Praise for the 2nd/5th Bedfords

Monday 5th April 1915: Private S. Gilbert of the 2nd/5th Battalion, Bedfordshire Regiment, has spoken to us today. “We are off today to Norwich and we have got to march it, but it will be nothing to us as we are going to take three days to do it in; it is only about 47 miles. We are all going about with pigeon chests and swelled heads today. We went to Church parade yesterday morning and while coming back we passed the Brigade Major(1) and he sent a letter which our Colonel read to us to this effect: “I watched your battalion go by this morning and it was absolutely topping to watch them, not a man out of step anywhere. You would have liked to have looked on yourself”. How’s that, Umpire? I can tell you we are all as pleased as a dog with two tails”.

Source: Bedfordshire Times 9th April 1915

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(1) A brigade’s chief of staff concerned with planning, his personal rank most often was, indeed, a major but could also be a captain.

3rd Bedfords' Easter Parade

Easter Sunday 4th April 1915: This Easter Sunday the 3rd Battalion, Bedfordshire Regiment, under the command of Lieutenant-Colonel Lord Ampthill GCSI, GCIE, paraded to witness the presentation of medals for Distinguished and Gallant Conduct in the Field to Sergeant A. Cooper and Private W. Falla. Brigadier-General M. C. Curry, CB, DSO commanding at Landguard Camp [Suffolk] made a short speech to the regiment and pinned the coveted decoration on the breasts of the two gallant soldiers, who have added to the good name and reputation for deeds of valour of the county regiment.

The following extract from the regimental Orders is of interest: “The Commanding Officer has great pleasure in informing all ranks that the last two drafts for the Expeditionary Force furnished by this Battalion, have established a record by arriving at the overseas base absolutely complete as regards clothing, equipment and necessaries etc. He understands that no draft from any other regiment has done equally well. This satisfactory achievement was very creditable, not only to men of the drafts, but also to the Company officers and NCOs who supervised their equipment. It is a fitting complement to the high reputation for gallantry and efficiency which the Bedfordshire Regiment has attained at the Front, and the Commanding Officer hopes that he present and all succeeding drafts will make it a point of honour to do equally well.

Source: Bedfordshire Times 16th April 1915

A Brigadier's Inspection

Major-General Herbert Edward Watts

Saturday 3rd April 1915: This Easter Saturday Brigadier-General H. E. Watts, commanding 21st Infantry Brigade, 7th Division has made an inspection of 2nd Battalion, Bedfordshire Regiment. He was pleased to express himself very satisfied at the smart turn out of the men and at the cleanness and neatness of the billets. The strength of the battalion on parade at only 22 officers 643 other ranks reflects their casualties in the battles last month, these being all that were left out of a theoretical maximum strength of 30 officers and 977 men.

Source: X550/3/wd

A Letter from Lord Ampthill

Lord Ampthill [X550/9/2]

Good Friday 2nd April 1915: Lord Ampthill, commander of the 3rd Battalion, Bedfordshire Regiment at Landguard Camp near Felixstowe has told us about things sent to the men by children from this county: “The comforts for the troops of which the Bedfordshire County Council Education Committee sent me such a large and generous consignment have now been distributed carefully to the men who were most in need of them and I am asked by all the recipients to express their grateful thanks to the donors. Many of the men who received articles which were ticketed with the name and address of the maker and often with charming little messages of good-will, are writing direct to those industrious little maidens to thank them. I think that all were very much touched at receiving these gifts from the little school-girls of the county, and the workmanship has been greatly admired”.

“Altogether the kindly thought of all those concerned has produced a very pleasant impression which will go far to knit the Regiment more closely to the county. The scholars who made the woollen garments will like to know that many of them have been given to men who have already been to the front and have returned here to recover from their wounds on being discharged from hospital. I have about four hundred wounded men in the Battalion and as many of them as are still able to march and shoot will go out as soon as they have regained their strength. The gifts therefore have for the most part been placed in the hands of men who have already shed their blood for out country and deserved well of the nation”.

“I hope also that it is well known throughout the county that few Regiments have done better or behaved more gallantly than the Bedfords. The comforts arrived at a very opportune moment, as we have had another spell of cold weather with ice and snow and this place is always windy. A large number of men have been on guard or on outpost night and day and it is then that the mufflers and cuffs are particularly welcome. The socks are always useful, as much marching soon wears out those supplied by the Government”.

“Finally let me say that we have all greatly appreciated that fact that the 3rd Battalion has not been forgotten. The 3rd Battalion is now completely blended with the two Regular Battalions at the front, for most of my men are with them and many of them are with me”.

Source: Bedfordshire Times 9th April 1915

Roll of Honour - Friday 2nd April 1915

Died of Wounds

1st Battalion

• 9693 Sergeant Thomas FULLER, 20, son of Joseph and Mary Ann Fuller of 10 Little Butts Street, Bedford (Boulogne Eastern Cemetery)

A Terrible Day

Thursday 1st April 1915: A terrible day, spent in crawling towards a hospital after being severely wounded by shrapnel and narrowly escaping with his life, is described by Private Arthur Allen, an old soldier from Markyate [Hertfordshire] who rejoined at the beginning of the war and has since been serving at the front with the 2nd Battalion, Bedfordshire Regiment. He told us: "I am getting on fine now. I can nearly get my arm straight, but my leg is very weak. I tried to get out of bed yesterday, but couldn't stand, so had to get back again. the shin-bone is chipped. I am having the bullets taken out next week if all goes well. If they had been rifle bullets they would have gone right through and that would have been better, but it was shrapnel".

"I saw the shell burst right on us. I happened that morning to cut a bigger hole in the ground to cover my head and shoulders, or I should have been more wounded or killed. It was a sight to see the field. I used to have a peep now and then before I got wounded and then I was done for. When I was wounded I had to stop where I was until night, or chance getting shot again … I was bound up by a comrade and he advised me to stop until night but I said: "No, on my hand and knees I go". I started falling over dead and wounded in the trench. My right wrist wouldn't stick it far, so I had to rest, covered with mud and blood".

"There were shells and rifle fire all round. I kept thinking that one would drop close to me. As I was getting cold I started again. I crawled from my own trench to another one that was full of water - an old German trench. There I had to stand on my left leg and hop about 50 yards through this water. I found three more comrades wounded in the head and lots of dead. One fellow with a slight wound got me an old bush to walk with, so I got upright to toddle along. I was then left on my own. I came to open ground from which we had just driven the Germans. There I had to go quick or stop. I got to a heap of dirt and stopped there till night - wet through and with everything cut through to get at my wounds and bind them up".

Explaining that though this is told in a few lines it covered the period from 10 a.m. till 6 p.m. when it was getting dark, he continues: "When I had had a good rest, up I got and hobbled along for another hour, till I came in sight of a stretcher bearer party. I shouted my regiment, but they didn't belong to the regiment, and said "Your ambulance is up the road a mile" so I was done there. They told me the road my party was on and that they were coming my way, but I couldn't walk a mile. I stopped for I was in too much pain. I was found at 11 o'clock at night and taken to a dressing station. Thank the Lord I got there all right. I have left a lot out and must tell you that when I get home, if all goes well"(1).

Source: Luton News 1st April 1915

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(1) It sounds as if Private Allen was wounded during the Battle of Neuve Chapelle. He seems to have survived the war.

Roll of Honour - Thursday 1st April 1915

Died of Wounds

2nd Battalion

• 9313 Private Edward Ralph HOWE, born Eversholt, resided Bedford (Merville Communal Cemetery)

Died

6th Battalion

• Lieutenant Aubrey Crawshaw DENHAM, 34, formerly 10th Battalion, son of John William and Annie Denham of 3 Woodland Mount, Trinity Street, Huddersfield [Yorkshire] (Huddersfield (Edgerton) Cemetery)