Roll of Honour Wednesday 17th March 1915

Died of Wounds

1st Battalion

• 3/7625 Private Arthur Edward John MARTIN, 31, son of Eliza Bethell of 6 Raveley Street, Kentish Town [London], born Saint Pancras [London], resided Tufnell Park [London] (Poperinghe Old Military Cemetery)
• 3/6983 Private Charles OAKLEY, 20, son of Alfred and Alice Mary Oakley of 41 Canning Street, Bedford, born Woburn Sands [Buckinghamshire] (Ramparts Cemetery, Lille Gate, Ypres)

2nd Battalion

• 4/6873 Private Henry BRACE, 20, son of Henry and Mary Brace of Nether Street, Widford [Hertfordshire], born Hunsden [Hertfordshire] (Boulogne Eastern Cemetery)
• 3/7557 Private Henry George DAVIS, 39, husband of Mrs Bennett (ex Davis) of 25 Edenham Street, Westbourne Park [London], born West Haddon [Northamptonshire], resided Northampton (Lincoln (Newport) Cemetery)
• Second Lieutenant Alexander Dalzell SPRUNT BA, 24, formerly 4th Battalion, son of John Dalzell and Jane Naismith Sprunt of Montgomerie, Berkhamsted [Hertfordshire], born Hampstead [London] (Lillers Communal Cemetery), his brothers also died: Lieutenant Gerald Harper Sprunt (died 15th October 1919, commemorated on the Hollybrook memorial, Southampton) and Private Edward Lawrence Sprunt (1st Battalion Honourable Artillery Company, died 16th June 1915 commemorated on the Menin Gate Memorial, Ypres)

A Barton Man's Account of Neuve Chapelle

Church End, Barton-le-Clay [Z1306/7/4/1B]

Tuesday 16th March 1915: Private D Simpkins of the 2nd Bedfords was all through the terrible battle of Neuve Chapelle, and writes to his mother as follows: - “I have been very anxious to write you this letter, as we have had a very rough time; we were called up at 2 am one morning to do an attack, and we had a very rough time I can tell you, but thank the Lord for His very great help, we have done a good deal; we took three of the German trenches and secured two thousand prisoners, as near as I can say, so that shews you what good work we have done, and gained two miles of ground. We advanced under shell fire and when we got there we had to dig holes to get under cover, we were then in them three days and were very lucky to get our food up us, but we had a job to get water, the way I got mine was a very cunning way – the hole that I dug to lay in began to get wet so I cut the foot end of the hole low to keep the wet away from me, then I bored a round hole there and the water dripped in the hole nice and clear, and that’s what I had to drink; but now we have got back to a place where we can take it easy as before”(1).

Source: P21/30/17

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(1) 3/7044 Sergeant D. Simpkins was killed in action near Arleux-en-Gohelle with the 1st Battalion on 19th May 1917 and is buried at Bois-Carre British Cemetery, Thelus.

Roll of Honour Tuesday 16th March 1915

Killed in Action

1st Battalion: front line trenches on the canal bank south of Ypres

• 19155 Private Frank BARNES, 20, son of Thomas Barnes of High Street, Olney [Buckinghamshire] (Menin Gate Memorial, Ypres)
• 9213 Corporal Arthur Robert CHANDLER, 25, C Company, son of William and Jane Chandler, husband of Ida Florence of 62 Ingate Road, Beccles [Suffolk], born and resided Spaldwick [Huntingdonshire] (Perth Cemetery (China Wall), Ypres)
• 8854 Private Frank William WATTS, born Sherington [Buckinghamshire], resided Nazeing [Essex] (Menin Gate Memorial, Ypres)

Died of Wounds

2nd Battalion

• 9961 Private Charles NIGHTINGALE, born and resided Bassingbourn [Cambridgeshire] (Merville Communal Cemetery)
• 10357 Private Francis Joseph TYSOE, born Oakley, resided Bedford (Boulogne Eastern Cemetery)

An Aspley Man's Account of the Battle of Neuve Chapelle

Aspley Guise Square [Z1306/3a/21/2]

Monday 15th March 1915: We have heard from Private Walter C. Crute of Aspley Guise who has just gone through the Battle of Neuve Chapelle with the 2nd Battalion: “Have been in it four days and have never seen such sights before. This seems something worse than war – dead lying about in hundreds. One of our fellows had his pack blown from his back. There were seven of us in a trench that we had made for ourselves. In front of this a shell burst; and if it had been a foot nearer we should all seven have been blown to bits”.

“They say we had 40,000 to fight against at that time and the Grenadier Guards under heavy fire had to advance, come what would. Their officers are brave fellows and no mistake(1). The old Bedfords are all the time in action and cannot get a rest. I don’t know whether I shall ever come back(2). My chum got wounded beside me. The shot came from a Maxim gun, it cut through his cap into his head and it broke my bayonet. If it had not caught my bayonet it would have hit me plump on the forehead. Still, I am walking about now unconcerned”.

“Last night I had to go with some more for rations for our platoon and it was four in the morning before I could find our trenches again; bullets and shells were flying about hot. I came across a Grenadier who was wounded in both legs and couldn’t move. I lay down in the trench and was then able to move him about so that his legs were easy. He did thank me and then he wanted me to stop with him. I would have done but my rifle and equipment were in our own trench so I dare not. We keep on capturing Germans. Our artillery are making a tremendous row”.

Source: Bedfordshire Times, 26th March 1915

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(1) The commanding officer of 1st Battalion, Grenadier Guards, Lieutenant-Colonel Laurence Fisher-Rowe died of wounds on 12th March.
(2) Happily he seems to have done so.

Roll of Honour Monday 15th March 1915

Killed in Action

1st Battalion: front line trenches on the canal bank south of Ypres

• 8216 Private James LUKE, 40, son of William Luke of 16 Catharine Street, Aberdeen, husband of the late Marion Luke (Menin Gate Memorial, Ypres)

Praise for the Men of Neuve Chapelle

Sunday 14th March 1915: The general officer commanding IV Corps, Sir Henry Rawlinson, who masterminded the battle of Neuve Chapelle, has today issued this statement: “The brilliant success which the troops of the Fourth Corps have achieved in the capture of Neuve Chapelle is of the first importance to the Allied cause, especially at this period of the war. The heroism and gallantry of regimental officers and men and the assistance afforded them by artillery units is deserving of the highest praise and the Corps Commander desires to congratulate them on the severe defeat they have inflicted upon the enemy, whose losses amount to not less than 4,000 men in killed and prisoners alone(1). The magnificent behaviour of the infantry units is deserving of the highest commendation, and in deploring the loss of those gallant comrades who have given their lives for their King and country, Sir Henry Rawlinson hopes that all officers and men fully realise that what they have accomplished in breaking through the German line is an achievement  of which they should all feel justly proud”.

Source: Bedfordshire Standard 26th March 1915

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(1) Modern estimate are for 12,000 German casualties, of which 1,689 were prisoners-of-war. British and Indian casualties amounted to 11,652 killed, wounded and missing.

Roll of Honour Sunday 14th March 1915

Killed in Action

2nd Battalion: in original positions just south of Mauquissart

• 12976 Private Alfred EATON, born Plumstead [London], resided Hatfield Heath [Essex] (le Touret Memorial)

Died of Wounds

2nd Battalion

• 6013 Lance Corporal Alfred BROWN, son of Sarah Brown of Saint Albans [Hertfordshire], husband of Eva Jane of 14 Oster Street, Saint Albans, born Wheathampstead [Hertfordshire] (Merville Communal Cemetery)