Roll of Honour - 14th May 1917

Killed in Action

1st Battalion: battle of Arras: front line near Arleux-en-Gohelle

• 3/6620 Private Albert Charles SMITH, born and resided Luton (Arras Memorial)

Died of Wounds

7th Battalion

• 13944 Private Noah FAULKNER, 31, son of Frederick and Rosina Faulkner; husband of Edith of Stanford (Mont Huon Military Cemetery, le Treport)

More 4th Division Success

Sunday 13th May 1917

A rare thing has, we understand, happened today. The 91st Brigade has been attacking The Red Patch in Bullecourt and that attack has caused a metaphorical casualty on the General Staff. Major-General T H Shoubridge has replaced Brigadier-General H R Cumming with the commanding officer of 21st Battalion, Manchester Regiment, Colonel W W Norman. This seems to have come about because the major-general disagreed with the brigadier’s plan of attack on The Red Patch. The new brigade commander decided on an attack from the south-west rather than the east as Cumming had planned. No progress has been made.

Another attack has been made today by the 4th Division, in conjunction with 17th (Northern) Division, near Roeux. 4th Division have again been completely successful, whereas the other division’s attack met with mixed success, but nevertheless managed an advance of 600 yards north of the road from Fampoux to Plouvain. In the last two days 4th Division, aided by 17th, has taken around five hundred prisoners we are told. From so small a force, however, a “butcher’s bill” of 28 officers and 511 other ranks is steep.

Yesterday evening 3rd Division attacked the enemy front line near the road from Monchy-l3-Preux to Pelves and 12th (Eastern) Division attacked bstween the Monchy to Pelves and the Monchy to Pelves Mill roads. Neither attack seems to have made much headway.

Elsewhere the 1st Battalion, Bedfordshire Regiment are to move tonight from being in support into the front line near Arleux. This line is not, in fact, continuous trenches but merely a series of pits which are not connected. This is evidently a hastily-constructed position which will be difficult to defend if the Germans attack.

Sources: X550/2/5; X550/9/1

Roll of Honour - 13th May 1917

Killed in Action

7th Battalion: Battle of Arras: front line near Neuville-Vitasse

• 12795 Private S Thomas BROOKS, born and resided Kempston (London Cemetery, Neuville-Vitasse)

8th Battalion: front line near Hulluch

• 22833 Private Herbert DEIGHTON, 21, D Company, son of Sarah Ann Deighton of Chapel Row, Ellington [Huntingdonshire] and late Joseph Deighton (Philosophe British Cemetery, Mazingarbe)

Died of Wounds

1st/5th Battalion

• 200870 Private George PRATT, 19, born Luton, son of Sophia Pratt of Pyne Cottages, Chalton, Toddington and late William Pratt (Deir el Belah War Cemetery, Palestine)

Died

6th Battalion

• 15602 Corporal E DRURY, son of Robert and Sarah Drury of 68 Station Road, Harpenden [Hertfordshire] (Harpenden (Saint Nicholas) churchyard)

The Chemical Works and That Accursed Red Patch

Saturday 12th May 1917

Last evening another attack was made on the chemical works at Roeux. 4th Division was slated for this attack, despite being weak in numbers after the shambles of an attack on 3rd May. Out of a theoretical strength of over 12,000 rifles only 2,444 could be put into the field and these were formed into a makeshift brigade and launched into an assault without reserves. They were, however, aided by a barrage of great strength with ten full brigades of artillery joining in. This attack was completely successful, overrunning chemical works, chateau and station and speaks much for the undaunted spirit of the men who made it.

56th (London) Division also carried out an attack last evening. They seem to have achieved complete surprise and in a dashing attack seized the enemy’s front line from south of the road from Arras to Cambrai to north of it.

Today, once more, Bullecourt has received the army’s attentions. Early this morning, around dawn, 91st Brigade of 7th Division went in to try to capture the whole village. The Australian 15th Brigade was to advance and link up with 91st Brigade at the cross-roads north-east of the village and 62nd (2nd West Riding) Division was to take ground round The Crucifix north-west of The Red Patch.

Alas for expectations! Only some of the plan seems to have been achieved. 2nd Battalion, Queen’s (Royal West Surrey Regiment) took its objectives as far as the church but 2nd Battalion, South Staffordshire Regiment, could make no progress in The Red Patch which, as a wag near me was heard to observe is living up to its name. 62nd Division, we have been told, reached The Crucifix, but were then sent tumbling back to their starting positions. The Australians have taken nearly two hundred prisoners but could not quite meet all their objectives though they have made touch with the Queen’s.

Still, tonight the whole of Bullecourt is in British hands except for the accursed Red Patch. It is expected that tonight some of the Australians will be relieved by 58th (2nd/1st London) Division.

Second Lieutenant Shekury [X550/1/81]

Elsewhere the 2nd Battalion, Bedfordshire Regiment were delighted to hear of more well-deserved decorations. Second Lieutenant Cecil Shekury has been awarded the Military Cross and the Military Medal has been awarded to: 9606 Sergeant R Foster (his second); 8883 Sergeant J. Wheeler; 9757 Acting Sergeant A Thorogood; 9297 Lance Sergeant G Gurney; 21055 Corporal T Williams; 19078 Corporal J Hedge; 9873 Private G Harding; 19167 Private C Furr and 9727 Lance Corporal J Brown(1)

Source: X550/3/WD

(1) Shekury would die on 16th April 1918, Gurney on 22nd March 1918 and Hedge on 21st August 1918

Roll of Honour - 12th May 1917

Died of Wounds

1st Battalion

• 18184 Private James William BARTRAM, 31, born and resided Kempston (Boulogne Eastern Cemetery)

7th Battalion

• 13966 Private John WATTS, 34, born Kensal Rise [London], husband of Florence E of 7 Woodstock Road, Shepherd's Bush [London]; son of James Watts (Hammersmith Old Cemetery)

8th Battalion

• 40154 Private George Frank DORLING, 33, ex-28270 Essex Regiment, born and resided Cockfield [Suffolk] (Cockfield (Saint Peter) churchyard)

Died

3rd Battalion

• 37194 Private Walter Charles CAMBERS, 19, son of C H Cambers of Church End, Ravensden (Colchester Cemetery)

1st Garrison Battalion

• 24793 Private William Arthur FROST, ex-19372 Norfolk Regiment, born Saint Barnabas [Norfolk] resided Norwich [Norfolk] (Delhi War Cemetery)

No More Woolly Vests

Second Lieutenant S H Smith [X550/1/81]

Friday 11th May 1917

We understand that Second Lieutenant S H Smith has re-joined the 2nd Battalion, Bedfordshire Regiment from hospital. Meanwhile the Bedfordshire Yeomanry gained a measure of revenge on the football field, beating the Battalion by two goals to one.

The 8th Battalion, meanwhile, have gone back into the line again after a time in billets. They are near Hulluch on the old Loos battlefield from 1915. The adjutant tells us that, now it is officially spring, leather jerkins and woollen vests have been withdrawn from the men.

Sources: X550/3/WD; X550/9/1.

New Officers and Football

Second Lieutenant Page [X550/1/81]

Thursday 10th May 1917

There has been no fighting around Bullecourt today, nor over the rest of the Arras battlefield. Yesterday night the 1st Battalion, Bedfordshire Regiment moved forward to occupy a line east of Willerval and Farbus Station to prevent any further advances by the enemy. The Battalion has only four hundred men (about forty per-cent strength). Overnight they were heavily shelled with gas and tear shells, a few men suffering minor discomfort.

Meanwhile 2nd Battalion, thirty miles west of Arras at Buire-au-Bois have had some reinforcements. 9357 Sergeant P A Page has been promoted from the ranks, as has been common with the battalion this year, and Second Lieutenant A D Greenwood and Second Lieutenant A D Barnetson have joined from England(1). C Company played D Squadron of the Bedfordshire Yeomanry at football and won by three goals to one.

Sources: X550/2/5; X550/3WD

(1) Greenwood would die on 30th August 1918.