No Truce This Time

Sunday 7th March 1915: A Sergeant of the 2nd Battalion, Bedfordshire Regiment, tells us that when they were in the trenches about a month ago (at Fleurbaix): "The Germans shouted: "Are you all Bedfords? We are the 115th". It appears that they are the same lot that were facing us at Christmas time when we had the truce. They also told us to look out for February 18th (the blockade date). Of course our men gave them some decent replies, you can  bet. Some of our fellows get nasty wounds, but are quite cheerful. Last night a man got shot right through the neck. It was a very lucky escape for him. Another half-inch would have killed him outright, but all he said was "Would you mind binding me up, please?" He managed to walk to the dressing station, about 500 yards in the rear of the trenches"(1)

Source: Bedfordshire Standard 12th March 1915

---

(1) Instances of the Germans shouting out to the British soldiers in trenches opposite are well attested, as is their habit of welcoming new units into the line by name. Not unnaturally this inspired thoughts of traitors in the British ranks, as it was probably meant to do. In fact the Germans were tapping unscrambled telephone lines running back from the British front line to headquarters.

The Canadians Join the Fray

5th Canadian Battalion cap badge

Sunday 28th February 1915: The Adjutant of the 2nd Battalion tells us that the Canadians have arrived at the Front Line. On 1st August last, three days before this country declared war, the Governor General of our gallant Dominion, the Duke of Connaught and Strathearn (Queen Victoria's third son) and Lord Kitchener requested that Canada form an infantry division for war service on 7th August. The division arrived in France on 15th of this month and is now being introduced into the trenches.

The 2nd Battalion are currently in front line trenches south-west of Fleurbaix. Officers of the 5th (Western Cavalry) and 7th (1st British Columbia) Canadian Infantry Battalions were shown round the billets and the four company commanders of each battalion went into the trenches to familiarise themselves with them. No doubt when it comes time for the regiment's own service battalions, currently training in England, to go to France later this year they will go through the same procedure.

Source: X550/3/wd

A Fortess Completed

Friday 12th February 1915: the Adjutant of the 2nd Battalion tells us that it is now possible for the first time to move all along the trenches occupied by the Battalion by day. The Battalion is south-west of Fleurbaix, itself south-west of Armentières, at the moment where the ground is almost completely flat. This gives the enemy a clear view making it suicide to be seen out in the open.

Up to this point part of the front line, presently occupied by Captain Shearman with C Company, has been isolated from the remainder, with no safe, deep, trench between them. This, of course, has rendered them very vulnerable to an enemy attack which, fortunately, has not taken place. Now, with better, drier weather, it has been possible to dig a trench of sufficient depth between the two points to give a continuous front line.

Source: X550/3/wd

Trench Foot

Trench foot

Thursday 28th January 1915: We are glad to report that no attack was made by the Germans yesterday, despite it being their Kaiser’s birthday. The 2nd Bedfords are currently at Pont-de-la-Justice near Fleurbaix and out of the firing line. They have just held a parade to determine battalion strength, the numbers being 721 fighting men and 58 transport – a total of 779.

A battalion at full strength should muster just over one thousand men so it will be seen that the 2nd Battalion is some way under strength. There are a number of reasons for this. Some of the losses in the severe fighting of last October have still to be made good. Some men will have been detached to assist in other activities such as guarding stores, bridges and the like. In addition, we are in the depths of winter and, moreover, a winter which has been very cold and wet so a good number of men will be incapacitated by severe colds and chills, rheumatism and a condition known as trench foot.

This latter complaint comes from standing around in trenches which are full of water. The feet never get dry and the soldier loses feeling in them. They can become red or blue due to insufficient blood supply reaching them and they can begin to swell. In the worst cases the foot actually starts to rot as tissue dies because not enough blood has reached it.  It may swell up and gangrene may set in, resulting in amputation.

How and why the condition develops is not fully known and so preventing it is something of a lottery. Ideally the feet would be kept dry and warm but in the trenches this is not possible. However, regular inspections can catch the problem in its early stages and remedial action can be taken, such as ensuring the man is kept out of the worst sections of the trenches until the condition clears up. The men are encouraged to remove boots and socks whenever they can, drying their feet and replacing drenched socks with dry ones. Keeping stints in the wettest trenches to a bare minimum, one or two days, also helps to keep the problem within manageable bounds.

Source: X550/2/wd

A New Commander for the 2nd Bedfords

Tuesday 12th January 1915: readers will be familiar with the 2nd Bedfords’ commanding officer, Major William Henry Denne. He remains with the battalion but now as second-in-command, the new commanding officer being Major Cranley Charlton Onslow.

The battalion is currently in trenches south-west of Fleurbaix. It is very wet here and the trenches are full of water. Yesterday the battalion received four semi-rotary pumps, two of them of a type used by the French. We hope they will be able to stem the flow of water converting trenches into streams.

Source: X550/3/wd

New Year’s Day

Bailleul

Friday 1st January 1915: The commanding officer of 2nd Battalion has told us that there has been no repeat of the fraternisation with the enemy which happened over Christmas. The Battalion is once again in the front line near Fleurbaix and last night they heard the Germans singing songs and saw lighted Christmas trees on the enemy parapets. They evidently welcomed the New Year in by Berlin time because at 11 o’clock they rang bells in the villages behind their lines.

One or two of the Battalion’s companies decided to respond to the Germans’ festivities and did this to the tune of a burst or rapid fire from their rifles aimed at the enemy positions. Indignant yells were heard from across the way.

The 1st Battalion is behind the lines at the moment. It is billeted in the French town of Bailleul near the Belgian border and is in Divisional Reserve. The men are given exercise in the form of short route marches and drills.

Sources: X550/3/wd; X550/2/5; The Story of the Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire Regiment (The 16th Regiment of Foot) Volume II 1914-1958

The Christmas Truce

H de Buriatte [X550/1/81]

Friday 25th December 1914: The commanding officer of the 2nd Battalion has been speaking with our news desk, telling us something which, to our minds, is not only strange and noteworthy but quite wonderful in the light it throws on our human condition. The battalion is in front line trenches near Fleurbaix and last night, about eight o’clock, the Germans were heard singing in their trenches celebrating the fact that it was Christmas Eve.

There were numerous lights on their parapets apparently suspended from Christmas trees. A voice shouted from their trenches in English and could be heard quite distinctly: "I want to arrange to bury the dead. Will someone come out and meet me?" A number of dead bodies, naturally, litter no man’s land between the two front lines at any one time, sometimes more, sometimes fewer, depending on whether there has been an attack, or whether a raid or patrol has been intercepted or whether man have been killed in the dangerous nightly task of checking the barbed wire in front of their own trenches.

In the event the commanding officer despatched Second Lieutenant H. de Buriatte with three men under a flag of truce. In the middle of no man’s land they met with five Germans, the leader of whom spoke excellent English but was not an officer. He said he had lived in Brighton and in Canada. This German said they wished to bury about twenty four of their dead but would not do so at night as they were afraid that their artillery might open fire as they were jumpy about activity in no man’s land under cover of darkness. They could not stop their artillery doing this and it would not be fair to our men! As a result it was decided that no arrangement was made at the time.

Second Lieutenant de Buriatte struck up a conversation with the German, who gave him a postcard with the following information. The addressee was in the 12th Company, 3rd Battalion, 15th Infantry Regiment, 26th Infantry Brigade, VII Army Corps. The men also had the number 15 on their shoulder straps. The red band round their Caps was covered with grey cloth. This is astounding as such information is usually just the sort of thing that one side seeks to hide from another!

At ten o’clock this morning a German officer and two men, all of whom were unarmed, came out of their trenches with a white flag and were met by Captain H. C. Jackson and asked to be permitted to bury their dead. The Bedfords said they would not fire till 11.30 to give them time to go about their mournful task and this was done. The commanding officer of 2nd Battalion explained: “My men had already buried some of the dead last night. It was noticed that the German trenches were strongly held, there being a large number of men sitting on the parapet during the time the bodies were being buried. The men were a young lot from 19-25 years, well turned out and clean. I had given strict orders that none of my men were to go towards the enemy's lines without definite orders and that no one except those on duty were to be looking over the parapet. No Germans were allowed to come near our trenches. The German wire was closely inspected”.

During this time of unofficial truce, one of the 2nd Battalion’s Company Sergeant Majors was speaking to a German when an elderly officer passed. This German said they were very comfortable in a nice village behind but did not give the name! He seemed surprised that our troops were not an elderly Reserve class. The general impression was that the Germans had had enough and were anxious for the War to come to an end. Such events as this, we understand, have taken place all over those sectors of the front line held by or men, but not in those areas held by the French. The Germans’ behaviour seems extraordinary but the C. O. of the 2nd Battalion explains that a large percentage of the 15th Infantry Regiment seem to originate from Saxony. Apparently it is well known that the Saxons do not make very efficient or aggressive soldiers, in contrast to the swaggering Prussians or the murderous men from Württemburg. This reminds us that Germany was a group of different states – Bavaria, Westphalia, Prussia, Saxony, Württemburg and so on until formed together in a single nation state as recently as 1871.

The colonel of the 1st Battalion reports the receipt of Christmas cards from Their Majesties the King and Queen, which were distributed to all ranks of the Battalion as were brass tins containing chocolate or tobacco and other comforts – a present from Her Royal Highness Princess Mary. For them too it has been a quiet day, the Germans semaphoring over that they were not going to fire. No mention is made of any fraternisation with the enemy and so, presumably, there has been none.

We understand that fraternisation, such as that between 2nd Battalion and the German 15th Regiment has caused dismay in the upper echelons of the British Expeditionary Force. No doubt the top brass will feel it is something calculated to diminish the men’s martial spirit. In some cases, we believe, British units have engaged their enemies opposite in impromptu games of football in no man’s land!

No doubt there are two views to be taken of this. One view is that it is indeed to be deplored - a war for the very existence of civilization is under way. The Germans are the men who have committed acts of barbarism on civilians in both Belgium and France – mass murder, rape, looting and arson. Our men will need to be tough indeed to deal defeat to such a foe. The other view is that the men on both sides are just that – men, with all their faults and virtues – some, on both sides, will be very bad characters indeed, others will be full of decency, most will be somewhere in between, veering from one to the other at different times. Christmas marks the birth of our Saviour who died for all our sins, so a cessation of killing at such a time is a thing to be treasured – showing that there is still some spirit of peace abroad in the world. We invite readers to decide their own view for themselves.

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

To Attack or Not to Attack?

Friday 18th December 1914: the 2nd Battalion have been in billets at Pont de Nieppe near Fleurbaix since 13th of this month, acting as III Corps Reserve after a spell in the front line. Yesterday they were told to be in readiness to support an attack by 10th Infantry Brigade of 4th Division (1st Battalion, Royal Warwickshire Regiment, 2nd Battalion, Seaforth Highlanders, 1st Battalion Royal Irish Fusiliers and 2nd Battalion, Royal Dublin Fusiliers) but this did not, in the event, take place.

This morning the battalion has marched back to Fleurbaix, further behind the lines, hoping for a rest after the nervous strain of waiting to make an attack yesterday. However, we hear that they have now been told they will proceed to the front line trenches at dusk in preparation to support an attack by 2nd Battalion, Yorkshire Regiment. C Company will be particularly busy as they have been given the task of taking an advanced German trench on the right of the Yorkshires’ attack. We are awaiting news of how events play out and praying that casualties will be light.

The commanding officer of 1st Battalion reports that Wijschate is still under attack from British troops. The village lies on a low ridge which, in this flat country, gives some vantage point to overlook the enemy lines. A heavy bombardment has been kept up all day and at intervals the two companies of the 1st Battalion in the front line have been ordered to give rifle fire in support. It is expected that the two companies in the rear will be brought up as reinforcements this evening. The battalion has been shelled on and off by the Germans all day.

Source:X550/2/5;  X550/3/wd

On Parade

Sir Thompson Capper

Friday 4th December 1914: The 2nd Battalion has been inspected by the General Officer Commanding 7th Division – Major-General Thompson Capper at Fleurbaix. The general had organised the parade in order to congratulate the battalion on its conduct during the fierce battles around Ypres in October and November.

The general took the opportunity to express his satisfaction and pleasure with the battalion’s turnout and appearance and said how pleased he was to see it returned to full strength. Since landing in France the battalion has suffered many casualties – 105 of them killed in action and 31 who have died of wounds as well as several hundred wounded.

General Capper admitted that at Ypres the battalion had been put to a very severe test – holding the line against three times their own number of enemy soldiers at times. He went on to express his admiration for their steadiness and courage, particularly that of the other ranks in view of the high percentage of casualties to officers leaving them, at times, leaderless. The general concluded by stating that Ypres had not been a victory as the enemy had not yet been pushed out of Belgium, most of which is now in their clutches but he had every confidence that that victory will come and that the 2nd Battalion will do further credit to the name of the regiment and of the British Army.

Meanwhile the 1st Battalion decided to have some fun this morning in their front line trenches north-west of Wulvergem. They dug a sap last night. A sap is a trench dug at right angles to the front line and thus extending out into no man’s land. At dawn some men at the furthest end of this sap fired on a party of Germans bringing up rations to their garrison in the front line trench. A number of hits were confirmed. Sadly our own men suffered six casualties themselves from return fire, all wounded.

Sources:X550/2/5;  X550/3/wd

Snow in Northern France

Thursday 19th November 1914: We hear that the first snow of the winter has fallen in northern France and the adjutant of the 2nd Battalion has told us that it is very cold for the men in the trenches, which are south-west of Fleurbaix.

The 1st Battalion is finally being relieved from the front line, after thirteen days. They are going back to a wood near the hamlet of Hooge which has known as Sanctuary Wood because it is a comparatively safe place in which battered units might seek some rest whilst still being in reserve, easily brought up in case they are needed.

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