 57 other ranks were killed yesterday(1). Five officers, including the Medical Officer have been wounded. 108 other ranks have been wounded and 16 are missing. The officers killed were:

• Captain F G C Ashmead-Bartlett
• Lieutenant Bartlett L S Frere
• Lieutenant Richard H Boys
• Lieutenant William A Turnbull
• Second Lieutenant John Brodie
• Second Lieutenant Harold B Hudson
• Second Lieutenant Sydney H Agate
• Second Lieutenant Thomas H Hill
• Second Lieutenant L S Wilkinson

Source: X550/5/3

(1) The total killed actually seems to have been 81.

New Officers for the 2nd Battalion

Friday 26th March 1915: We have just heard that five officers have joined 2nd Battalion, Bedfordshire Regiment to replace casualties received at Neuve Chapelle. The Battalion is currently in reserve trenches at Fauquissart.

Each of the officers has been transferred from another Regiment. From 4th Battalion, North Staffordshire Regiment comes Second Lieutenant E. S. S. Taylor and from 28th Battalion, London Regiment (commonly known as Artists Rifles) come Second Lieutenants: L. F. Beal; R. H. Boys; R. S. Lardner and W. Ramsey(1).

Source: X550/2/5

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(1) Lieutenant E. S. S. Taylor died with 4th Battalion, North Staffordshire Regiment on 9th June 1916 and is buried in Fryerning Cemetery and Lieutenant Richard Harvey Boys was killed in action on 13th November 1916 with 4th Battalion, Bedfordshire Regiment and is buried in Knightsbridge Cemetery, Mesnil-Martinsart.