Roll of Honour - 8th February 1917

Killed in Action

4th Battalion: front line near Beaumont-Hamel

• 3/7357 Private Albert FINAL, born and resided Berkhamsted [Hertfordshire] (Ancre British Cemetery, Beaumont-Hamel)
• 19500 Lance Corporal James John HAND, born and resided Saint Ives [Huntingdonshire] (Thiepval Memorial)
• 22812 Private John HULL, 21, son of William and Agnes Hull of Everton (Ancre British Cemetery, Beaumont-Hamel)
• 22790 Lance Corporal Stephen REDMAN, 20, son of Walter and Agatha Redman of Upper Gravenhurst (Thiepval Memorial)
• 23424 Lance Corporal Frederick William SMITH, born and resided Redbourn [Hertfordshire] (Thiepval Memorial)
• 29663 Private Herbert SUTTON, born and resided Saint Albans [Hertfordshire] (Ancre British Cemetery, Beaumont-Hamel)

Died of Wounds

1st Battalion

• 20163 Lance Corporal Frank Alfred IBBITT, born and resided Tempsford (Varennes Military Cemetery)
• Acting Major John Jenkins MOYSE, 32, mentioned in despatches, son of Dr Charles E and Jessie McDougall Moyse of Montréal [Canada] (Béthune Town Cemetery)

4th Battalion

• 27390 Acting Corporal Charles Henry LIVETT, 29, son of William and Sarah Livett of Buckden [Huntingdonshire], resided Peckham [London], husband of Emily Dorothy of 21 Stobart Mansions, Kimpton Road, Camberwell [London] (Doullens Communal Cemetery Extension No.1)

Training Goes On

Lieutenant L A L Fink [X550/1/81]

Wednesday 7th February 1917 from our correspondent in the field

As small attacks begin again on the Somme the rest of the army is still training ready for any big push to take place in the next month of two. 2nd Battalion, Bedfordshire Regiment, is at Monchiet, south-west of Arras. Today Captain R E Oakley proceeded to the Third Army School, to which most of the senior officers of the Battalion have now been. In his absence Lieutenant L L Fink has taken over command of C Company(1).

Source: X550/3/WD

(Lawrence Fink MC would die on 4th October 1917 - he is buried at Kemmel Chateau Military Cemetery)

Roll of Honour - 7th February 1917

Killed in Action

4th Battalion: front line near Beaumont-Hamel

• 23210 Lance Corporal Henry Godfrey Walter ANTHONY, 20, born Harrow Weald [Middlesex], son of M A E Anthony of 129 School Lane, Bushey [Hertfordshire] (Ancre British Cemetery, Beaumont-Hamel)
• 40208 Private Frederick Charles BAKER, ex-28230 Essex Regiment, born West Thorpe [Suffolk], resided Stowmarket [Suffolk] (Ancre British Cemetery, Beaumont-Hamel)
• 23320 Private Noah DESBOROUGH, 20, son of Ernest E Desborough of High Street, Guilden Morden [Cambridgeshire] (special memorial in Ancre British Cemetery, Beaumont-Hamel)
• 25562 Lance Corporal Frank EARL, 24, son of Daniel and Hannah Earl of Bath Place, Clifton (Ancre British Cemetery, Beaumont-Hamel)
• 40191 Private Albert Edward ELMS, ex-28182 Essex Regiment, born Tydd Saint Giles [Cambridgeshire], resided King's Lynn [Norfolk] (Ancre British Cemetery, Beaumont-Hamel)
• 23226 Private Hector Percival GAMMONS, son of Mrs E A Ball of Buckworth [Huntingdonshire], resided Woolley [Huntingdonshire] (special memorial in Ancre British Cemetery, Beaumont-Hamel)
• 23058 Private George Raymond HUBBARD, born and resided Buckworth [Huntingdonshire] (Thiepval Memorial)
• 29461 Lance Corporal Harold JACKSON, 30, born Horncastle [Lincolnshire], resided Ilford [Essex], son of William Charles Jackson of Ivy House, Ruskington [Lincolnshire], husband of Annie M of 3 Vale View, Honiton [Devon] (Thiepval Memorial)
• 31342 Private James JOHNSON, 27, son of James and Ada Johnson of Bedford, resided Goldington (Ancre British Cemetery, Beaumont-Hamel)
• 33708 Acting Sergeant John JOWERS, ex-21334 Suffolk Regiment, born and resided Ipswich [Suffolk] (Ancre British Cemetery, Beaumont-Hamel)
• 25110 Drummer John Holroyd WADSWORTH, 26, born Barkisland [Yorkshire], resided Blackpool [Lancashire], son of Walter and Eliza Wadsworth of 3 West Street, Todmorden [Yorkshire] (special memorial in Ancre British Cemetery, Beaumont-Hamel)

8th Battalion: working parties for front line system near Loos

• 40283 Private Wallace George Leicester YOUNG, 26, ex-5209 Norfolk Regiment, son of Charles Valentine and Elizabeth Young of Market Place, Swaffham [Norfolk] (Vermelles British Cemetery)

Died of Wounds

1st Battalion

• 32928 Private Arthur Sinclair ARCHER, 30, A Company, ex-8297 Royal West Surrey Regiment, son of Alfred and Christina Archer of 22 Woodbury Road, Walthamstow [Essex] (Merville Communal Cemetery Extension)

4th Battalion

• 30347 Private Bertie William John SHRIMPTON, 35, son of Walter and Emma Shrimpton of Watford [Hertfordshire], resided Watford, husband of E Shrimpton of 350 Third Street, Trafford Park, Manchester [Lancashire] (Varennes Military Cemetery)

Died

1st/5th Battalion

• 201349 Private Horace Edward RUDDERHAM, 24, born Feltwell [Norfolk], resided Little Downham [Cambridgeshire], son of Henry and Edith Rudderham, husband of Florence Minnie of Pymoor Lane, Pymoor [Cambridgeshire] (Kantara War Memorial Cemetery)

Roll of Honour - 6th February 1917

Died of Wounds

8th Battalion

• 33230 Corporal Francis Arthur RILEY, 21, ex-19620 Essex Regiment, son of Arthur and Mary Riley of The Post Office, Burnt Mill [Essex], husband of Ida M of Burnt Mill (Béthune Town Cemetery)

4th Battalion at Bois d'Hollande

Tuesday 6th February 1917 from our correspondent in the field

The adjutant of 4th Battalion, Bedfordshire Regiment, reports that they have been occupying the old German front and second line trenches around Beaucourt-sur-Ancre which the Battalion took last November. Two companies have today pressed forward to the Bois d’Hollande and area north-west of it. They now hold a line facing north-east as shown in red on the map above

Source: X550/5/3

A Sinai Picnic

Monday 5th February 1917 from our correspondent in the field

The 1st/5th Battalion of the Bedfordshire Regiment are marching across the Sinai Desert to the front line with the Turks on the borders of Palestine. They have reached the town of Romani (just north-west of Katia on the map above). This was where an important victory was gained over the Turks last August. 

Today around three-quarters of the Battalion are due to go for a bathe and a picnic after their tiring marches since the first of this month.

Source: X550/6/8

Roll of Honour - 5th February 1917

Killed in Action

1st Battalion: front line at Ferme du Bois near Béthune

• 23134 Lance Corporal James NORMAN, 25, son of Jesse and Jane Norman of Beeston Green (le Touret Military Cemetery, Richebourg-l’Avoué)

4th Battalion: relieved from front line on the north bank of the Ancre

• 4/6585 Private Frank DOWSE, born Abbots Langley [Hertfordshire], resided Rickmansworth [Hertfordshire] (Thiepval Memorial)
• 23081 Private Arthur Robert GOODMAN, 20, A Company, born Leagrave, son of Mr and Mrs Virgin of 27 Lea Road, Luton (Thiepval Memorial)
• 20630 Lance Corporal Lewis John HARVEY, 29, son of Greenwood and Mary Harvey of Halifax [Yorkshire], husband of Edith of Ampthill Road, Shefford (Ancre British Cemetery, Beaumont-Hamel)

8th Battalion: front line opposite Hohernzollern Redoubt near Loos

• 33226 Private Ernest James PEARSON, 30, son of D Pearson of Blundeston [Suffolk] (Vermelles British Cemetery)

Died of Wounds

8th Battalion

• 29693 Private William W CLAYDON, 28, son of C Claydon of 32 Eden Road, Haverhill [Suffolk] (Béthune Town Cemetery)

Died

4th Battalion

• 26753 Private Cecil John MARSH, born Halstead [Essex], resided Cardiff [Glamorgan] (Ancre British Cemetery, Beaumont-Hamel)

12th (Transport Workers) Battalion

• 39010 Private Edward William FOX, 31 born and resided Swanton Novers [Norfolk], son of Robert and Georgianna Fox of Bale [Norfolk] [Croydon (Queen’s Road) Cemetery)