Day Eighty Six on the Somme

Sunday 24th September 1916: From our Correspondent in the Field

The adjutant of the 1st Battalion tells me they are at Arrowhead Copse this evening, south-west of Guillemont and not far from their triumph at Falfemont Farm. They will go into action again tomorrow, using the assembly trenches east of Ginchy which they helped to dig on 20th. These are at the small squares immediately south-west of “9” on the map above.

Their task is to help take the village of Morval to the east-north-east. They will seize the second objective after 1st Norfolks have taken the first. 1st Cheshires will then drive on to the third objective, the village itself. The second objective is the sunken road immediately west of Morval shown on the map above.

56th (London) Division failed in an attempt to link up with the French today near Combles. 6th Division repulsed a German attack and an attack by 23rd Division near le Sars was thwarted. 

Source: X550/2/5

Day Sixty Six on the Somme

Monday 4th September 1916: From our Correspondent in the Field

Readers will recall that last night’s despatch was sent as the 1st Battalion, Bedfordshire Regiment, was attacking Falfemont Farm. Their area of attack lay between this farm and Wedge Wood (which lies to the north-west)with 1st Battalion, Cheshire Regiment on their right flank. The attack actually got under way, the adjutant tells me, at 6.15 pm last evening and their objective lay across one thousand yards of open ground. Unfortunately the artillery barrage, behind which they were supposed to advance, had gone a long way forward by the time they started. 

In fact the attack veered a little to the left and they occupied a position between Wedge Wood, which had been taken, and a sunken lane running along its western edge, thus, by mistake, occupying part of the objective of the neighbouring 95th Brigade. By extending the line the Bedfords linked up with the Cheshires west of Falfemont Farm, each battalion holding a very long frontage of 1,200 yards each. Strong patrols were then pushed forward after dark and one managed to entrench about thirty yards from the enemy front line “in a very creditable manner” as the adjutant remarked to me. Two other patrols captured four prisoners between them. No patrols suffered any casualties.

Sadly this was not true of the bulk of the Battalion. All morning its positions were shelled by our own artillery, despite requests to desist. As the adjutant told me, with some anger “Finally two of the forward trenches had to be evacuated as the men were all being buried. In doing so the enemy opened with machine guns on them and there were several casualties. Quite apart from its morale effect some thirty men were will or wounded by our own guns”.

Misfortune also befell the enemy as the battalion continued its attack of yesterday: “In one instance a bomb set fire to a German bomb store. A whole company was sheltering in a dug-out with three entrances, according to the statements of two survivors: not many escaped”. The Bedfords captured 3 officers, 128 other ranks and 4 machine guns this morning and, in all reckon to have captured around 160. The final line reached and consolidated stretches from the northern corner of Falfemont Farm for 300 yards north-west across a plateau towards Wedge Wood. Thus the Bedfords succeeded in taking north corner of the farm and the west corner was also taken. Unfortunately other attacks failed to capture the bulk of the farm itself. Nevertheless, this is a significant achievement by the battalion, as the Germans only cede ground very unwillingly, as the intense fighting around Mouquet Farm in the last few weeks shows. The Australians have still failed to take it. So, despite severe casualties, satisfaction is felt by the survivors.

Elsewhere 20th (Light) Division occupied most of Leuze Wood and 7th Division attacked Ginchy without success

Source: X550/2/5

Day Thirty Two on the Somme

Tuesday 1st August 1916 From our Correspondent in the Field

The 1st Battalion Bedfordshire Regiment was completely relieved in Longueval by 1st Battalion, Cheshire Regiment at 10 pm last night and returned to the Pommiers Redoubt near Montauban. They have been shelled at intervals and three men have been wounded. All told this second venture into Longueval has cost the battalion 10 officers and 188 other ranks dead and wounded.

The 2nd Battalion remains behind the lines at The Citadel near Albert. A new officer has joined them today, Second Lieutenant R Timberlake.

Second Lieutenant Timberlake

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

Day Twenty Eight on the Somme

Friday 28th July 1916 From our Correspondent in the Field

At 9 pm last night C Company of 1st Bedfords in Longueval tried to establish itself on the line of the north-south road running through the village but was forced to withdraw. In the end 15th Brigade, including 1st Bedfords, were relieved in Longueval by 95th Brigade and a section of the rubble much disputed yesterday has been occupied without opposition. Of 23 officers and 807 men going into action the battalion has lost 9 officers and 303 men killed and wounded.

We have seen a communication from 15th Brigade congratulating those involved in the fighting in Longueval yesterday. It reads: “The Brigadier-General Commanding wishes to express to all ranks of the Brigade his great admiration at the magnificent manner in which they captured the Village of Longueval yesterday(1)”.

“To the 1st Norfolk Regiment and the 1st Bedfordshire Regiment and some of the 16th Royal Warwickshire Regiment, who were able to get into the enemy with the bayonet, he offers his heartiest congratulations. He knows it is what they have been waiting and wishing for for many months”.

“The 1st Cheshire Regiment made a most gallant and determined effort to reach their objective and failed through no fault of their own”.

“The way in which the Troops behaved under the subsequent heavy bombardment was worthy of the best traditions of the British Army”.

“The Brigade captured 4 Officers and 159 other ranks”.

The 1st Field Company, East Anglian Royal Engineers lost two men killed and four wounded today. They have been continuing work to ameliorate the British positions in Delville Wood, working almost in the centre of that shattered waste of trees.

Source: X550/2/5; X550/WD3

(1)  An exaggeration, as we have seen.

1st Bedfords’ Dispositions

Kaiser Wilhelm II

Wednesday 27th January 1915: we have heard that the 1st Battalion is quite spread out at the moment. It has been behind the lines at Dranouter but today has moved forward to the vicinity of Lindenhoek in support of our front line. Near a crossroads, in a group of farm buildings, are posted the headquarters, C and D Companies. A Company is closer to the front supporting the 1st Battalion, Cheshire Regiment whilst B Company supports 1st Battalion.

The reason for this movement is that we expect a German attack. Their Kaiser is 56 today and it would not be surprising if his birthday was the excuse for an attack.

A draft of sixty non commissioned officers and private soldiers has also joined the battalion today. This will make good some of the losses the battalion suffered in November last as well as losses incurred since.

Source: X550/2/5

Another German Attack at Ypres

Saturday 14th November 1914: the adjutant of the 1st Battalion tells us that the Germans have made another attack in their locality, a severe one, rather than the more piecemeal attacks of the last fortnight or so. They broke through the front line on the left of the Battalion which was ordered to withdraw 300 yards to take up a new position to be in alignment with the unit driven back. It is believed that the crack unit of the German army - the Prussian Guard - were involved in this attack.

About 4 pm the Germans managed to enfilade the 1st Battalion, Cheshire Regiment's position, firing all down their line from the flank. This caused them to retire still further back. This left the Bedfords' advanced trench "in the air", in other words, its flank did not rest on another unit because that unit had retired. In this advanced trench hard fighting is taking place even as the adjutant talks to us. He believes Lieutenant Pope and ten men have been taken prisoner, but with the onset of darkness it is very hard to be certain.

Source: X550/2/5

Germans!

Countryside at Rue d'Ouvert

Thursday 22nd October 1914: We hear today from Bury Saint Edmunds Magistrates that a man from Luton serving in the 5th Battalion, Bedfordshire Regiment, has been sent to prison. His name is Rudolph R. Baukey and he is a German. He had failed to register as required by the Aliens’ Registration Order 1914. When challenged Baukey said: “I know I have done wrong. I am a German and have not taken out naturalisation papers. I saw about it in the papers and did not like to let the people know I was a German and put it off until it was too late”. As Luton is a centre of the straw hat trade there are a great many Germans in the town and it has not been unusual for them to join the Territorial Army. Baukey is a good clarinet player and was a great addition to the battalion’s band. Baukey pleaded guilty and was sentenced to three months’ imprisonment, half the maximum term for such an offence.

                                                       

The adjutant of the 1st Bedfords tells us that they have been ordered to move from Givenchy-lès-la-Bassée north-east to Chapelle Saint-Roch and report to 13th Brigade where they will be ordered to assist in an attack on the village of Violaines towards dusk.

Our contact with the battalion has just spoken with us to tell us about an abortive operation which has cost the lives of seventeen men. It appears that the Germans pre-empted our planned attack: “I could just see Germans rushing towards us and off fights going on in various places and shouts of “Don’t fire, we are your own men!” evidently from the Germans”.

“I ran back pursued by a batch of Germans through a barn and came up against a barbed wire fence about seven feet high. I got through this somehow, being pulled from the other side by Company Sergeant Major Sharpe who turned up torn, and torn, bleeding and with all my breeches torn off, got to ground”.

“We collected a party of men and then I made for a cross-roads where I reorganised what was left of the Company and got up to hold the Main Line of Defence. The whole thing was a tremendous muddle but for the time being the Germans never got further than our temporary line”.

“It appears that the Germans had rushed the 1st Battalion, Cheshire Regiment in the darkness and had managed to clear them out of Violaines almost without a shot being fired, as it was done so quickly. Few of the Cheshires got back to us. The Germans had then rushed on to us about a mile back with a few of the Cheshire and were met by our two front platoons”.

“We eventually worked our way collecting stragglers and got a semblance Company back consisting of various units. We then reformed and when we had the men together, started to try and get the trenches back. Of the whole Company I can only muster about forty. Any form of advance was met by appalling fire so we lay low and were eventually relieved by the Manchesters and Worcesters. We then collected as many of the Company as possible, about sixty all told, and got into ditches in support of the Manchesters in the village of Rue d’Ouvert. No appreciable advance was made however”.

Luton News 29th October 1914; X550/2/5; X550/2/7