Roll of Honour - 11th January 1917

Died

8^th Battalion

• 33297 Private Arthur LOVETT, 28, ex-21840 Middlesex Regiment, son of Amos Lovett of Keston, Hayes [Kent] (Chocques Military Cemetery) 

The Shooting Goes On

Trench Mortar at the Imperial War Museum

Wednesday 10th January 1917

A conversation with the adjutant of the 8th Battalion on the telephone today reminded me that, even though both armies are, unofficially in “winter quarters”, the firing goes on. Winter Quarters used to mean a suspension of hostilities for the winter whilst both armies built up their strength and planned and trained fro the year to some. Of course, that still happens, but in this modern, industrial war of constant siege the front lines are still manned and so fire is exchanged on a regular basis. Today the battalion gave thirty of its men to the Royal Engineers to make new dugouts in the support line. Seeing this activity the Germans fired about two hundred light trench mortars over the front line. Fortunately no casualties accrued to the Bedfords. The adjutant remarked that the enemy: “Received good retaliation from our artillery”.

Source: X550/9/1

Roll of Honour - 10th January 1917

Killed in Action

3rd Battalion

• Temporary Lieutenant James Hamilton MACGREGOR, attached 132nd Company, Machine Gun Corps (Amara War Cemetery, Iraq)

Died of Wounds

8^th Battalion

• 17388 Private Joseph STANDISH, 37, son of Samuel and Rosanna Standish, of 355 Shoreham Street, Sheffield [Yorkshire] (Longuenesse Souvenir Cemetery, Saint-Omer)

And More Reinforcements

Captain H A W Pearse [X550/1/81]

Tuesday 9th January 1917

The adjutant of the 2nd Battalion tells me that they have today received 37 other ranks as reinforcements. In the first nine days of this year the battalions of the Regiment have received the following numbers:

• 2nd Battalion: 87;
• 6th Battalion: 54;
• 8th Battalion: 273

A total of 414 officers and men. Meanwhile the Battalion has lost an officer, hopefully purely temporarily, as Captain H A W Pearse has gone on leave.

Source: X550/3/wd

Roll of Honour - 9th January 1917

Died

1^st Garrison Battalion

• 23986 Private Thomas MCCARTHY, ex-3841 Queen’s (Royal West Surrey Regiment), born Rotherhithe, [London] (Delhi War Cemetery) 

How to Deal with Reinforcements

Monday 8th January 1917

The adjutant of the 1st Battalion told me today that they are now in support to the front line near Cuinchy. He also explained that their brigade (15th) has established a Brigade Training Depot at Beuvry two or three miles due west and thus two or three miles away from the firing line. This depot, under the command of Major Deakin of 16th Battalion, Royal Warwickshire Regiment, is tasked with taking all drafts of reinforcements sent to the Brigade. They will remain at the depot until fully qualified in musketry and all branches of training at which point they will be sent to their allotted battalions. Second Lieutenant A J Fyson from the battalion has been sent to this depot as an instructor

Source: X550/2/5

More Reinforcements

Sunday 7th January 1917

The 8th Battalion has received more reinforcements for this years campaigning. The adjutant tells me that 98 other ranks arrived today. He commented on them: “Very good but mostly specialists” meaning men such as machine-ginners, signallers, scouts and so on. Meanwhile the Commanding officer, Lord Henry Scott inspected the draft of 174 other ranks which arrived yesterday. Thus the battalion has had its numbers boosted by more than a company’s worth of men in two days - in excess of a quarter of its total strength

Source: X550/9/1