Eighty Third Day of the Third Battle Ypres

Sunday 21st October 1917

The casualties incurred by the army during the present battle have made an impact on 4th Battalion, Bedfordshire Regiment. Today fifteen officers and ninety other ranks have been struck off strength as they have been transferred to XVIII Corps Reinforcement Camp to provide reinforcements to the divisions in that corps(1). Second Lieutenant T R G Cooke has also left the Battalion as he has joined the Royal Flying Corps.

Source: X550/5/3

(1) During the Third Battle of Ypres the divisions forming part of XVIII Corps fluctuated but included the following: 9th (Scottish) Division; 11th Division; 18th (Eastern) Division; 39th Division; 48th (South Midland) Division; 51st (Highland) Division; 58th (2nd/1st London) Division and 63rd (Royal Naval) Division.

Roll of Honour - 21st October 1917

Killed in Action

7th Battalion: 3rd Battle of Ypres: Tunnelling Camp

• 31797 Private George NEGUS, born Ashton [Northamptonshire], resided Bedford (Tyne Cot Memorial)

Died of Wounds

7th Battalion

• 30896 Private Charles William WARD, born Graveley [Cambridgeshire], resided Saint Neots [Huntingdonshire] (Mendinghem Military Cemetery)

Eighty Second Day of the Third Battle of Ypres

Lord Ampthill [X550/9/2]

Saturday 20th October 1917

Over the last two days Lieutenant-Colonel Lord Ampthill, formerly commanding officer of the 8th Battalion Bedfordshire Regiment, and more recently Director of Indian Labour at Headquarters, has been with the 1st Battalion and today he inspected them on parade.

The 4th Battalion, Bedfordshire Regiment, part of 63rd (Royal Naval) Division is at Houtkerque on the border between France and Belgium west of Poperinghe. They have been training, specifically learning how to attack pill boxes and so it looks as if their introduction to the Third Battle of Ypres may not be long delayed.

The 6th Battalion is at Epsom Camp, Westouter. Three days ago an officer, Second Lieutenant S van der Linde was killed and another officer, Second Lieutenant A Foll as well as three other ranks were wounded when an enemy aircraft dropped a bomb on them whilst north-east of Ypres. Today Second Lieutenant A Stone MC, Second Lieutenant F J Smith and fourteen other ranks have joined as reinforcements.

Sources: X550/2/5; X550/5/3; X550/7/1

Roll of Honour - 20th October 1917

Killed in Action

2nd Battalion: 3rd Battle of Ypres: in support at Denys Wood

• 20664 Private Frederick ELLIS, 28, ex-25020 Middlesex Regiment, son of Emma Purcell (ex-Ellis) of 22 Station Road, Harpenden [Hertfordshire] and late George Ellis (Tyne Cot Memorial)

7th Battalion: 3rd Battle of Ypres: front line at Canal Bank, relieved, badly, at evening

• 40819 Private George Thomas BRYAN, 19, ex-20008 Northamptonshire Regiment, born and resided Brixworth [Northamptonshire], son of Thomas and Catherine Bryan of 21 Furnace Cottages, Finedon [Northamptonshire] (Cement House Cemetery)
• 15065 Private George Alfred FENWICK, born Fulham [London], resided Ramsgate [Kent] (Tyne Cot Memorial)
• 12948 Lance Corporal Linton Wilfred LANTAFF, born Needingworth [Huntingdonshire], resided Saint Ives [Huntingdonshire] (Tyne Cot Memorial)
• 204482 Private George MORTON, 19, born King's Lynn [Norfolk], resided Sibson [Huntingdonshire], son of Mary Morton of Orton Longueville [Peterborough] (Cement House Cemetery)
• 40763 Private John Edward PEARSON, 25, ex-36201 South Staffordshire Regiment, born Wolverhampton [Staffordshire], son of Oliver Pearson of 69 Broad Street, Bilston [Staffordshire] (Tyne Cot Memorial)
• 203288 Private Sidney SHARMAN, born and resided Clophill (Cement House Cemetery)
• 13903 Private Richard SLEET, 31, born and resided Saint Paul's Walden [Hertfordshire] (Tyne Cot Memorial)
• 30321 Private William Thomas TAYLOR, 40, born Dunsdale [Yorkshire], resided Sandy, son of William Taylor, husband Sarah Elizabeth of 37 Odell (Cement House Cemetery)
• 40786 Private John William THOMPSON, ex-38186 Leicestershire Regiment, born and resided Earl Shilton [Leicestershire] (Cement House Cemetery)
• 31389 Private Frank Charles TURNER, 36, son of Henry Turner of 5 Housingham [Norfolk], resided Saint Olave's, Great Yarmouth [Norfolk], husband of Mary Ann Matilda Barter (ex-Turner) of Redbrooke [Hampshire] (Tyne Cot Memorial)
• 203517 Private Herbert Sidney WAGG, 30, born and resided South Wootton [Norfolk], son of Albert John Wagg of Dersingham [Norfolk] (Tyne Cot Memorial)
• 28120 Private Horace Alfred WOODHOUSE or WODEHOUSE, 21, son of Horace C and Harriet Woodhouse or Wodehouse of 148 Knowsley Road, Norwich [Norfolk] (Tyne Cot Memorial)
• 37816 Private William Henry YORK, 19, son of Mary Ann York of Cross Street, Moulton [Northamptonshire] (Tyne Cot Memorial)

Died of Wounds

7th Battalion

• 203269 Private Edwin PARKER, 30, son of late William and Maria Parker of Green Tye, Much Hadham [Hertfordshire], husband of late Ada Parker (Dozinghem Military Cemetery)

Died

1st Garrison Battalion

• 24172 Private Charles Levi CULLINGHAM, 47, ex-3/8933 East Surrey Regiment, born Rochester [Kent], resided Epsom [Surrey], son of H A Cullingham of 22 Mill Road, Merton [Surrey] (Delhi War Cemetery)

Undisclosed Battalion

• 19094 Corporal G TAYLOR, 38, son of John Taylor of Luton, husband of Emily Elizabeth Taylor of 31 Havelock Road, Luton (Luton Church Burial Ground)

Eighty First Day of the Third Battle of Ypres

Friday 19th October 1917

Yesterday the 7th Battalion, Bedfordshire Regiment went back into the front line at the Canal Bank on the Ypres-Comines Canal near Hollebeke where 2nd Battalion have also been at times this year. Today they have been severely attacked by gas shells. The adjutant reported that the mud is very thick and the duckboards few, meaning that the men are constantly over their ankles in a cold, glutinous mess, to the detriment of their feet, their temper and their health generally. The line, it should be noted, is not a continuous trench but often merely a series of shell holes filled with water. The adjutant hoped that their stay would be a short one otherwise there may be many men fit for nothing but being sent to hospital(1).

Source: X550/8/1

(1) It would be a short tour, relief taking place the following evening.

Roll of Honour - 19th October 1917

Died of Wounds

7th Battalion

• 15759 Private Edward LINCOLN, born Highgate [London], resided Shefford (Dozinghem Military Cemetery)
• Temporary Second Lieutenant Robert Cyril Starling RANSOM, son of Robert James Deacon Starling and Maud Kate Ellen Ransom, born Norwich [Norfolk] (Minty Farm Cemetery, Ypres)

Died

12th (Transport Worker) Battalion

• 36376 Private Frederick MARSHALL, 32, ex-10498 Royal Sussex Regiment, born Brighton [Sussex], resided Catford [London], son of George David and Mary Marshall (Brighton City (Bear Road) Cemetery)

Eightieth Day of the Third Battle of Ypres

Thursday 18th October 1917

Today 1st Battalion, Bedfordshire Regiment put into practise what they had learned in the last few days. They gave a demonstration of how to make a modern attack to all the battalion commanders and adjutants in 15th Brigade. In the afternoon the officers beat the other ranks at rugby by nine points to nil(1)

Source: X550/2/5

(1) At this period scoring was: four points for a dropped goal; three points for a try or a penalty; two points for a conversion.