One Out, One In

Monday 18th March 1918

1st Battalion, Bedfordshire Regiment is on the move back from the front line on the River Piave. Yesterday they moved south from Arcade to Santandrà. Today they have been marching south to Castagnole where they will billet for the night.

As one battalion leaves the line, anothers enters it. The 2nd Battalion have left Villers-Saint-Christophe and are once again at Savy Dugouts, where they have relieved 17th Battalion, Manchester Regiment. There are increasing rumours here in France that a German attack is looming. Many of these rumours highlight the area around Saint-Quentin as liable to receive this onslaught. Only time will tell if these are a superior brand of rumour or just the usual stock-in-trade of the idle and fanciful.

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

1st Battalion in Arcade

Monday 11th March 1918

1st Battalion, Bedfordshire Regiment is leaving the front line this evening and, by coincidence, tracing the journey of the late Second Lieutenant Perham to Arcade. Brigadier-General R D F Oldman is temporarily absent and so the Bedfords’ commanding officer Lieutenant-Colonel E I de S Thorpe has taken command of the brigade, with Major W Allason taking charge of the Battalion.

Lieutenant-Colonel Thorpe [X550/1/82]

The drummers of the 2nd Battalion have left Villers-Saint-Christophe for the XVIII Corps School. Here they will give a performance for a week.

Source: X550/2/5; X550/3/wd

Working on the Railways

Second Lieutenant Goble [X550/1/81]

Wednesday 6th March 1918

2nd Battalion, Bedfordshire Regiment are currently at Villers-Saint-Christophe. They are behind the front line but are not allowed to rest. They are being employed on railway work under the Assistant Director, Light Railways for 5th Army. One man who will be having a rest is Second Lieutenant S W Goble, who has today gone on leave.

Source: X550/3/wd

1st Bedfords Defend the Bridge

Tuesday 5th March 1918

1st Battalion, Bedfordshire Regiment, in northern Italy is going back into the front line today at Bisasio on the River Piave. This time they will have specific responsibility for defending a bridge across this wide, shallow, fast-flowing river, the Ponte della Priula.

Meanwhile 2nd Battalion, which has been working on trying to improve defences in the “battle zone” behind the front line, where any enemy attack is expected to be halted, has moved back to billets. They are at Villers-Saint-Christophe, a mile or so north-west of their previous billets at Aubigny-aux-Kaisnes.

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