Lieutenant-Colonel E I de S Thorpe [X550/1/82]
Wednesday 16th
January 1916
The 1st
Battalion, Bedfordshire Regiment are still training in northern Italy,
preparing to man trenches on the front-line against the Austrians on the River
Piave. The conditions at the front are likely to be very different from Belgium
and northern France and a prolonged period of acclimatisation is very
important. Company Sergeant Major E Johnson MM has been promoted to second
lieutenant and posted to the Battalion.
Lieutenant-Colonel
E I de S Thorpe only joined 2nd Battalion at the end of last year but already
he has been transferred. He is going on a short leave before proceeding to
Italy to take command of the 1st Bedfords.
The 4th
Battalion have gone back into the front line. They have relieved the 1st/4th
Battalion, King’s Shropshire Light Infantry.
The 6th
Battalion is also training at Sercus, south-west of Hazebrouck. Today one of
those things which happens in war or peace alike took place - a drummer was
killed by a collapsing barn falling on top of him. Such an event would be a
tragedy for the family of the man concerned at any time but in war, with slaughter
of man by man all around, such an accident seems even more poignant.
