Death Comes to the Feast

Second Lieutenant R L V Doake [X550/1/82]

Tuesday 27th June 1916: The adjutant of 7th Battalion reports that the British bombardment continued yesterday but the Germans were also active, retaliating heavily on the British lines near Carnoy. One German shell fell in C Company Officers’ Mess, killing Second Lieutenants Baden and Hasler and wounding Captain Clegg and Second Lieutenants Doake and Johnson(1)

Source: X550/8/1

(1) Evelyn Walter James Johnson died of wounds on 20th July 1916 and is buried Saint-Sever Cemetery, Rouen, aged 19

A Successful Raid

Thursday 27th April 1916: Captain Bridcutt, adjutant of the 7th Battalion, Bedfordshire Regiment, tells us that last night they engaged in raid of enemy trenches. Such raids are commonplace and are aimed at destroying sections of enemy trenches, killing enemy soldiers and capturing prisoners for information as well as information gleaned by the raiders themselves. They are also designed to lower the morale of the enemy and to retain command of no man’s land between the two lines of trenches.

We understand that a communiqué has been sent by 54th Infantry Brigade to The Times for publication in a few days’ time. It says: "Last night the Bedfordshire Regiment carried out a very successful raid near Carnoy. The raiding party rushed the trenches and after fierce hand to hand fighting drove the remaining Germans into their dugouts and bombed them there. Our casualties - eight wounded, all brought in. German loss considerable."

The General officer Commanding 54th Infantry Brigade is of opinion that in publishing the name of the Regiment in the newspaper, which up to now has scarcely ever been done, a high honour has been conferred on the Battalion. The British Communiqué has also been published in all French papers.

Source: X550/8/1