1st Battalion Awards

Saturday 14th July 1917

This afternoon Major-General R B Stephens, General Officer Commanding 5th Division, presented medal ribbons to the 1st Battalion for recent actions. Captain W S Chirnside was awarded a bar to his Military Cross for gallantry at la Coulotte on 23rd April. The following other ranks were awarded the Military Medal for their actions at Oppy on 29th June: 7175 Sergeant A Faulder (a bar to his Military Medal); 43038 Private F Dighton; 20337 Private W Clarke; 10196 Sergeant H Hill; 430239 Private L King; 10238 Sergeant D Stone; 8311 Sergeant M Norman; 8253 Corporal G.Flott (since promoted to Sergeant); 10667 Private J W Houston.

The following were presented with parchment cards by General Stephens for gallant conduct: 10052 Sergeant G E Neale; 17425 Lance Corporal Cox; 12365 Lance Corporal Price; 20374 Sergeant C Humphries(1)

Source: X550/2/5

(1) Sergeant George Edward Neale would die on 6th November 1918; Corporal A Cox would die on 23rd October 1918

Cross-Country

Second Lieutenant I T M Collins [X550/1/81]

Wednesday 24th January 1917

2nd Battalion are currently training behind the lines. This afternoon an Inter-Company Cross Country Race took place. The winners were D Company, the first three men home being 9399 Corporal G Joyce, 13626 Acting Sergeant G Butcher and 9950 Private F Humphries. Second Lieutenant I T M Collins went on leave today(1).

Three officers have arrived at 6th Battalion today as reinforcements. In addition we understand that Company Sergeant Major Abbott has been awarded the Distinguished Conduct Medal.

Sources: X550/3/WD; X550/7/1

(1) Sergeant G C Butcher would die on Christmas Eve and is buried in Hooge Crater Cemetery. 

German Watch Saves Soldier’s Life

Wednesday 4^th August: Today is one year since war was declared. Sergeant A. Humphries of the 1st Bedfordshire Regiment, has had a remarkable escape from death at the Front. The Sergeant went out with the second draft of the now famous County Regiment and landed at Zeebrugge on October 6th. He took part in the first great battle of Ypres and fought continuously on until the struggles of Neuve Chapelle and Festubert. Since those fights he has been in the trenches at Festered and Givenchy and on the night of July 31st he was engaged in repairing the parapets of the trenches under continual fire from the enemy’s snipers, whose aim, of course, was uncertain in the darkness. However, at about 10 o’clock a German bullet found its billet, piercing Sergeant Humphries’ tunic right above the heart and then glancing across the body, inflicted a severe flesh wound. When the tunic was removed it was seen that a watch which the Sergeant carried had saved his life, for the bullet had gone clean through the face of the time-piece, smashed the works and emerged at the back, in an oblique direction, it being evident that the metal works of the watch had turned the bullet out of its course. The irony of it all is that plainly stamped upon the works of the watch are the words “Made in Germany”.

Source: Bedfordshire Standard 10th September 1915