Training

Tuesday 8th January 1918

The adjutant of 7th Battalion, Bedfordshire Regiment, has sent your correspondent a timetable of the training undertaken today at J Camp near Poperinge.

All Companies: 8 a.m. to 8.10 a.m. running parades under platoon commanders

A Company:

• 9.30 a.m. to 10.30 a.m. Close Order Drill and Organisation
• 10.30 a.m. to 11.30 a.m. Platoon in Attack (as a Drill)

B Company:

• 9.30 a.m. to 10.30 a.m. Close Order Drill & Organisation
• 10.30 a.m. to 11.30 a.m. Platoon in Attack (as a Drill)

C Company:

• 9.30 a.m. to 10.30 a.m. Platoon in Attack (as a Drill)
• 12 noon to 1 p.m. Close Order Drill & Organisation

D Company

• 9.30 a.m. to 10.30 a.m. Platoon in Attack (as a Drill)
• 12 noon to 1 p.m. Close Order Drill & Organisation

All Companies:

• Feet Rubbing 5 minutes daily in billets under Platoon Commanders' supervision.
• Rapid Loading & Muscle Exercises 15 minutes daily in billets under supervision of Platoon Commanders.

Source: X550/8/1

Musketry

Saturday 5th January 1918

The British army has used rifles instead of muskets since the middle of the last century, nevertheless, in the army some things are very slow to change. Consequently practising rifle fire is still known as musketry.

Today 7th Battalion, Bedfordshire Regiment, at J Camp near Poperinge, has been having musketry. Grouping Tests were given, meaning tests to see whether a man could hit the target so that his shots made a tight group. Those who failed received further instruction. Lewis gunners were also on the range.

Source: X550/8/1

A Skirmish and a Tactical Scheme

Saturday 29th December 1917

1st/5th Battalion, Bedfordshire Regiment is currently at Mulebbis(1) about six miles east of Jaffa. On 27th the Turks began to attack towards Jerusalem in hopes of regaining it. At 4 a.m. yesterday the Bedfords saw about sixty or seventy of the enemy approaching their left post. An officer with a patrol and Lewis gun left the post and got within six hundred yards of the Turks before opening fire causing a rapid withdrawal by the enemy.

At noon the Battalion went into billets in Mulebbis. The area allocated was only capable of holding 200 men and was in a very dirty condition. It was therefore decided that the Battalion should bivouac as a whole(2)

The 7th Battalion, near Poperinge, carried out a tactical scheme for brigade commander General Sadleir Jackson this morning. Two Companies of the 11th Battalion, Royal Fusiliers and a detachment of Vickers guns supplied an enemy for this scheme. At the conference afterwards the General pointed out the excellent manner in which the N.C.O's and Section Commanders handled their commands, and the intelligent manner in which all ranks carried out their duties. This tactical scheme was generally considered to be very much above the average.

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

(1) Now Petah Tikva

(2) The Turkish attacks on the British lines were all beaten off by 31st December.

Dangerous Winds

Sunday 5th December 1915: The adjutant of the 8th Battalion, Bedfordshire Regiment, who are behind the lines at Poperinge, west of Ypres reports very high winds yesterday. The Brigadier had just finished inspecting their billets when the wind blew down a wall burying nine horses of the Battalion’s transport, of whom three were killed.

Source: X550/9/1