Barbed Wire

Saturday 12th January 1918

Over the next two nights 7th Battalion, Bedfordshire Regiment are going to be busy, laying barbed wire across the frontage of their brigade (54th Brigade), east of Sint-Janshoek, which is north-west of Langemark.

The Wiring Party will be found by C Company and will consist of 3 Officers 8 Non-Commissioned Officers and 72 men. This party will be sub-divided into 4 platoons, each platoon consisting of two squads of one N.C.O. and nine men each. The whole party will be under the command of Second Lieutenant N C E Cockburn.Each squad will put up 100 yards of Double Apron wire. Work will commence at 9.30 p.m. and will be carried on until completed. As soon as the work has been passed as satisfactory by an Officer of the 92nd Company, Royal Engineers, each platoon will return to Baboon Camp.

A covering party will be found by A Company under Second Lieutenant W Carter. Stretcher bearers on the scale of one per platoon will be taken by both wiring and covering parties. If the enemy attacks, the covering party are under orders tol hold to their ground at all costs and under no circumstances are they to withdraw. The wiring party are to lie down directly fire is opened and await orders from their platoon commander.

8th Battalion, Bedfordshire Regiment have marched to Bailleulval today for a ceremony at which the commanding officer of 6th Division, Major-General Thomas Marden presented Military Medals for the Battle of Cambrai to: Company Sergeant Major P Walker of A Company; Lance Corporal A J Mills of A Company and Sergeant R Freer of D Company.

Source: X550/8/1; X550/9/1