More Decorations for the Second Battalion

Saturday 9th December 1916: From our Correspondent in the Field

The 2nd Battalion, Bedfordshire Regiment is once more in the front line just north of the Somme battlefield at Berles-au-Bois. Your correspondent managed to catch a lift in a supply lorry and paid them a visit this morning. It has been a wet, miserable day and I saw at first hand the sloppy mess the rear trenches have become and assume that the same is true in the front line.

At Battalion Headquarters, in one of the reserve trenches I was given the good news that more men have been honoured for the gallantry they displayed at times during the year. The men honoured with the Military Medal are:

• 9009 Company Quarter Master Sergeant H Maidment
• 9606 Sergeant R Foster
• 9544 Sergeant E Pepper
• 9283 Sergeant J Wheeler
• 6891 Sergeant G Grant
• 8838 Sergeant A Laycock
• 7414 Lance Corporal H Hayes
• 16498 Private F Excell
• 19575 Private S Godsall
• 10181 Private G Scrivener

Sergeant Wheeler and Sergeant Grant were both wounded during the Somme battles. The awards to Sergeant Laycock and Lance Corporal Hayes are particularly poignant. The former was killed in action on 29th June, visiting Lewis gun sections in the front line and the latter died on 13th October of wounds received in the attack on Gird Trench near Eaucourt-l’Abbaye the previous day(1)

Source: X550/3/wd

(1) Sergeant Laycock is buried at Cérisy-Gailly Military Cemetery and Lance Corporal Hayes at Heilly Station Cemetery, Mericourt-l’Abbé

Swimming

Tuesday 20^th July 1915: The adjutant of the 2nd Battalion tells us that their team has won the divisional swimming relay race. The teams taking part were the 4th Camerons, Yorkshires, Wiltshires, Royal Scots Fusiliers and 2nd Bedfords. Teams of eight per Regiment entered and the 2nd Bedfords won by 30 yards, the 4th Camerons being second. The Bedfords’ team was: Lieutenant Hurrell, Second Lieutenants Pearson, Figgis and Armstrong, Sergeants Grant and Nicholls, Corporal Groves, Private Hastings(1). The trophy was a shell case of the famous French 75mm shell, suitably inscribed.

As might be imagined this caused humorous about the best men to be in the trenches in winter when they are often waist deep in water. Tonight parties from the Battalion will be out in no-man’s-land putting out barbed wire to strengthen the defences.

Source: X550/3/wd and Biggleswade Chronicle 13th August

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(1) Second Lieutenant Terence Charles Pearson would be killed at Loos on 26th September 1915; Private Arthur Benjamin Nicholls would be killed on the Somme on 30th July 1916.