Gongs and Mosquitos

Wednesday 12 June 1918

The 1st/5th Battalion, Bedfordshire Regiment is in Palestine, not far from Jaffa. Yesterday the commanding officer left the battalion on an extended tour of inspection of the Schools of Instruction, clearly his training methods are held in high esteem and High Command are hoping he can provide valuable insights to update the instruction given to the officers and men of the Egyptian Expeditionary Force as the army is still known.He is replaced by the second-in-command, Major C. R. James MC.

At 6 o'clock last night as the day cooled into evening Military Cross ribbons were presented to Second Lieutenants Gooderham and Mayers and a Military Medal ribbon to Private Pennycock by the General Officer Commanding 54th (East Anglian) Division, Major General Sir Steuart W Hare.

The adjutant also mentioned that the "usual anti-mosquito work" was carried on - eradicating or spraying the small pools in which these potentially deadly pests breed.

Source: X550/6/8

More Awards for the 2nd Battalion

Acting Major J P Pitts [X550/1/82]

Saturday 8th June 1918

The 2nd Battalion, Bedfordshire Regiment, in support west of Albert had the good news today of three more awards for bravery during the recent German offensives. Acting Major J P Pitts has been awarded the Military Medal. The Distinguished Conduct Medal is a higher award (the other ranks version of the Distinguished Service Order) and has been awarded to both 9126 Sergeant A Cobbold and 8172 Sergeant L Hibbocks.

Source:
X550/3/wd

Awards

Monday 3rd June 1918

For the last few days 2nd Battalion, Bedfordshire Regiment (now two-thirds 7th Battalion) has been at Henencourt Wood, west of Albert. They are the counter-attack battalion in brigade reserve. This area is familiar to the old 7th Battalion hands as they have been here for some weeks but it is new to the 2nd Battalion men.

Today it was been learned that Second Lieutenant P A Page has been awarded the Military Cross, whilst Military Medals have been awarded to Privates F Scripps, F White, A Coles and J Fretwell. On asking which battalions these men had been in prior to amalgamation I was told firmly that they are now all in 2nd Battalion, Bedfordshire Regiment and that is all that matters.

Source: X550/3/wd

Minute Observations

Thursday 16th May 1918

The 1st/5th Battalion, Bedfordshire Regiment is near Jaffa in Palestine. This morning the adjutant was able to speak with me to tell me about the sort of patrol work they have been undertaking. On the night of 14th/15th, for example, whilst in no man's land, they spotted a patrol of ten Turkish cavalry and heard and saw Turkish picquets in their advanced posts along a railway line. These picquets seem to be eight strong and one was covering a working party of a dozen men who were cutting grass to enable a better view. Several wagons, each with six men, were seen coming forward to the front line. Three more cavalry patrols were seen. Such minute observations help to draw up a detailed picture of enemy positions and, over a number of nights, patterns of behaviour can be determined which may help in planning a raid. 

Captain R L V Doake [X550/1/82]

Meanwhile the 7th Battalion has been withdrawn from the reserve positions west of Albert to the village of Baizieux. They are pleased that Captain R L V Doake and Captain A B McBride have both been awarded the Military Cross, as has Captain Stevenson of the Royal Army Medical Corps, attached as Medical Officer. Captain McBride died on 24th April last(1). In addition Sergeant A Scott has been awarded the Distinguished Conduct Medal - all four awards for actions in the recent fighting.

Sources: X550/6/8; X550/8/1

(1) He is buried at Longueau British Cemetery; Sergeant Alexander Scott would die on 1st October - he is buried at Vendhuile Communal Cemetery)

Arthur Percival DSO, MC

Lieutenant-Colonel Percival

Tuesday 14th May 1918

The 7th Battalion, Bedfordshire Regiment are currently in reserve west of Albert. They had the good news today that their commanding officer, Lieutenant-Colonel Arthur Percival MC has been awarded the Distinguished Service Order. Also Captain Browning has been awarded the Military Cross. More importantly fifty two other ranks have arrived from base as reinforcements as well as one officer - Second Lieutenant S A Peerless.

Sourcer: X550/8/1

Memories

Friday 3rd May 1918

Today marks the anniversary of the action at Cherisy which, as the adjutant admitted unhappily, has been the only reverse suffered by the 7th Battalion, Bedfordshire Regiment in this war. Today the battalion is at Avesnes-Chaussoy west of Amiens, training.

Lieutenant-Colonel Collings-Wells

The 4th Battalion, Bedfordshire Regiment is gradually recovering from the hardships and losses of the March retreat, including the action at Bouzincourt Ridge in which they lost their commanding officer, Lieutenant-Colonel Collings-Wells. A few days ago the battalion heard that Lieutenant-Colonel Collings-Wells had been awarded a posthumous Victoria Cross for his leadership during the retreat and his courage immediately before his death. Second-Lieutenant Charles Lovatt, who was killed on 12th April after only eight days with the battalion has also been awarded a posthumous Military Cross; he had previously served with 26th Battalion, Northumberland Fusiliers. The battalion is currently at Talmas, south of Doullens and today welcomed back a working party of four hundred which had been employed at Varennes, a couiple of miles from Bouzincourt.

Sources: X550/5/3; X550/8/1

Fiftieth Day of the Third Battle of Ypres

Tuesday 18th September 1917

The fiftieth day of this new offensive has not been marked by any offensive actions, everyone holding the line and, seemingly, waiting for something. Following the awards of medals to other ranks of the 7th Bedfords yesterday we have heard today that the Military Cross has been awarded to Lieutenant and Quartermaster F Corner and to Captain J A Vlasto of the Royal Army Medical Corps, the Battalion Medical Officer. A bar to his MC has also been awarded to Captain W W Colley.

Source: X550/8/1

Medals and Gassing

Tuesday 24th July 1917

The adjutant of the 1st Battalion, Bedfordshire Regiment, tells me that three officers and three other ranks have been decorated. Military Crosses have been allotted to Captain H A W Pearse, Second Lieutenant P D Sisley and Second Lieutenant A S Trotter. Meanwhile 8721 Sergeant R T C Lansbury and 10055 Sergeant Puddiphatt have been awarded the Distinguished Conduct Medal and 28207 Sergeant Sinclair a bar to his Military Medal(1).

Captain Pearse [X550/1/81]

The adjutant of the 1st/5th Battalion has wired to say that “gongs” have been handed out there, too. Nineteen Military Medals have been given to members of the recent raiding party at Umbrella Hill, sixteen of them being members of the Bedfords.

Second Lieutenant Sisley [X550/1/82]

Yesterday the 6th Battalion, in the front line near Kemmel, was gassed. Today there have been five more gas casualties as well as one man wounded and one killed by other means. Three officers have arrived as reinfocrements.

Source: X550/2/5; X550/6/8; X550/7/1

(1) Company Sergeant Major R T Lansbury DCM, MM would be killed in action on 20th July 1918. Sergeant J Sinclair DCM, MM would die near Ypres on 12th November 1917.

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

6th Battalion News

Saturday 30th June 1917

6th Battalion, Bedfordshire Regiment, is currently the battalion in divisional reserve at Kemmel south of Ypres. During the month their strength has been augmented significantly, from 709 other ranks to 935. The reinforcements make good the casualties suffered in April at Monchy-le-Preux and Greenland Hill when the regiment was reduced to less than sixty unwounded men

During the past month a number of decorations have been received. Five Military Crosses, two Distinguished Conduct Medals, one bar to a Military Medal and twenty-one Military Medals all attest to the gallantry shown in the attacks in April and the raid on 26th May. As June has been spent resting and training there have been no casualties.  

Source: X550/7/1

Decorations from the Somme

Captain Oakley [X550/1/81]

Saturday 9th June 1917

Today the battle at Messines Ridge has gone quiet.  It is fair to say that strong German counter-attacks were expected ere now and their failure to materialise must owe much to the stunning success of the first attack.

The adjutant of 2nd Battalion, Bedfordshire Regiment, tells me that they are about to be relieved in the front line, the exchange taking place as soon as it is dark. They will then move back to Poperinghe. News has been received that the following awards had been made for gallantry on 12th October, 1916 in the unsuccessful and bloody attack on Gird Trench: Captain R E Oakley has received a Military Cross, 10016 Sergeant A Howard and 9578 Sergeant A Mason have both received Distinguished Conduct Medals.

.

The Battalion’s total casualties for this most recent period in the trenches were: eleven other ranks killed; three other ranks died of wounds; two officers and sixty-six other ranks wounded; one other rank gassed and two other ranks suffering from shell shock.

Source: X550/3/WD

A Raid by 2nd Battalion

Tuesday 5th June 1917

The adjutant of 2nd Battalion, Bedfordshire Regiment, informed me of a raid the Battalion undertook from 1.30 this morning on enemy positions at Observatory Ridge near Ypres marked on the map above. The object was to secure identification of the enemy units.

Second Lieutenant K C J Jones [X550/1/82]

The raid was undertaken by Second Lieutenant K C J Jones and twenty-four other ranks. The adjutant remarked: “The raid was quite successful, the party leaving our Trenches at 1.30 a.m. and returning at 1.37 a.m. with one prisoner, an N.C.O. of No.5 Company, 2nd Battalion, 58th Infantry Regiment, of 119th Division. His name was Neumann”. In the operation four men were wounded, only one of them seriously. As a reward Second Lieutenant Jones and two of his men, 33034 Corporal C Jeeves and 202669 Private H Medcraft were awarded ten days’ leave in England. In addition Jones is to receive the Military Cross, Jeeves and 9214 Acting Lance Corporal H Preston the Military Medal(1).

Source: X550/3/WD

(1) Harry Morris Medcraft, aged 24, from 19 Saint Leonard’s Avenue, Bedford, would be killed on 23rd June and is buried at Dickebusch New Military Cemetery Extension

Awards and Diplomatic Relations

Captain Willans [X550/1/82]

Sunday 4th February 1917 from our correspondent in the field

We have heard today that yesterday the United States of America broke off diplomatic relations with Germany following Germany’s declaration of unrestricted submarine warfare on Thursday. This news is something of a tonic for the boys at the front as it is seen as a prelude to an declaration of war, with all that entails for new armies on the Western Front.

Today in the theatre at Béthune Sir R B Haking, commander-in-chief of XI Corps presented awards to a number of officers including Military Crosses for Captain H Willans, Captain O A R Beale and Second Lieutenant H S Everett of the 1st Bedfords.

Meanwhile the 4th Battalion, in the front line north of the River Ancre has suffered more casualties. Four men have been killed, one has died of wounds and fifteen have been wounded. Remarkably this is the same “butcher’s bill” as that suffered on 31st January.

Sources: X550/2/5; X550/5/3

8th Battalion Decorations

Lieutenant Holbrook

Saturday 23rd December 1916: From our Correspondent in the Field

The adjutant of the 8th Battalion told me this morning that the Corps Commander presented Military Cross ribbons to Captain J E Black, Royal Army Medical Corps, the Medical Officer and Lieutenant W J Holbrook. He also presented Military Medal ribbons to Privates Aston, Nottingham and Thurgrove.

Source: X550/9/1

Where is Montenegro?

Second Lieutenant Norrish

Sunday 17th December 1916: From our Correspondent in the Field

One of our allies in this war is the little known Kingdom of Montegenro in the Balkans(1). Little known it may be but it knows of our struggles in France. The adjutant of the 1st Battalion told me on the telephone this morning that a number of Montenegran orders and medals were dished out to deserving cases at a Church Parade in the Municipal Theatre at Béthune by General-Officer-Commanding 1st Army, Sir Henry Horne. Brigadier-General M Turner CB, commanding 15th Infantry Brigade received the Order of Danilo 2nd Class.

Perhaps of more interest to the Battalion was the issue of the Distinguished Service Medal to Private H W Fish, late of the 7th Bedfords and of the Military Cross to Second Lieutenant S Norrish. In addition the Miliary Medal has been given to Corporal McHugh and Private Cross.

Source: X550/2/5

8th Bedfords in the Trenches at Givenchy

Monday 4th December 1916: From our Correspondent in the Field

In the last few days the adjutant of the 8th Battalion, Bedfordshire Regiment has been keeping me informed about their situation at Givenchy-lès-la-Bassée. This evening he told me that just after dark the Battalion’s Lewis gunners caught an enemy working party in the open. As he remarked matter-of-factly: “Cries of pain denoting casualties were heard”. Earlier in the day a German was seen peering over the parapet. It was his last act as one of the Battalion snipers made sure.

Lieutenant L A L Fink

The 2nd Battalion are still at Berles-au-Bois to the north of the Somme battlefield, having relieved the 20th Battalion, King’s (Liverpool) Regiment this afternoon. The adjutant heard today that Second Lieutenant L A L Fink has been awarded the Military Cross(1)

Sources: X550/3/wd; X550/9/1

(1) Captain L A L Fink MC would be killed on 5th October 1917 and is buried at Kemmel Chateau Military Cemetery

Decorations for the Seventh Bedfords

Thursday 30th November 1916 From our Correspondent in the Field

Captain Bridcutt tells me that some offciers and men of the 7th Bedfords have received decorations for their actions on the Somme. The following officers have received the Military Cross:

• Captain L H Keep
• Captain W J W Colley
• Lieut. D S H Keep
• Captain J W Turner of the Royal Army Medical Corps, the Battalion’s Medical Officer
• Second Lieutenant H A Reaney

These men have received the Distinguished Conduct Medal:

• 3/8402 Regimental Sergeant Major F Antliffe
• 16176 Company Sergeant Major R M Brand
• 6466 Company Sergeant Major Charles Hall
• 43340 Sergeant A Wyatt
• 15080 Lance Corporal W Harris
• 16540 Private G Goldhawk

The following men have received the Military Medal:

• 14626 Lance Sergeant A Turville
• 15318 Private A Pratt
• 17423 Private W Crawley

Source: X550/8/1

Ampthill Road School Boy Wins the Military Cross

Saturday 10th June 1916: Ampthill Road School boys of an older generation will rejoice in the announcement that the popular “Jack” Hislop of their school boy days as won the Military Cross for splendid service in bringing up ammunition during a heavy German attack “somewhere in France”(1). “Jack” was one of a batch of boys, the sons of non-commissioned officers, who came from the barracks in the old days to Ampthill Road Schools, and after leaving school he joined the county line regiment in which his father, now Major Hislop, had had such a distinguished career. His promotion was rapid. In January of this year he was given his commission in the 8th Bedfords(2).

(1) Perhaps the attack of 19th/20th April 1916.

(2) Captain John Hislop MC was killed in action with the 8th Battalion on 22nd September 1917 and is commemorated on the Tyne Cot Memorial near Ypres.

Source; Bedfordshire Times 23rd June 1916

Honours for the Gallant Bedfords

Second Lieutenant Fleming [X550/1/82]

Thursday 8th June 1916: Among the honours recently awarded to our County Regiment are the following.

Military Cross – Temporary 2nd Lieutenant A M Fleming, 8th Battalion, Bedfordshire Regiment: he laid and repaired telephone wires under continuous and heavy shell fire, thus maintaining communications

Distinguished Conduct Medal – 14753 Lance-Sergeant W F Mills, 7th Battalion, Bedfordshire Regiment: for conspicuous gallantry when leading a party in a successful raid on the enemy’s trenches(1). His party bombed five large enemy dug-outs and accounted for many of the enemy. Much of the success of this raid was due to his cool bravery. 17463 Private A Simons, 8th Battalion, Bedfordshire Regiment: during an intense bombardment by the enemy(2) he coolly continue to work his machine-gun, and by his cool example greatly encouraged his comrades. Later, when the enemy attacked he caught them in a deadly cross-fire, greatly assisting in holding the trench.

Source: Biggleswade Chronicle 9th June 1916

(1) Probably the raid of 27th April 1916.

(2) Probably that of 19th April 1916.

Military Cross for Conspicuous Bravery

Thursday 11th May 1916: The Old Boys of the Bedford Elementary Schools will be delighted to learn that one of their number, Regiment-Sergeant-Major Frederick Thurley, of the 2nd Battalion, Bedfordshire Regiment, was yesterday at Buckingham Palace, decorated by the King with the Military Cross, for good and conspicuous work during the First Battle of Ypres from October 18th to November 7th 1914. Sergeant-Major Thurley is a son of Sergeant F Thurley and Mrs Thurley of 18 Ampthill Street, Bedford and belongs to a very old Bedford Volunteer family. He was educated at the Ampthill Road Boys Elementary Schools, at Bedford, during the present headmastership of Mr J Baldwin and was for some time under the tuition of Mr Dan Price. Between fourteen and fifteen years ago, Thurley enlisted in the 2nd Battalion of the Bedfordshire Regiment and after the outbreak of war he went with his Regiment to France on October 4th 1914, where he was remained ever since. Sergeant-Major Thurley, who is of an unassuming nature, has always been a popular man with his comrades in the regiment and when it became known that he had been recommended for the Military Cross, he received the hearty congratulations of his many friends. Special leave was granted to Sergeant-Major Thurley this week and no one felt more proud of his visit to Buckingham Palace than his father and mother, both of whom accompanied him to the Palace gate and awaited his return after the decoration by His Majesty.

In order to avoid the small army of photographers outside the Palace, Thurley left by a side gate, where he rejoined his parents. They quickly returned to Saint Pancras Station and arrived at Bedford at 3.50 pm, when they were met by Mr Baldwin and several of Thurley’s old schoolmates and, needless to say, he received very warm congratulations.

As stated above, Sergeant-Major Thurley has several other members of his family serving their King and Country at the present time. His father, Sergeant F Thurley, is at present at Lowestoft acting as a Cook-Sergeant; he joined the Bedfordshire Rifles 34 years ago and has never left the Corps, which is now known as the 5th Bedfordshire Regiment (TF). Two of the latter’s sons are Private A Thurley and Stretcher-Bearer C Thurley, both of whom are in Egypt serving with the 1st/5th Beds Regiment.

Source: Bedfordshire Standard 12th May 1916