When or If?

Thursday 4th April 1918

With the seeming expiration of the great enemy thrust towards Amiens everyone at the front feels as if they are marking time. Will the Germans try to inject new life into their offensive? Or will they try their luck somewhere else along the Western Front? very few think they will now simply dig in. For a few brief weeks they still have an advantage in manpower and material before the Americans arrive en masse. Surely they must seek to exploit this? Common opinion is that if they do not their prospects of winning this war are finished.

The 1st Battalion, Bedfordshire Regiment, is still in northern Italy but is making its way to France. They marched to Tavernelle today and the first train heading for Amiens will leave tonight. There are five British divisions currently in Italy, along with a greater number of French divisions. The Bedfords are part of 5th Division, we understand that, for the moment, the other four will remain in Italy.

The 2nd Battalion has now crossed the Belgian border at a place called Roesbrugge-Haringe, which it reached by train this evening. This village is a few miles north-west of Poperinge, some miles west of Ypres.

The 4th Battalion is having to rebuild after its magnificent work on Bouzincourt ridge a few days ago. Seven new officers - Lieutenants H P McConway and H R Gledstanes along with Second Lieutenants R B Ruddock, N W Miln, J Jenkins, C Lovatt and T J Waller joined today, along with seventeen other ranks from 26th Battalion, Northumberland Fusiliers (Tyneside Irish)(1).

The 6th Battalion is in support at Bucquoy. It, too, has received a new officer, Captain Carthew.

The 7th Battalion remains at Gentelles near Amiens. It has again been shelled during the day and A and D companies were moved up to support 6ht Battalion, Northamptonshire Regiment in the front line but did not go into action, returning to their billets a short while ago. The shelling has accounted for seven men killed and ten wounded, losses the battalion, much reduced in strength, can scarcely sustain.

Sources: X550/2/5; X550/3/wd; X550/5/3; X550/7/1; X550/8/1

(1) R B Ruddock of 5th Battalion, Northumberland Fusiliers, attached to 4th Battalion, Bedfordshire Regiment would be killed two days later and is commemorated on the Pozieres Memorial; Charles W Lovatt, formerly of 26th Battalion, Northumberland Fusiliers, would be killed on 12th April and is buried at Aveluy Wood Cemetery. Thomas Jenkinson Waller, formerly of 3rd Battalion, Northumberland Fusiliers, would die on 28th September and is buried at Sunken Road Cemetery, Boisleux-Saint-Marc.

Bedford Lieutenants in Hospital

Sunday 23rd May 1915: Writing home to Bedford from No. 4 general Hospital, Versailles, Lieutenant Small(1) says: “You will be very surprised at me writing from the above address. Fancy me being in hospital already”. About a week before, Lieutenant Small and Lieutenant Whittemore(2) had left Bedford Barracks after their recuperation from wounds received at the First Battle of Ypres, after which they were promoted from the ranks. He goes on: “But there is nothing to be alarmed at. I am suffering from gas poisoning. I reached the trenches on Sunday night, and we have been hard at it ever since up to the time I left (Wednesday, May 5th). On Wednesday morning they sent this gas over our trenches and we had a very bad time, but they did not break through the Bedfords, although they beat back the Regiment on our left (for a time only)”.

“Thank God I came safely out of it, and am now feeling quite well. Whittemore was in the same trench as me, but left in the afternoon, he being gased and unfortunately, with a bayonet thrust through his hand, but only slight. I am informed by a brother officer that he came down on the same hospital train as myself; that being so, he would be in this hospital. I shall try to find him as soon as I am up. I expect I shall soon be out again and back to the front, as they are so short of officers. It was very hard fighting. We lost one officer and 43 men killed, three died of gas, and God alone knows how many wounded. The captain was wounded through the shoulder – nice fellow(3). Now for a bit of cheery news. This is a magnificent hospital. I am told by the Sister that before the war it was considered the most gorgeous Hotel in the suburbs of Paris. We get splendid meals and what we want to drink within reason”(4).

Source: Bedfordshire Times 14th May 1915

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(1) This may be E Small of George Street, Bedford who ended the war a captain and died on 28th April 1921

(2) Presumably the Lieutenant Frederick Whittemore killed at Arras on 29th March 1916

(3) Captain Gledstanes, see yesterday’s piece

(4) It was, presumably, a hospital for officers only.

The Bedfords and Poisoned Gas

Arlesey Station [Z1306-2-14-1]

Saturday 22nd May 1915: Mrs. Bland of Railway Tavern, Arlesey has received the following letter from her son, Private G. H. Bland, 1st Battalion, Bedfordshire Regiment(1). His father is now serving with the 5th Battalion, currently stationed at Newmarket. The son, writing on 7th May said: “Dear Mother – just a few lines hoping you are all well, as it leaves me in a rather queer state, after the gas, which the brutes sent over to us on the 3rd and the 5th – the first we have had since the taking of Hill 60, which we are still holding, but we had to retire owing to gas(2). The Devons were forced to let them break through, but the good old Bedfords stopped them. We have had a rather hard time since Hill 60; only been out of the trenches three days, but we were relieved by the Irish Rifles on 7th, when we came back for a short rest. Our casualties are as great as Hill 60, but gas used in shells there had not half the effect of this which they pumped out of the bottom of their trench. I myselfam wearing a silver ring on my little finger which the gas cankered, but we gave them a horrible job to get that, which the Devons had to leave. Not a man could stand owing to the terrible stuff which streamed from their trench to ours, but the breeze changed and drove it back into their trench. Then our machine-guns got onto them, so they were forced to retire from their own trench. Then we laughed, you can bet”.

“We have named them “The Old Gas Bags” on Hill 60. They prayed for mercy but the boys all say “never no more”. Well I am sorry to say my old mate Harry Cox (Captain Gledstanes’ servant) who lived in Queen’s-street, Stotfold, was killed by one of our own shells that dropped short on the 5th during the recent battle(3). If possible, let Mrs. Cox know(4). I felt quite downhearted over it. I must draw my letter to a close but they tell me the 1st Rifles have regained the lost trenches on other side of Hill 60 (not losing the hill). Good-bye mother and all brothers and sisters. I omitted to say that Captain Gledstanes got wounded later in the day of Harry’s death(5). Good-bye mother. I will write more next time, Harry. P. S. I received letter and parcel. I hope you got my pc(6)”.

Source: Bedfordshire Times 14th May 1915

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(1) 3/7450 Private George Henry Bland died with the 1st Battalion on 4th October 1917, he was just 20 and is buried at Hooge Crater Cemetery

(2) In fact the hill was lost on 6th May.

(3) He is commemorated on the Menin Gate Memorial

(4) Like many women, she soon remarried

(5) He died of wounds on 9th May and is buried in Bailleul Communal Cemetery

(6) Postcard.

The 1st Bedfords under Attack

Tuesday 13th October 1914: Today has seen the 1st Battalion, at Givenchy-lès-la-Bassée, which they occupied yesterday, come under attack. Our contact with the battalion brings us the exciting details: “Violent shelling began at 6 am and continued all day, the church being the chief aiming point. About 12 noon the house Second Lieutenant Shippey and Lieutenant Gledstanes were sitting in had a shell through it and smothered them. They were sitting close together drinking milk when the shell came in through the roof and burst between then. They both emerged, covered with white plaster and looked perfectly ridiculous. Shippey was badly hit in the inside and we raised a stretcher and I conducted him to hospital which was in the village school at the rear of the village. He knows he won’t recover but is most plucky over it all and I stopped with him until 12.30 pm”.[1]

“A Company at this time called for help from the orchard on the left of B Company, that is on the left front of the village of Givenchy and we were going to make an attempt to reach them. The shell fire was so impossible in the village that we couldn’t get through and had to give it up”.

“We then had orders to prepare to evacuate the village as the 1st Battalion, Cheshire Regiment had retired on our left and our left flank was being turned and the position precarious”.

"The hospital was promptly evacuated and Shippey taken out and went off in the ambulance at a gallop. The ambulance was hit by a shell on the way and poor Shippey was killed [2]. The shelling got decidedly worse and the village was crumbling to pieces over our heads and as Monteith and I walked around were nearly hit several times by houses falling on top of us".

"The Dorsets then retired on our right and we began to be enfiladed from both flanks and the order to go was given. We had to retire as best we could by the roads and were well shelled all the way until we got back on to the edge of the road Festubert la Grande Rue and Rue du Marais [3] to the Béthune-la Bassée Canal. here we got down and dug in by the side of the road; it was then about 4 pm".

"We had lost both our machine-guns which had been buried in the village. Lieutenant Stafford [see 29th September and below] and Shippey had been killed, Major Thorpe, Lieutenant Downes [see 17th September and 20th October] and Second Lieutenant Goff were wounded. The latter two could not be found and were presumed captured [4]. Thorpe came down through us very cheerfully hit on foot, balancing on a bicycle as well as he could to get to hospital for a dressing".

"It was very misty and the gunners could do nothing and everyone was rather in the air. I then got orders to take over command of B Company as all their officers, with the exception of Edwards, had been knocked out. The Company has had an awful time and only about 80 are left [5] but luckily Sergeant-Major Sharpe and Company Quarter Master Sergeant McGinn are still going strong".

"I then got orders from the Colonel to get back to le Plantin where the Battalion had orders to take up a position. On the way back I met an infuriated Norfolk major who told me that we were running away! I told him more than I thought of him and nearly got put under arrest, especially when I asked what he was doing all alone where he was and what his Battalion were doing. The Battalion finally took up a position at the Rue Neuve with Headquarters in an estaminet near some cross-roads".

The adjutant summarises the day's events as follows: "There was a heavy bombardment of our trenches and the village all day. About midday this cannonade became terrific. Practically every house has been damaged and the neighbourhood of the church was continually shelled. Our front trenches, in continuation of Dorsets, were unable to hold on in the afternoon after the Dorsets were enfiladed and withdrew. Smoke of shells and the dust of falling houses made it impossible to see clearly what was going on to the flanks. The enemy attacked the front and flanks and the Battalion retired about 300 yards in the rear of the village and reformed on a new line holding the road to Pont Fixe in continuation of the Dorsets. The Norfolks are on our left. Losses have been 7 officers and 140 other ranks".

Lieutenant Charles Claude Stafford, serving with the 1st Bedfords, from whom we had a communication on 30th September has, sadly, been killed in this fighting. The late Lieutenant Stafford was an enthusiastic athlete. Two or three seasons ago he was elected Captain if the Bedford Rowing Club, and his appointment was marked by a new lease of vigorous life to this old borough institution. He took a very keen interest in improving its prospects and training the new material, and under his captaincy several new boats, notably an eight, were obtained. His other sport was Rugby football. As a three-quarter he played many a sound game for the Bedford R. U. F. C. being particularly strong in defence. However big the man against him, Claude Stafford could be trusted to do his best to bring him down. He retired rather early from the game, owing to the impossibility, for business reasons, of both his brother "Dick" and himself getting off on a Saturday afternoon, and the way he stood down for his younger and brilliant brother from a game to which he was so devoted, was finely characteristic of him[6]. He was at the Modern School nine years from 1899 to 1908 and like his brother was a prominent and powerful supporter of East House. He was in the 1st XV in the three-quarter line and in his last year was captain of the 1st IV. He was also a fine runner, and in 1908 represented the School in the quarter mile inter-school race with Elstow School and won the race in 61 seconds.

Sources:X550/2/5; X550/2/7; Ampthill and District News 24th October 1914

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[1] He died the next day and is buried in Béthune Town Cemetery. He was just twenty three and from Pietermaritzberg in South Africa.
[2] This seems to be a mistake as Shippey is recorded as dying of wounds the next day and the fact he has a grave also counts against the ambulance being hit by a shell.
[3] Probably what is now Rue Jean Jaurès which is an extension of Rue Grande Rue and leads to the canal
[4] They had been captured but were later recaptured by the Bedfords, though Lieutenant Downes died on 18th October.
[5] Out of around 220.
[6] Richard Calvert Stafford was a prop forward for Bedford who played four test matches for England in 1912. He died on 1st December 1912 aged just nineteen, from cancer of the spine.