Tuesday 7th May 1918
We have not heard much for a while about 6th Battalion, Bedfordshire Regiment. The adjutant tells us that today it relieved the 13th Battalion, Royal Fusiliers in the front line south-west of Bucquoy between Gommecourt and Achiet-le-Grand north of Albert. Battalion Headquarters is at Rettermoy Farm (in the top left-hand corner of the map above). The line is reported as "very quiet", nevertheless four other ranks were wounded during the relief and a German prisoner was captured! An officer from the American army has been attached to the battalion for three days of instruction(1)
Source: X550/7/1
(1) Not surprisingly the Americans had a steep learning curve, especially given the tiny size of their pre-war army. It was said in some quarters that the US troops preferred to listen to British or French non-commissioned officers if posted adjacent to them, rather than their own officers, whom they considered ignorant, but this may be exaggerated.
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