Died of Wounds
8th Battalion
- 16796 Private Albert Edward BOND,
26, D Company, son of William Bond of
BEDFORDSHIRE AT WAR: News from the Front Line Image (c) artist Hugh Byrne, Shop33 and SNAP
Sunday, 4 October 2015
Roll of Honour - Monday 4th October 1915
Saturday, 3 October 2015
Clearing the Battlefield
Sunday 3rd
October 1915: The Battle of Loos, which began on 25th September is still under
way, nevertheless, parts of the battlefield have to be cleared of broken and
discarded equipment and dead bodies and defences improved against any German
counterattack. It seems as if, amongst others, the Bedfordshire Yeomanry has
been given this task. It is one, no doubt, far removed from the part they saw
themselves taking in this war, sword in hand at the charge.
A detachment
of 35 men per squadron with 4 officers (Captain Davis, Lieutenant Lascelles,
Second Lieutenant Hollebane and Second Lieutenant Southern) left Lozinghem,
west of Béthune to join a brigade working party. This party under
Lieutenant-Colonel F Pilkington, 15th Hussars, was taken in motor buses to a
point on the la Bassée-Lens road. From there, as soon as it got dark, they
marched about 4 kilometres to the crest of a slope above Loos. As the men were
carrying all their kit, rations for two days, dixies and entrenching tools this
was a very tiring march. The last two kilometres of the road were lined with
dead horses, broken timbers and debris of all sorts. At the crest of the hill,
the brigade turned left-handed and marched over a mile along a trench line
running roughly north-east, intersected by several very deep communication
trenches and immeasurable wires. A section of this trench was allotted to the
Bedfordshire Yeomanry and work was begun at once on the parapet on removing
dead from the trench and clearing up generally
At 11 pm a
party was sent back to the water carts to bring back all available dixies,
water bottles and as much water as possible. This supply has to last the
Regiment 24 hours and there was no chance of replenishing it through the day. At
3.45 this morning the Regiment turned in for well-earned rest
Roll of Honour - Sunday 3rd October 1915
Died of Wounds
2nd Battalion
- 17729 Private Henry GILLMAN, 25,
husband of Maggie Eveline of Brantfield,
Friday, 2 October 2015
A Message from the King
Saturday 2nd
October 1915: We have heard
that on 30th September His Majesty King George V sent the following message to
the Commander-in-Chief of the British Expeditionary Force, Field Marshal Sir
John French: “I heartily congratulate you and all ranks of my Army under your
command upon the success which has attended their gallant efforts since the
commencement of the combined attack. I recognise
that this strenuous and determined fighting is but the prelude to greater deeds
and further victories. I trust the sick and wounded are doing well”.
As this is
the first offensive on such a scale that the army has launched in this war, His
Majesty no doubt felt compelled to acknowledge such success as it has had. It
is true that it has not achieved the breakthrough which had been hoped for but
some progress has been made and the Germans have been given a taste of their
own medicine, being on the receiving end of the poisoned gas they introduced
into this war.
Source: X550/3/wd
Roll of Honour - Saturday 2nd October 1915
Died of Wounds
2nd Battalion
- 17729 Private Frederick CHESHER,
26, son of Frederick and Clara Jane Chesher of The Jetty,
Thursday, 1 October 2015
2nd Bedfords’ Commanding Officer Killed
Major Monteith
Friday 1st October 1915: The adjutant of the 2nd Bedfords, still holding the front line near Hulluch at Gun Trench tells us that last night, about 9 pm Germans were seen running over the open on the Battalion’s right as they had penetrated into the gun emplacement held by the 2nd Battalion Royal Scots Fusiliers adjoining the Bedfords’ position.
The enemy were then working round the rear of a post of Bedfordshire Regiment bombers near the Scots and they were the assailed by bombs from three sides. This party of bombers made its way back to the rest of the Battalion with great difficulty.
Meantime the men holding the right of the Battalion position had been forced to give way and were holding a block made about 20 yards down the trench. The Germans came on, bombing with great violence, and owing to the clumsiness of the Ball Grenades with which our bombers were mostly armed, it was found hard to cope with them(1).
Two Machine Guns that had been in Gun Trench and had got isolated, managed to extricate themselves by moving alternately and covering one another's retirement with machine gun and rifle fire. These guns were mounted on the parapet of a trench called Stone Alley, and assisted to prevent the enemy's bombers coming across the open.
At about 1 a.m. a counterattack by grenade-throwers was attempted, this made some progress but the supply of good bombs was very limited to give a chance against the great numbers thrown by the enemy. At this point Second Lieutenant E F S Dyer was wounded.
Towards dawn under Orders from Brigade Headquarters 30 yards of Stone Alley was filled in and a block established. The Germans had been throwing bombs hard all night, and had been trying to work round the flanks. They had also brought up a machine gun to fire down Stone Alley. The Battalion’s own machine guns were able to deal with this.
We have just heard some additional and sad news from the adjutant of the 2nd Battalion, that their commanding officer was killed a few minutes ago. Their old CO, Lieutenant-Colonel Cranleigh Onslow was wounded on 25th September and Major John Cassels Monteith had assumed command. He was shot whilst directing work on the block in the trench mentioned above. He was 39, the son of a minister, Rev. John Monteith of Glenluiart, near Moniaive in Dumfriess-shire.
The adjutant reports that since the opening moments of the Battle of Loos on 25th September the Battalion has lost 355 men. Of these just 45 have been killed, 40 are missing believed killed or captures and 270 wounded.
Source: X550/3/wd
(1) The ball grenade is shown at the top of the page, it was replaced by the Mills Bomb by the end of 1915
Roll of Honour - Friday 1st October 1915
Killed in Action
2nd Battalion:
Battle
- 17668
Private William ALLEN, 20, A Company, son of Thomas and Annie Elizabeth of
- 10089
Private Benjamin DRISCOLL, born and resided Aspley Heath (Loos Memorial)
- Temporary Lieutenant-Colonel John
Cassels MONTEITH , 39, son of late Rev John and Ellen Maria Monteith,
husband of Jane R of Glenliuart, Moniaive [Dumfriesshire], born Glencairn
[Dumfriesshire] (
Died of Wounds
2nd Battalion
- 19075 Private James COLLINS, 24,
born Wilshamstead, resided Cotton End (
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