8th Battalion Advance Continues

Monday 16th April 1917

Readers will remember that yesterday 8th Battalion, Bedfordshire Regiment seized some enemy ground near Loos. This evening we have heard once again from their commander, Lord Ampthill. A and C Companies of the battalion, under heavy bombardment, have bombed their way forward and consolidated the objective, some way towards a prominence called Hill 70. However, the battalion attacking on their left failed and retired, leaving the companies of the Bedfords “in the air”, that is, with their flank exposed to enemy fire and attack. Despite this all attacks were repulsed and the Bedfords hung on with just two men killed and seventeen wounded. It is not surprising that Lord Ampthill expressed his pride in men he had trained himself at Ampthill camp, their courage and professionalism being, in his lordhip’s words “second to none”.

Second Lieutenant S E Cline [X550/1/81]

The adjutant of the 2nd Bedfords contacted me late last night with the news that they are at Couin, east of Doullens. They have received significant reinforcements – 170 other ranks and three officers, Second Lieutenants Cline, Haywood and Lydle.

 

Second Lieutenants Haywood and Lydle [X550/1/81]

We have heard that the French have burst into life some way south of here, around the city of Saint-Quentin on a long ridge known as the Chemin des Dames or Ladies’ Ride. They have had a successful first day, gaining ground and taking prisoners, Vive la France!

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

8th Bedfords Attack at Loos

Sunday 15th April 1917

Yesterdays rumours, it seems, were true. There have been no attacks at Arras today. This is familiar to us from the events on the Somme last year. A few days of violent offensive would be followed by a period of consolidation and planning before the next paroxysm of violence.

Looking back on the battle so far it is very reminiscent of the struggles of last year from the middle of July onwards. The first day was, overall, successful, though with some disappointments. Each successive day saw the enemy defences harden, communications between our own formations increasingly difficult and so our attacks increasingly less well co-ordinated and so less successful, with the inevitable effect on the casualty rate. As one of my waggish colleagues remarked last night, it is a pity that every offensive does not stop after the first day, wait a few days then have another first day. There are rumours that our French allies will begin an offensive of their own further south around Saint-Quentin in a few days’ time. We all hope their first day will be a success(1).

4th Battalion, Bedfordshire Regiment is in the frontline at Gavrelle, north of Arras. Today it has been conducting a reconnaissance of the enemy village, along with 10th Battalion, Royal Dublin Fusiliers. This has been a hazardous business as the Germans are alert to any forward movement, and two officers, Second Lieutenants Frear and Marshall, have been killed, three officers and fifty five other ranks wounded.

The fighting in France is not limited to Arras. The 8th Battalion, Bedfordshire Regiment is on the old Loos battlefield of 1915, this morning it was in a position between the villages of Vermelles and Grenay. I have spoken with their commanding officer, Lord Ampthill, who told me that the battalion, along with the 1st Battalion, The Buffs attacked and seized a position south of Loos under heavy shell fire from which the Germans were spotted retiring two days ago. They are now in a trench which prolongs a feature known as the Double Crassier (two long spoil heaps of waste material from coal mining) and will, it is believed, over the next few days work their way towards a position called Hill 70 to the east.. This small action has cost twenty eight other ranks wounded.

Sources: X550/5/3; X550/1/9

(1) The French commander, Robert Nivelle intended to have a short breakthrough battle which, as soon as it started to run out of steam would be halted. Sadly it proved more difficult to halt an offensive than Nivelle realised. The French, by this stage of the war, had already had vastly more casualties than the British, and from a smaller population, by the end of the war the French would have suffered around 1,150,000 deaths (from a population of 40 million – 2.875%), Britain would suffer 750,000 deaths (from a population of 45 million – 1.6%) This left the French army’s morale fragile. It is tragic that this “Nivelle Offensive” proved to be the straw which broke the camel’s back leading to mutinies in the army and robbing it of any offensive value for some time.

Chasing the Hun and a Tragic Death on His Way to Serve

Thursday 10th September 1914: Yesterday our contact with the 1st Bedfords anticipated close fighting in a dawn attack. In the event this did not happen. He reports: “Moved off as a Brigade in the good old night formation on the dawn attack at 3.45 am. Expected every minute to be heard in which case we should rush the position. Nothing happened, however, and very much to our “relief”!! found that the Germans had quietly and most discreetly retired”. The Bedfords have been advancing all day, chasing the Germans back the way they were forced to retreat by them only a few days ago. This evening they lie near the hamlet of Saint-Quentin in the Bois de Bourneville, an advance of some fifteen miles. The adjutant reports that the advance began before dawn “pursuing the enemy all day. The enemy is apparently demoralised and the country strewn with wagons, motors, bicycles, stores, hundreds of greatcoats, dead and wounded horses, Germans etc.” One wonders how German units reported their pursuit of our men in the past few weeks. A German convoy was captured by our forces as well as a considerable number of prisoners.

We regret to announce the tragic and untimely death of Mr. Ronald C. M. McNaughton, son of Mr. J. J. McNaughton of 61 de Parys Avenue, Bedford. He had recently joined the East Anglian Engineers and was given the rank of Lance-Corporal. Yesterday afternoon about 2.30 he left Bedford with three other Engineers en route for Bury Saint Edmunds to join the Engineers there. The party were riding motor-cycles and near the bend at Great Barford Mr. McNaughton’s bicycle skidded and he was thrown heavily. He was picked up insensible and brought to the County Hospital by Doctor Coates but never regained consciousness and passed away at 2 am this morning Mr. McNaughton was at Bedford Grammar School 1907-9 and was in the School Corps. He was articled at the Grafton Works and after serving his time there was for about a year with Messrs Saunderson and Mills. The funeral will take place from 61 de Parys Avenue on Saturday at 2.30.

Source: Bedfordshire Times 11th September 1914; X550/2/5; X550/2/7

A Tragic and Accidental Death

Saint-Quentin during World War One

Thursday 27th August 1914: We are saddened to hear of the death of Private Benjamin Hedley Seabrook of 5th Bedfords. He was guarding a railway bridge at Manningtree [Essex] and was killed by an express train at 8.30 this morning. He was the son of Benjamin and Eliza Jane Seabrook of 68 West Street, Dunstable and was just eighteen years old.

All day the 1st Bedfords have been continuing their retreat from Mons. They left Estrées about 4 a.m. and marched through the city of Saint-Quentin reaching the town of Eaucourt just after midday. This journey of around twenty miles must have been shattering to men who have hardly slept since Sunday and have been in action. Our source with the battalion tells us that many of the men were marching whilst asleep.

Sources: X550/2/5; X550/2/7; Bedfordshire Times 28th August 1914