The Making of Modern Italy

Friday 18th January 1918

The 1st Battalion, Bedfordshire Regiment is in northern Italy, ready to help the beleaguered Italians in their fight against the Austrians and their German allies. The conditions here will be very different to Flanders; so too, is the culture and the history. To help inform the officers and men of the nation in which they find themselves Major C S Gordon, Chaplain to the Forces, is giving a lecture this evening on The Making of Modern Italy.

The 2nd Battalion has been at Vauvillers, south of Albert and the River Somme. Today they marched twelve miles south to a village called Warsy. Meanwhile the 4th Battalion have been relieved in the front line by the Nelson Battalion and have marched to billets in Metz-en-Couture. During the relief Second Lieutenant G W Childs was severely wounded(1).

Sources: X550/2/5

(1) He died on 22nd January and is buried at Rocquigny-Equancourt Road British Cemetery, Manancourt.

Reinforcements

Thursday 3rd January 1918

The adjutant of the 1st Battalion, Bedfordshire Regiment, has wired to say that a draft of 39 other ranks has made the long journey down to northern Italy to join them. They have also been joined by an officer - Second Lieutenant C G Wilkins

Source: X550/2/5

1st Bedfords Arrive in Italy

Sunday 16th December 1917

The 1st Battalion, Bedfordshire Regiment have arrived in Italy after their long train journey from Anvin. As you can imagine we have been desperately trying to get hold of maps of northern Italy in preparation for this event, so that we can give you an idea of where the boys end up.

It turns out that they are in the province of Padua. B and D Companies left their train at Fontaniva and marched to San Giorgio in Brenta where they rested for a few hourse before resuming their march eleven miles south-east to San Giorgio delle Pertiche, where they are billeting for tonight - about thirty miles north-west of Venice. A and C Companies are billeted in San Giorgio in Brenta. Emboldened by his efforts with a sketch map of Palestine your correspondent has done something for northern Italy.

The 7th Battalion, meanwhile, are in the vicinity of Roesbrugge-Haringe north-west of Poperinge at a place called Claude Chappe Camp. They are due a rest period. Brigadier-General Lionel Sadleir Jackson, commanding 54th Infantry Brigade, took a march-past today and was pleased with the general turn-out of the Battalion.

The Battalion arrived in the new area in time for dinner; each company being billeted in a separate hut, and one detached company in Northampton Lines. There is a cinema hall in the centre of the camp.

Sources: X550/2/5; X550/8/1

Italy Bound

Tuesday 11th December 1917

The 1st Battalion, Bedfordshire Regiment are off on holiday! At least that is how the adjutant wryly described their current mission to me on the blower this afternoon. Their parent unit, 5th Division, is one of five British divisions being sent from the Western Front to Italy, some have already gone, others are on the way now. This British force will be commanded by General Plumer, who has, reluctantly it is understood, handed over command of Second Army at Ypres to Sir Henry Rawlinson.The British divisions will be formed into two Corps, they comprise 5th, 7th, 23rd, 41st and 48th (South Midland) Divisions. Six French divisions are also being sent to Italy.

The reason for sending over 130,000 allied soldiers from France and Flanders is that Italy is in crisis. The Austrians, bolstered by German troops no longer needed to fight the Russians following that country’s collapse into anarchy, launched an attack at Caporetto on 24th October. In a battle which lasted until early November they smashed the Italian 2nd Army and threatened Venice. Fortunately the Italians managed to stabilise the front but they are dreadfully weakened in what a military friend of mine calls the 3 Ms - material, morale and men. It is hoped that the British and French troops will provide the sort of help to the Italians that the Germans did for the Austrians - well-trained, well-equipped and battle-hardened units around which the Italians can rebuild their strength.

Today the 1st Bedfords went to Anvin and have boarded trains for their long journey south. They are, in fact, on two separate trains. The first, commanded by the commanding officer, Lieutenant-Colonel P R Worrall consists of B Company and D Company. Major Chirnside commands the second train containing A Company and C Company. The transport and quartermaster’s stores have been divided equally between the two trains. They are expected to arrive at their destination on Sunday.

In far-off Palestine we understand that General Sir Edmund Allenby has made his official entry into Jerusalem. Unwilling for any comparison with his Saviour he chose to walk rather than ride in triumph.

Source: X550/2/5

Italy Joins the War

Monday 24th May 1915: Today we celebrate the fact that Italy has joined the alliance of civilized nations against Teutonic aggression. Of course their major effort will be against their neighbour, Austria-Hungary but we can hope that their involvement will suck in units of the German Army from France and Belgium, giving our troops an easier road to victory.