News of the 1st Battalion

Sydney Tabor

Thursday 25th March 1915 (Lady Day): We have heard much this month of the exploits of the 2nd Battalion, Bedfordshire Regiment at the Battle of Neuve Chapelle. What, you may ask, of the 1st Battalion? The answer is that they have been holding the line at Ypres some way to the north. Most days when they are in the line they will take casualties, men killed or wounded by enemy snipers or from bursting shells.

We have heard that today Lieutenant Tabor has been slightly wounded in head. He is son-in-law of John William Green, the brewer, of The Larches, New Bedford Road, Luton(1). He has three children and resides at Little Berkhampstead [Hertfordshire] and was engaged on the Stock Exchange prior to the outbreak of war. Previous to his marriage he served for some ten years in the Naval Volunteers and, offering his services in August he speedily received a commission in 3rd Battalion, Bedfordshire Regiment. Within weeks of enlisting he was selected to take out to France a draft of two hundred men of the West Surrey Regiment, and he was afterwards detailed to the 1st Bedfords. At that time the County Battalion were recuperating, but they returned to the firing line shortly after Christmas, and since that time Lieutenant Tabor has experienced a good deal of trench warfare. By a curious coincidence, Captain Harold P Green, second son of Mr and Mrs J W Green, who was in training with his brother-in-law in 3rd Battalion before the Lieutenant was drafted to the Front, left for France with a draft of men from Landguard to reinforce the 1st Bedfords only two days before Lieutenant Tabor was brought from the firing line with his injured head(2).

Source: Bedfordshire Standard 9th April 1915

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(1) Sidney Tabor survived the war but J W Green’s son Lieutenant Reginald Cumberland Green would be killed with 1st Battalion, Bedfordshire Regiment on 18th May 1916.

(2) Harold Green survived the war. Sidney Tabor went on to serve with 7th Battalion, Bedfordshire Regiment.