Ninety First Day of the Third Battle of Ypres

Monday 29th October 1917

The 4th Battalion, Bedfordshire Regiment is about to enter the fray here at Ypres. The adjutant has wired to tell us that it moved up to the front line this afternoon, about a mile south-east of Poelcapelle and expects to attack at dawn.

2nd Battalion, Bedfordshire Regiment, is at Chinese Wall, behind the lines near Ypres. Lieutenant-General Sir Aylmer Hunter Weston KCB, DOS, commander-in-chief of VIII Corps has presented medals at a parade just west of Wytschaete. Distinguished Conduct Medal ribbons were presented to Acting Sergeant F Selby and Sergeant P Compton while a Military Medal ribbon was presented to Private R Baggott(1)

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6th Battalion, Bedfordshire Regiment is training at Westouter. Today one other rank was killed and four wounded when the enemy dropped a bomb from an aircraft. It exploded inside B Company Officers’ Mess and wounded Second Lieutenants B W Wright, A Waller, Artabor and J Blanksby.

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

(1) Percy Compton would be killed on 21st September 1918 as a Company Sergeant Major, having no known grave he is commemorated on the Vis-en-Artois Memorial. 

Eighty Second Day of the Third Battle of Ypres

Lord Ampthill [X550/9/2]

Saturday 20th October 1917

Over the last two days Lieutenant-Colonel Lord Ampthill, formerly commanding officer of the 8th Battalion Bedfordshire Regiment, and more recently Director of Indian Labour at Headquarters, has been with the 1st Battalion and today he inspected them on parade.

The 4th Battalion, Bedfordshire Regiment, part of 63rd (Royal Naval) Division is at Houtkerque on the border between France and Belgium west of Poperinghe. They have been training, specifically learning how to attack pill boxes and so it looks as if their introduction to the Third Battle of Ypres may not be long delayed.

The 6th Battalion is at Epsom Camp, Westouter. Three days ago an officer, Second Lieutenant S van der Linde was killed and another officer, Second Lieutenant A Foll as well as three other ranks were wounded when an enemy aircraft dropped a bomb on them whilst north-east of Ypres. Today Second Lieutenant A Stone MC, Second Lieutenant F J Smith and fourteen other ranks have joined as reinforcements.

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

Day Ninety Eight on the Somme

Friday 6th October 1916 From our Correspondent in the Field

The adjutant of 4th Battalion, Bedfordshire Regiment, has wired to say that they are at Hédeauville and on their way to the front line on the Somme by way of Mailly-Maillet.

Meanwhile the 1st Battalion are near Festubert where they will be entering the front line within the next few days. They have been joined by Captain J J Moyse. The adjutant told me: “Owing to heavy casualties during the recent fighting and the consequent shortage of trained Lewis gunners and bombers, a school was started today in conjunction with the Officer Commanding 16th Battalion, Royal Warwickshire, Regiment for the rapid training of sufficient of these me to hold the line.

Sources: X550/2/5;  X550/5/3