Memories

Friday 3rd May 1918

Today marks the anniversary of the action at Cherisy which, as the adjutant admitted unhappily, has been the only reverse suffered by the 7th Battalion, Bedfordshire Regiment in this war. Today the battalion is at Avesnes-Chaussoy west of Amiens, training.

Lieutenant-Colonel Collings-Wells

The 4th Battalion, Bedfordshire Regiment is gradually recovering from the hardships and losses of the March retreat, including the action at Bouzincourt Ridge in which they lost their commanding officer, Lieutenant-Colonel Collings-Wells. A few days ago the battalion heard that Lieutenant-Colonel Collings-Wells had been awarded a posthumous Victoria Cross for his leadership during the retreat and his courage immediately before his death. Second-Lieutenant Charles Lovatt, who was killed on 12th April after only eight days with the battalion has also been awarded a posthumous Military Cross; he had previously served with 26th Battalion, Northumberland Fusiliers. The battalion is currently at Talmas, south of Doullens and today welcomed back a working party of four hundred which had been employed at Varennes, a couiple of miles from Bouzincourt.

Sources: X550/5/3; X550/8/1

The Battle of Bouzincourt Ridge

The Basilica at Albert [X550/5/1]


Wednesday 27th March 1918

The unthinkable has indeed happened. Overnight Albert was abandoned to the enemy, for the first time in this war. The decision was made that, symbol or no, the town must be given up and the defences moved to the high ground to the east of the town as well as along the west bank of the River Ancre. Thus the ruins tonight will lie under the Kaiser's jackboot. Those we have spoken to here at Amiens, now the nerve centre of the defence against the German attack, are grimly determined that Albert will not languish long under enemy control. 

Yesterday it was decided to place on man in charge of all allied armies on the Western Front - French, British, Belgian and, eventually, American. Being largely a war fought in France this command has been given to a Frenchman - Marshal Foch. He is said to be a cool-headed, intelligent man and acceptable to Field Marshal Haig. This crisis, the most pressing since the early days of 1914 and the German thrust towards Paris, will certainly test his nerve and abilities to the utmost. 

Looking at the battalions of the Bedfordshire Regiment currently engaged, I have been able to contact each of them. 2nd Battalion came under attack again this morning, and began a fighting withdrawal just after midday. They held the line of a road from Arvillers to Folies and were able to stop any further German attacks in their tracks and remain in this same position this evening.

The 7th Battalion marched to Saint-Aubin this afternoon and form a reserve to 58th Division. The adjutant quoted a letter he had received from General Brecard of 1st Dismounted Cavalry Division, with whom the battalion has been working:  "During the Operations of the 24th/25th March, the 18th Division with two Brigades of Artillery, commanded by General Lee has been put under my orders".

"With regard to this, I wish to bring to your notice the splendid attitude and the brilliant bearing of the 54th Brigade and the 8th and 83rd Artillery Brigades".

"I wish to bear testimony to the perfect "camaraderie" which those General Officers and their units placed under their commands have never ceased to show, as also to the superb bearing of their troops".

"It is thanks to their splendid and dogged defence that I have been able to free on my right a situation often difficult, especially at the time of retirement on to the South Bank of the Oise on the night of 25th/26th March."

Today's main news, however, concerns the 4th Battalion, part of 63rd (Royal Naval) Division. The news is both grave and glorious. The battalion was at Bouzincourt Ridge, overlooking Albert as the town was ceded to the enemy overnight. At 7.30 this morning they attacked the railway line here, to slow the German advance. Your correspondent managed to speak with one of the senior officers - Captain FT Spicer who reported as follows: "At 6.30 pm yesterday orders were received to move at once in advance guard formation to Bouzincourt, which was reached at 8 pm. During the evening the enemy, attacking in mass formation, had gained Albert and had obtained a footing in Aveluy Wood. Small parties of the enemy had advanced on Bouzincourt but had been driven back just before we arrived".

"At midnight we moved from the village onto the high ground to the east, preparatory to an attack".

"About 7.30 a.m., in conjunction with troops on the right and left, we attacked, drove the Germans off the high ground and regained the Albert-Arras railway near Aveluy".

"At first all went well. The Germans were driven back down the Ancre valley to the railway, where for a long time the fighting was confused. After desperate fighting, during which the bayonet was freely used, the railway was reached in several places, and by bombing outwards the whole of the railway was made good".

"Meanwhile large parties of Germans debouched from Albert and counter-attacked the right flank. The arrival of some machine guns, however, saved the situation and forced the Germans to retire back into the town".

"Throughout the afternoon and evening strong counter-attacks under cover of a heavy artillery and trench mortar fire (the enemy was very quick in bringing up trench mortars) were made. These attacks followed rapidly one after the other and were only repulsed after the most bitter fighting. The enemy suffered heavily from our rifle and machine gun fire".

"During one of these attacks a trench mortar bomb fell and exploded in the shell hole from which Lieutenant-Colonel Collings-Wells was directing the operation".

This attack has come at great cost. Your correspondent spoke yesterday to the battalion's commanding officer, Lieutenant-Colonel Collings-Wells. Tonight he lies in earth, killed just as Captain Spicer relates. Major Nunneley, Second Lieutenant Macklin and Second Lieutenant Soames were also killed. Captain Plumbly is now in command of the battalion(1)

This evening has come a surprise statement. At five o'clock General Sir Hubert Gough was relieved of command of Fifth Army and will be replaced by Sir Henry Rawlinson tomorrow. This great German offensive has been aimed largely at Fifth Army and it seems as if Sir Hubert has paid the price for its success so far. Ironically, many officers to whom my colleagues and I have spoken feel that the capture of Albert will be about the limit of this advance. The enemy is not moving so quickly as he did a few days ago, nor getting so far. His troops are obviously tired, their supplies stretched and their momentum appears to be slowing. let us hope so.

Sources: X550/3/wd; X550/5/1; X550/5/3; X550/8/1

(1) The action took place just south of Bouzaincourt Ridge Cemetery, where today some of the battalion, including Collings-Wells and Soames lie buried. On 23rd April The London Gazette carried the following citation for a posthumous Victoria Cross awarded to John Stanhope Collings-Wells: "For most conspicuous bravery, skilful leading and handling of his battalion in very critical situations during a withdrawal. When the rearguard was almost surrounded and in great danger of being captured, Lieutenant Colonel Collings-Wells, realising the situation, called for volunteers to remain behind and hold up the enemy whilst the remainder of the rearguard withdrew, and with his small body of volunteers held them up for one and half hours until they had expended every round of ammunition. During this time he moved freely amongst his men guiding and encouraging them, and by his great courage undoubtedly saved the situation. On a subsequent occasion, when his battalion was ordered to carry out a counter-attack, he showed the greatest bravery. Knowing that his men were extremely tired after six days' fighting, he placed himself in front and led the attack, and even when twice wounded refused to leave them but continued to lead and encourage his men until he was killed at the moment of gaining their objective. The successful results of the operations were, without doubt, due to the undaunted courage exhibited by this officer."

Albert in Danger

The situation this evening - the original front line is shown in black and the enemy gains in red

Tuesday 26th March 1918

Well, it seems as if the 2nd Bedfords did have the best of luck I wished them last evening. Falling back through Moyencourt they reached Solente where, glory of glories, they found buses awaiting them. These carried them to Roye-Eglise and, after a short rest on to Arvillers where they spent the rest of the night.

About noon today they moved forward from Arvillers taking up a position along the road from Bouchoir to Rouvroy.-en-Santerre. Here they have remained, untroubled by any further enemy advance, though the Germans could be seen passing through the hamlet of le Quesnoy about a mile in front of them.

Meanwhile, 4th Battalion are still in old haunts, familiar from the winter spent on the Somme battlefield. They have been in Aveluy Wood, north of Albert, before marching to Englebelmer. Just as I spoke with Lieutenant-Colonel Collings-Wells new orders were received to advance to Bouzincourt. The unthinkable may be at hand, Albert, the railhead and hub around which all those titanic struggles of 1916 raged, is under grave threat of falling to the enemy. Albert has come to symbolise our commitment to this struggle, almost as much as Ypres. The famous golden virgin atop the basilica has been at a supine angle since October 1915, half way to falling from the tower, but never quite doing so. It is prophesied in the army that when it falls the war will end and the side that shoots it down will lose(1)

Eleswhere the 7th Battalion, after its victory at Baboeuf yesterday has been galled by having to give up its prize. The enemy was in the rear of its left flank and had nearly reached the beautiful cathedral city of Noyon. So, grumbling incessantly, the men evacuated Baboeuf early this morning and retired across the River Oise, marching eight miles before billeting for the day. Mid-afternoon saw them on the march again, reaching the village of Nampcel, and then Mesnil where they have halted for the night.

In a wire the commanding officer has sent me the casualties to date, as far as they are known:

(a) Officers

1 Killed (Second Lieutenant W O P Winmill)

4 Wounded (Captain W W Colley, Second Lieutenant R S Heard, Second Lieutenant N C E Cockburn, Second Lieutenant C H Pierce)

1 Wounded and Missing (Second Lieutenant R A Stiles)

1 Missing (Second Lieutenant R W Coutts)(2)

(b) Other Ranks

Killed: 22

Wounded: 140

Wounded and Missing: 4

Missing: 99

Sources: X550/3/wd; X550/5/3; X550/8/1

(1) It was finally dislodged and brought crashing down by British shells in April - so much for the prophecy.
(2) Westropp Orbell Peyton Winmill, educated at Bedford School, was killed on 23rd March and has no known grave, being commemorated on the Pozieres Memorial

Conscription in America

Lieutenant-Colonel Collings-Wells

Wednesday 6th June 1917

The adjutant of 4th Battalion, Bedfordshire Regiment, has let us know that their commanding officer, Lieutenant-Colonel J S Collings-Wells has been temporarily placed in command of 190th Infantry Brigade in the absence of Brigadier-General H W E Finch. During his absence Major G P Nunneley has taken over command of the Battalion(1).

We have heard heartening news from across the Atlantic, conscription having been introduced yesterday in the United States of America. The American army is small, smaller than was ours in 1914, so this step is necessary to bring it up to suitable strength to tackle the Germans on the Western Front. Naturally, it will take time to train these men. Experience with our own forces suggests it takes about a year from the time a man enlists to the time he and his unit is ready to be sent overseas - many new units were raised in our country in August 1914 and most did not come to France and Flanders until July 1915. With the advent of conscription it should mean that, provided ourselves and our French and Belgian allies have not dealt a knock-out blow to the Kaiser before then, the Germans will find themselves swamped by vast numbers of American troops in early summer 1918.

Source: X550/5/3

(1) Both men would be killed in action on 27th March 1918, Collings-Wells being awarded a posthumous Victoria Cross for gallantry.

8th Bedfords Back in the Front Line

German 76 mm trench mortar at IWM Duxford

Sunday 10th December 1916: From our Correspondent in the Field

The adjutant of the 8th Battalion, Bedfordshire Regiment, spoke to me this evening and told me that his battalion is back in the front line again at Givenchy-lès-la-Bassée. The enemy trench mortars have been noticeably more aggressive than they were in the Battalion’s last tour.

Temporary Major John Stanhope Collings-Wells is, at the moment, in command of the 4th Battalion, Bedfordshire Regiment at Nouvion-en-Ponthieu. We have heard that he has been promoted to Acting Lieutenant-Colonel whilst he commands the Battalion.

Sources: X550/5/3; X550/9/1