The Bedford Boys

Friday 26th July 1918

The 1st Battalion, Bedfordshire Regiment is currently behind the lines near Merville. Yesterday half the battalion were training whilst the other half attended the baths. Last night they had a "most enjoyable evening" according to the adjutant, attending a performance given by their concert troupe "The Bedford Boys". A good deal of singing of songs, some I believe somewhat risque, was indulged in and some skits at the expense of the colonel and other senior officers were particularly well received.

Source: X550/2/5

Stand To, Stand Down

Thursday 13th December 1917

8th Battalion, Bedfordshire Regiment, after its exertions in the Battle of Cambrai is now at Courcelles-le-Comte, five miles north-west of Bapaume. We heard from the adjutant that as of six o’clock this morning they were standing-to in fighting order, ready to move as an attack was expected on 3rd Divisional front. The order to stand down was issued at 7.45 a.m.

Baths were then alloted to the Battalion from 8 a.m. to 10 a.m. and 150 men managed to have a bath. Thee were the last ones to be bathed since the Battalion came out of the line on 9th December.  Companies played football in the afternoon and B Company are giving a concert tonight.

Source: X550/9/1

Bathing in Sandbags

Friday 25th May 1917

We have more news from the 1st/5th Battalion, Bedfordshire Regiment in Palestine. Yesterday they found working parties - a total of 1,740 man hours across the battalion. During the day work continued on improving their bivouacs - one ingenious feature was to make a bath of sandbags, covered with waterproof sheets. In such hot conditions one may readily perceive the pleasure of a cool bath after work and one gallon of precious water was allotted to every three men who were enabled by washing themselves first and their straining off the soapsuds in a straw "trap" to wash their clothes also.

Source: X550/6/8

Baths and New Underwear

Friday 15th December 1916: From our Correspondent in the Field

The adjutant of the 8th Battalion, Bedfordshire Regiment, now out of the front line told me that the men have had baths today and been allowed to change their underclothing. The baths are communal and taken in water tanks, partially filled and, at this time of the year, bitterly cold, so any thoughts of luxuriating in steaming water should be out out of the reader’s mind! More welcome will be the change of underwear which, as one can imagine, is itchy, dirty and smelly after some weeks without change.

Source: X550/9/1

No Baths

Monday 14th December 1914: the 1st Battalion has been enjoying a few days in billets behind the front line at Saint-Jans Cappel, a few miles south-west of Ypres. Today they were due to be bathed – a chance to remove several weeks of dirt and wash off lice before having a change of uniform. Sadly they have been unexpectedly ordered to move to Corps Reserve at Nieuwkerke so the baths at Bailleul will be allotted to some other, luckier, unit.

The Battalion has been bivouacked in a muddy field whilst they wait to be ordered into action. An attack can be heard in the distance, somewhere near Wijtschate to the east (1). However the call has not come and they are now expecting to return to rest billets nearby.

Source: X550/2/5

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(1) A costly, failed attack by 3rd Division in support of operations by the French