Seventy Eighth Day of the Third Battle of Ypres

Tuesday 16th October 1917

The adjutant of 1st Battalion, Bedfordshire Regiment, tells us that today the officers and sergeants have taken part in a ‘war game’ using toy soldiers on a large model near Battalion Headquarters. This war game was called “The Taking of Polderhoek Chateau” to make them aware of the latest thinking on offensive tactics as well as the latest observations on defence by the enemy. This afternoon the officers have taken on the other ranks in a game of rugby and tonight there will be a concert for the battalion.

6th Battalion Bedfordshire Regiment has been reinforced. One officer, Lieutenant E S Dyer, and ninety other ranks have arrived to swell the ranks.

Sources: X550/2/5; X550/7/1

Colonel Monteith’s Good Work

Wednesday 29th September 1915: Colonel Monteith, commanding officer of the 2nd Bedfords, tells us more of his experiences at Loos. It seems that the front line is quite a nervous place to be at present, he told us – that units from the King’s Royal Rifle Corps and Worcestershire Regiment are “rather nervy, passing down a lot of silly messages” which he has put a stop to.

He told us that there is: “A lot of shelling going on”. So he went round the trenches and found that A Company had done nothing to improve their firing positions. He could not find the Company Commander, Captain de Buriatte only “Poor little Dyer asleep, woke him and told him what to do”(1).

He came back to find the General Staff Officer of 1st Army- Robinson – with whom he had a run-in yesterday about the defence scheme. He was “in a very panicky state rather inclined to hang me but on learning that I had a line in front and that my proposal was to fire with second line behind parapet he became easier. I saw him out to the front”.

After he got something to eat: “News has come in that French have broken through and are fighting the Huns in the open!(2) I also heard, inadvertently, that Brigade are very pleased with my work. Pip! Pip!”

Source: X550/3/wd

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(1) Second Lieutenant E F S Dyer, who joined the Battalion on 13th July 1915 and was to go home wounded on 13th October 1915.

(2) Sadly untrue

Three Pals - All Dead

Wellington Street, Luton [Z1306/75/10/61/6]

Thursday 3rd December 1914: It has come to our attention that three Luton men, all friends and serving with the 1st Battalion, Bedfordshire Regiment, have all been killed within six weeks of each other. Private Lewis Dyer who, until called up, resided with his sister Mrs. Hughes, of 143 Wellington Street, Luton was killed on action on 26th October. Private H. Fensome, formerly of Maple Road was killed in action on 15th September and Private Hankin of Ivy Road died of wounds on 30th October.

Lewis Dyer (left) and Alfred Hankin (right) [Z1516/4]

Private Dyer and Private Hankin were great chums, in fact they were as close as two brothers. They worked at Frenay Pirotte’s dye-works until called up and were nearly always together in their spare time. Private Dyer was born at Eaton Bray and lived for a time in Totternhoe with his grandmother. He enlisted and served eight years abroad including India, Africa and Bermuda. He came out on the Reserve a year and five months ago. He was 31 years of age last June. A younger brother, Sid Dyer, left Luton last Saturday with the 5th Bedfords in which he enlisted about nine weeks ago (1)

Source: Luton News 3rd and 10th December 1914

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(1) Happily he seems to have survived the war