Wednesday 22 July 2015

A Bedford Bus Driver in France


London Bus converted for troops

Thursday 22nd July 1915: Driver F N Reeve of the Mechanical Transport, Army Service Corps, who before the war was the driver of the motor bus from Bedford to Leighton Buzzard writes from France: “The men of the Beds Regiment, the Engineers, yeomanry and other regiments out here are doing splendid work. There are, to my knowledge, twenty drivers, including myself from the LGOC Garage, Bedford,[1] out here either driving lorries with supplies, ammunition or buses. These men, with thousands of others, are doing splendid work, working under trying circumstances and have travelled thousands of miles in France. I have frequently come into contact with several of them and it certainly does one good to meet each other occasionally. Many are the tales which we tell when we meet and when we all return to Bedford and take up our duties again with the LGOC, there will be many tales told on Saint Peter’s Green. I personally have had some very exciting times, some of which I hope never to experience again. I remember some time ago going with my lorry to a certain town in Belgium and just as we entered the town one of our Military Police suddenly appeared from somewhere and said: “For Heaven’s sake don’t go any further yet, the Germans have already sent us eight shells. A moment later one crashed into a house about 50 yards away and sent some of it into the garden at the back”.


Source: 20th August 1915

(1) London General Omnibus Company 

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