1st Battalion Awards

Saturday 14th July 1917

This afternoon Major-General R B Stephens, General Officer Commanding 5th Division, presented medal ribbons to the 1st Battalion for recent actions. Captain W S Chirnside was awarded a bar to his Military Cross for gallantry at la Coulotte on 23rd April. The following other ranks were awarded the Military Medal for their actions at Oppy on 29th June: 7175 Sergeant A Faulder (a bar to his Military Medal); 43038 Private F Dighton; 20337 Private W Clarke; 10196 Sergeant H Hill; 430239 Private L King; 10238 Sergeant D Stone; 8311 Sergeant M Norman; 8253 Corporal G.Flott (since promoted to Sergeant); 10667 Private J W Houston.

The following were presented with parchment cards by General Stephens for gallant conduct: 10052 Sergeant G E Neale; 17425 Lance Corporal Cox; 12365 Lance Corporal Price; 20374 Sergeant C Humphries(1)

Source: X550/2/5

(1) Sergeant George Edward Neale would die on 6th November 1918; Corporal A Cox would die on 23rd October 1918

What the Royal Engineers Did

Monday 19th February 1917 from our correspondent in the field

2nd Division were also in the fight for Petit Miraumont on Saturday and one of the units of engineers attached to the division is 1st Field Company, East Anglian Royal Engineers. The adjutant told us about their activities on Friday and Saturday: “We were at Wolfe Huts where preparations were made for the carrying out of work allotted to this Company. This work consisted of teo sections to construct posts for the consolidation of ground to be captured by the 6th Infantry Brigade. The attached sappers’ mates of these sections and half a company of 10th Battalion, Duke of Cornwall’s Light Infantry were under orders of our officer commanding and their work was to execute the wiring in front of ground to be captured by the Brigade”.

“The other two sections were attached to the 5th Field Company, Royal Engineers for the consolidation of ground to be captured by the 99th Infantry Brigade, between East and West Miraumont Roads”.

“Owing to the failure of the attack on Desire Support Trench [south of Pys and Miraumont] by the 6th Infantry Brigade , neither of the two sections attached to this Brigade were called up. Under orders from Advanced 6th Infantry Brigade Headquarters the attached sappers’ mates and half company of DCLI left billets at 11 pm and proceeded to work, which conxisted of repairing the wire of our own front line, which had been cut tp permit the attack made in the morning”.

“With reference to the two sections attached to 5th Field Company as only the first objective was reached by the 99th Brigade only Number 4 Section, under Lieutenant J H King was sent up to perform its allotted work. Previous to this a daylight reconnaissance of the positions of the strongpoints to be constructed had been made by Second Lieutenant J H King, taking advantage of the mist. This section, together with attached sappers’ mates and one platoon 10th DCLI started work about 4.30 pm and completed Strongpoint Number 1 and also did s consideravle amount of work on Strongpoint Number 6. Second Lieutenant King and one other rank were slightly wounded, both remaining at duty”.

Source: WW1/WD3

Day Sixty Two on the Somme

Thursday 31st August 1916 From our Correspondent in the Field

Around 1 pm this afternoon there was a massive German attack on British positions in Delville Wood and Longeval. It was preceded by an intense artillery barrage and much activity by German aeroplanes. There has been hand-to-hand fighting with 7th Division and 24th Division east of the wood. The Germans also attacked British positions along the road from Ginchy to Longueval but seem to have been held. The Germans appear to have penetrated the northern outskirts of Longueval.

On a happier note, the new adjutant of 1st Bedfords, now in reserve at Billon Farm near Bray-sur-Somme, tells me that this morning General Horne, commander of XV Corps presented medals for gallantry at Longueval. Acting Company Sergeant Major Afford was given the Distiguished Conduct Medal whilst Lance Corporal Pettengell and Private J King received the Military Medal. The adjutant is now Major N W Lawder because Captain H Williams has been evacuated as sick(1)

Major Noel Lawder

As I write these lines another German attack seems to be developing, probably on the east side of Delville Wood where, so far, they have achieved little. There is considerable noise of artillery, including the dreaded “whizz-bangs”, and I seem to be able to hear rifle fire too.

Source: X550/2/5

(1) Major Noel Wilfred Lawder would be killed on 4th September. He has no known grave and is commemorated on the Thiepval Memorial. 

In the Shadow of the Sphinx

Friday 31st March 1916: The photograph above shows a mounted section of 2nd/1st East Anglian Royal Engineers and was sent by Pioneer W T King of 17 Gwyn Street, Bedford. The Great Pyramid is in the background. Pioneer King says the horse he is riding is a Russian one. He describes the life of a soldier as a strenuous one and says he could sleep on a clothes line, but is not sorry he joined the Army, as he has seen things he would never have seen otherwise. Although the food has much improved of late, he thanks his relations and friends sincerely for parcels and confesses a weakness for chocolates.

The picture shows (left to right): Sergeant E Mears; Sapper Blackwell; Driver Moore; Pioneer Marks; Driver Newbury; Pioneer King; Pioneer W T King and Sapper Cordingley.

Source: Bedfordshire Standard 20th April 1916