Gongs and Mosquitos

Wednesday 12 June 1918

The 1st/5th Battalion, Bedfordshire Regiment is in Palestine, not far from Jaffa. Yesterday the commanding officer left the battalion on an extended tour of inspection of the Schools of Instruction, clearly his training methods are held in high esteem and High Command are hoping he can provide valuable insights to update the instruction given to the officers and men of the Egyptian Expeditionary Force as the army is still known.He is replaced by the second-in-command, Major C. R. James MC.

At 6 o'clock last night as the day cooled into evening Military Cross ribbons were presented to Second Lieutenants Gooderham and Mayers and a Military Medal ribbon to Private Pennycock by the General Officer Commanding 54th (East Anglian) Division, Major General Sir Steuart W Hare.

The adjutant also mentioned that the "usual anti-mosquito work" was carried on - eradicating or spraying the small pools in which these potentially deadly pests breed.

Source: X550/6/8

Decorations

Sunday 17th March 1918

Prince Arthur, Duke of Connaught(1) is currently in Palestine visiting the forces. Yesterday a group from 1st/5th Battalion, Bedfordshire Regiment proceeded to Yazur(2) to receive decoration from His Royal Highness. Military Crosses were given to Major C R James, Captain F B Hobbs and Lieutenant W A Shaw. Regimental Sergeant Major Milton MC, DCM, Company Sergeant Major Chandler, Sergeant Sapsford, Sergeant Sharpe and Corporal Ball were each awarded the Distinguished Conduct Medal. Sergeant Marlow, Private Halfpenny and Private Andrews were awarded the Military Medal.

There was very heavy rain most of the day. Patrols were maintained an an Arab boy who was found wandering in front of the front line was brought in and sent to Brigade Headquarters where he will be interrogated.

Source: X550/6/8

(1) Third son of Queen Victoria

(2) Now Azor

An Engineer in Egypt Part II

10 Piastre coin of 1916 

Monday 13th March 1916: Sapper W H James of the Royal Engineers is the son of Company Sergeant Major James of the 1st Field Company East Anglian Royal Engineers. The son is now in Egypt at Sidi Bishr Camp just outside Alexandria. He has been telling us of his experiences and giving us his observations.

“By dint of tram and route march we arrived at Sidi Bishr. The camp is a fine one, right on the sea-shore, so we get the chance of a dip in the sea two or three times a day if we feel inclined. Of course it is very hot here. After only two days I am a picture. My nose is a nice brick red colour  while my neck, so my pals say, is black. It is a glorious life here , I have been walking about all day in a pair of white sand shoes and in my shirt sleeves. It seems funny to think of you all at home enjoying (perhaps) the capricious moods of an English March, while we out here are divesting ourselves of every rag that we can, of course consistent with decency”.

“It is curious to notice how the women here undertake all sorts of work, while the men sit about and drink cooling drinks. Of course if a man has half a dozen wives and they all work there should be no necessity for him to do so”.

“The money here causes some consternation among the new-comers and they regard with great suspicion the change given them. The piastre is the chief coin here, but Tommy is not a bit particular and “pianos” and “disasters” are alternatives in the current use. One fellow in the same tent as myself bought a cake at the canteen, for which he was charged ½ a piastre and in payment for which he presented a florin and was paid the change in nickel piastres and ¼ piastres. He shot back to the tent like a thunderbolt and nearly exploded with the information that he’d got a pocketful of shillings and six pence change out of two shillings!”

Source: Bedfordshire Times 14th April 1916

An Engineer in Egypt Part I

Sunday 12th March 1916: Sapper W H James of the Royal Engineers is the son of Company Sergeant Major James of the 1st Field Company East Anglian Royal Engineers. The son is now in Egypt at Sidi Bishr Camp just outside Alexandria. He has been telling us of his experiences and giving us his observations.

“At first I was not struck with the beauty of Alexandria. It may have a history that goes back something like 3,000 years or more(1), but history will not cover the fact that near the docks the place is filthy. Nevertheless, it is interesting. Imagine row after row of ancient Eastern temples with their fronts knocked out and turned into rag shops; refreshment house, outside which sit men of all colours of the rainbow, drinking extremely suspicious concoctions; factories working at high pressure, but having no roof to them, and a great number of shops having apparently nothing  for sale, but outside which, serenely smoking in comfortable easy-chairs, sit the proprietors, their faces an object lesson in contentment, and you have some idea of Alexandria, or the parts of it nearer to the docks. Of course there are some fine streets and buildings in the main part of the town. As to its inhabitants – well, of course, the place is extremely Cosmopolitan, in other words the inhabitants are all the colours of the rainbow, or very nearly so. Coal black faces, brown faces, and faces even whiter than my own is at the present time, are to be seen at every turning. There are a tremendous number of Jews here, too, principally, I think, of Russian extraction besides, of course, Egyptians, Arabs and Europeans of every possible nationality. What excited a good deal of interest were Moslem women wearing Yash-maks, those veils covering the lower parts of the face. We could not have chosen a better time to arrive. The whole population of Alexandria, more or less, had turned out to see a fire, and we had the pleasure of inspecting the fire brigade. Some brigade. Then we passed a Moslem temple, or praying house, where in full view of passers-by, devout Alexandrians were bowing and scraping. It seemed peculiar to see the worshippers taking off their boots on the doorstep before venturing within”.

Source: Bedfordshire Times 14th April 1916

(1) It was founded by Alexander the Great, whose name it bears, about 331 BC.

1st/5th Bedfords' Send-Off from Luton

Luton Town Hall [Z1306/75/10/23/13]

Sunday 6th June 1915: On Friday we spoke of the 1st/5th Battalion, Bedfordshire Regiment’s send-off from Bedford. Yesterday they experienced another send-off, from Luton. It was a scene unparalleled in the history of the borough. Never before has the whole battalion been seen in the town and this, in itself, made it a noteworthy occasion. In addition, there was the probability that it might be the last opportunity Luton would have of seeing the battalion before it went abroad. In these times a battalion is here today and gone in the night and at any moment we may hear that the battalion is no longer in the country. This very fact alone would have justified a demonstration of the popular sentiment, and if any further excuse were needed it was to be found in the fact that the battalion was made up largely of our own men, who came in as a body for the first time since mobilisation and for the first time under a commanding officer who is a Lutonian. Lieutenant-Colonel E. W. Brighten brought his men, who had done a trek of over sixty miles in three hot days, into George Street exactly as the clock was striking seven and they could not have desired a more cordial reception.

Chief Constable Teale, Inspector James and other police officers had kept the ground well cleared for the troops and until the reception by the Mayor and other leading townspeople was over one could hardly tell the size of the crowd which had been drawn together. But when, the troops having resumed their march to Luton Hoo, the public were able to take up the whole roadway, it was really surprising to see what a crowd had gathered to have a first, and maybe a last, look at the battalion as a whole. Indeed, townspeople able to speak with the authority of long years of experience, said such a crowd had never before been seen in George Street. We may hope that it will be eclipsed when celebrations mark the return of the piping days of peace(1). But, be that as it may, Saturday evening’s gathering will go down as one of the most memorable occasions in the history of the borough. The Mayor’s invitation to residents to decorate their premises was well responded to in the principal thoroughfares, a gay show of flags and bunting being made along the lin eof route from New Bedford Road to the end of Park Street and in some of the side-streets also.

A temporary platform had been erected outside the Town Hall and on this the Mayor was accompanied by various members of the Town Council, the South Bedfordshire Recruiting Committee and other prominent townspeople. The Mayor, on behalf of the Corporation, Recruiting Committee and town generally, gave the battalion a very hearty welcome. They belonged, he said, to a county which had sent out men who had done some wonderful deeds on the field of battle. The Bedfords had done noble deeds for their country. Probably, in a very short time, this 1st/5th Battalion would be called to face the enemy.

“We adore every man of you” said the Mayor, amid cheers, “for the reason that you have voluntarily stepped forward and offered yourselves and your very lives, if need be, to protect our wives and children and the homes of Luton, of Bedfordshire and of the country generally. Many of you have given up lucrative positions and broken away from your home circles, to stand in the breach in our country’s hour of peril and danger. We honour every one of you. And when you are called upon to meet this most unscrupulous enemy, the vilest enemy that ever fought in battle, I trust you will cherish this thought, that we are thinking of you and we that we shall bear you up, not only in our thoughts, but in our prayers also. In the name of every man, woman and child in Luton we give you a hearty welcome in our midst and wish you God Speed”.

Source: Luton News 10th June 1915

(1) It may have been eclipsed by Luton’s “peace riot” of 19th to 21st July 1919 when ex-servicemen and others, dissatisfied by their treatment by the mayor and civic officers, burned down the Town Hall amongst other things.