Roll of Honour - 10th March 1916

Died of Wounds

7th Battalion

• 18176 Private Alexander GOLLIN born Saint Pancras [London] resided Leigh-on-Sea [Essex] (Carnoy Military Cemetery)

1st Battalion near Arras

Thursday 9th March 1916: We understand that the 1st Battalion has moved from the Somme area to the Arras area to the north and are now in the front line near the village of Saint-Laurent-Blangy. Their advanced posts are in the ruins of houses in the village and are just ten yards from the German advanced posts. The adjutant commented that: “The front line trenches are pretty good, but there is no supporting line and communications are bad. A good deal of work is required in the sector, improving communication trenches and draining chiefly”. Their first night in their new home was quiet but there was a considerable fall of snow.

Source: X550/2/5

Médaille Militaire

Médaille Militaire by F du Til 

Wednesday 8th March 1916: We heard from Regimental Sergeant Major Alick Milton of the 1st/5th Bedfords on 3rd March. Now we hear that the Bedford native, from 16 Sandhurst Road, has received the Médaille Militaire from the French government. It is the custom of allied governments to make a certain number of their own decorations available to their allies, to be given to worthy recipients. RSM Milton was promoted to his current post when RSM Munton was invalided home from Gallipoli last year. He is very popular with his officers and men and his many friends in Bedford are pleased to learn of his deserved award for gallantry in the field, having taken a prominent part in the Battalion’s heroic charge at Suvla Bay in August last year.

Source: Bedfordshire Times 7th April 1916

DCM by Post

Tuesday 7th March 1916: A supplement to the London Gazette for 14th January briefly announced that His Majesty had approved the awarding of a Distinguished Conduct Medal to Private Arthur Webb of 1st Battalion, Bedfordshire Regiment, in recognition of services on the Western Front. Nothing further was heard in the Biggleswade district until last week, when Private Webb’s wife, who resides at Ickwell-road, Upper Caldecote, received the following letter from the 9th District Infantry Record Office, Warley. It was dated 1st March and was as follows – “Madam – In accordance with the request of 8411 Private A Webb, 1st Battalion, Bedfordshire Regiment, I am forwarding you herewith his Distinguished Conduct Medal – Yours faithfully G Fitzgerald, Captain, for Officer Commanding Records, 9th District”. Private Webb is well-known in the Biggleswade district and is the son of Mr and Mrs Webb of Common Gate Cottage and his many friends are pleased to know that his services in the field have been recognised. He was in the Reserve when war was declared and was formerly employed by Messrs Wells and Winch Limited at the brewery(1). He went to France with the first Expeditionary Force and fought at Mons and in practically all the big engagements. He went through all of these unharmed and when he came home on a week’s leave with a comrade, Private C Butcher, who also went to France in August 1914, both men looked in perfect trim. The Biggleswade DCM has a brother on active service, Lance Corporal Webb of the Norfolk Regiment. The latter went from India to the Persian Gulf Expeditionary Force and was wounded some time ago. He had a very narrow escape then of being killed, for a bullet pierced the front of his tunic and but for a book which he had in his pocket, he must have been killed. Lance Corporal Webb has had his tunic, book and the bullet photographed, and only last week he sent home a copy from India where he has been recuperating after his injury.

The act that won Private Webb the DCM was for his conveyance of rations to the trenches. We are informed that owing to the fierce bombardment by the enemy of the British trenches and the district round it was almost impossible for two days to get through with food transport. On the day in question the officer thought it impossible to get through, but Webb undertook the task and set off with his van across the shell swept zone. It was a most perilous journey but Webb accomplished it safely and reached the given point with the food supply for his comrades of the “Brave Bedfords”. It was, however, a journey fraught with grave danger and some idea of it may be gathered when we state that one of Webb’s horses was hit by shrapnel bullets eighteen times. For the accomplishment of this task he won the coveted honour and we heartily congratulate him in gaining this well merited reward.

Source: Bedfordshire Standard 17th March 1916

(1) The brewery was in Biggleswade and the firm was taken over by Suffolk brewers Greene King in 1961.

Roll of Honour - 7th March 1916

Killed in Action

7th Battalion: front line trenches near Carnoy

• 18225 Private Victor John FURNELL born Upwood [Huntingdonshire] resided Wood Walton [Huntingdonshire] (Carnoy Military Cemetery)

Died

1st Battalion

• 8702 Private Harold Gurth LOVEDAY, 28, son of Edward Charles and Emily Loveday of 52 Parkfield Road, South Harrow [Middlesex] (Wembley Old Burial Ground)

Inspection on the March

Sir Ivor Maxse 

Monday 6th March 1916: The adjutant of the 7th Battalion informs us that yesterday the battalion moved from Corbie the short distance to Bray-sur-Somme. On the march they were inspected by Brigadier Thomas Herbert Shoubridge, in command of 54th Infantry Brigade and Major-General Sir Ivor Maxse commanding 18th (Eastern) Division(1), who both expressed satisfaction with the march discipline on display and general appearance of the troops.

Source: X550/8/1

(1) Shoubridge went on to command 7th Division from 1917, Maxse was made commander of XVIII Corps in 1917 then, in 1918, Inspector General of Training.

Swarmed with Rats

Sunday 5th March 1916: Sapper Harper from Bolnhurst told us yesterday of a visit he had made to Lieutenant Collisson’s grave at Cérisy-Gailly. He then told us of his other experiences: “I am at present in one of the most advanced positions of the British line and am living in a dug-out twenty feet below the ground level. We are swarmed with rats and have to chase them away in the middle of the night. They have eaten half my great coat. I have often read in English papers that the Germans cannot shoot, but that is a great mistake. I was pulling down some wood for new dug-outs, when a sniper put a bullet into a piece a foot from my head. I hung up my hat for him to shoot at, but he was too sharp for that. Now I must ring off as my candle is short and I must get to sleep before the rats parade”.

Source: Bedfordshire Standard 31st March 1916