The 1st Battalion (1688 to 1919)

The 16th Regiment of Foot

The 16th Regiment of Foot was raised in Reading in 1688 and were in action a year later at Walcourt. During the Marlborough campaigns they distinguished themselves as steady, reliable fighting troops and by the end of the campaign had won five battle honours.

Between wars and campaigns and when not stationed on "home soil", they served in many countries including Canada, America, India, South Africa, the West Indies and Ireland. They were not involved in the Peninsular Wars against Napoleans armies, being stationed in the West Indies at the time and on returning home in 1814 had to be rebuilt as they had been left on Garrison duty in the "fever isles" for ten years and were a mere skeleton of their former selves.

Although they were in Canada when Napoleon marched north out of France in 1815, the Regiment were called upon but by the time their ship arrived and transported them to Europe it was all over. This episode led to their nickname "the Peacemakers" and regular quarrels with the 30th Foot ensued as a result of the 30th's taunts and the 16th's irritability at having missed the entire campaigns against Napoleon.

With that, the 16th Foot were once again destined for a long period of Empire patrolling roles. Service in Ceylon (to 1828) and Bengal, followed by stints in Gibralter (to 1847) and Corfu were uneventful. In 1851 Jamaica beckoned again, followed by another spell in Canada. Ireland followed as a second battalion were raised (to become the 2nd Battalion, the Bedfordshire Regiment when the County affiliation was brought into being in 1881) and the Crimean War came and went without either Battalion being available to the British forces at the time. Despite their growing annoyance and being unable to shake the "Peacemaker" label, the 16th Foot were commedned on their behaviour at every station of their Garrison service and known to be remarkably disciplined, highly trained and always eager.

The 1st Battalion, the Bedfordshire Regiment

By the 1890's the 1st Battalion were in India and took part in the Chitral Expeditions against several revolting tribes, the most notable being the action at the Malakand Pass between the 2nd and 4th April 1895. They forced the Pass despite dreadful terrain and chased the retiring enemy army some four miles on the first day, eventually causing them 500 casualties which is remarkable for that type of fighting. The Chitral Battle Honour was "well deserved" for their involvement and adorns the Regimental Standard to this day.

After Chitral, the 1st Battalion were back patrolling the Empire and had no involvement in the South African Wars of 1899 to 1902 although the 2nd Battalion and a Militia contingent from the Bedfordshire regiment were involved. Until the outbreak of hostilities in Europe in the summer of 1914, the 1st Bedfords served in India and Ireland on relatively peaceful policing duties.

The 1st Battalion's service in The Great War

The 1st Battalion were a “Regular Army” Battalion, who were at Mullingar, Ireland, at the outbreak of war. On mobilisation they left England as part of 15th Infantry Brigade in the 5th Division and went down in history as one of the Battalions of "Old Contemptibles" who outfought the Kaisers armies in the early engagements of the war.

The Division landed in France on 16th August 1914 as a part of Haig’s II Corps and fought in the early engagements of the War. They were at Mons in August and fought fiercely at Le Cateau, where 5 VC’s were won by the Division. After service on the Aisne, they took their position in Flanders and were also involved in the actions at Neuve-Chapelle and La Bassee. By the end of November the Division had suffered 5,000 casualties and stayed in a purely defensive role that winter.

Having moved to around Ypres in early 1915, the Division were engaged at the Second Ypres, defending Hill 60, where another 4 VCs were won in one day. In May Private Edward Warner of the 1st Bedfords won his VC defending Hill 60, but was awarded the honour posthumously as he died of his wounds the following day.

They remained on the Western Front throughout the war, serving in all sectors from Ypres to the Somme, except for a brief tour of duty in Italy between December 1917 and April 1918.

The 5th Infantry Division were comprised as follows:

13th Infantry Brigade

[Temporarily in the 28th Division between 23rd February and 7th April 1915].
1st Battalion, The Royal West Kent Regiment.

2nd Battalion, The King's Own Scottish Borderers.

2nd Battalion, The King's Own Yorkshire Light Infantry. (Left the Brigade in December 1915.)

2nd Battalion, The Duke of Wellington's Regiment. (Left the Brigade January 1916.)

14th Battalion, The Royal Warwickshire Regiment. (Called the “1st Birmingham”; joined December 1915 and became Divisional Pioneers in October 1918.)

15th Battalion, The Royal Warwickshire Regiment. (Called the “2nd Birmingham”; joined January 1916, disbanded October 1918.)

16th Battalion, The Royal Warwickshire Regiment. (Called the “3rd Birmingham”; joined October 1918.)

1st/9th Battalion, The (City of London) London Regiment. (Joined the Brigade in November 1914 and left in February 1915.)

14th Infantry Brigade

[Transferred into the 32nd Division on 30th December 1915].
1st/9th Battalion, the Royal Scots (Highlanders). (Joined November 1915, left December 1915.)

1st Battalion, The Devonshire Regiment. (Left December 1915.)

2nd Battalion, The Suffolk Regiment. (Left September 1914.)

1st/5th Battalion, The Cheshire Regiment. (Between February and November 1915.)

2nd Battalion, The Royal Iniskilling Fusiliers. (Between November and December 1915.)

1st Battalion, The East Surrey Regiment. (Left December 1915.)

1st Battalion, The Duke of Cornwall's Light Infantry. (Left December 1915.)

2nd Battalion, The Manchester Regiment. (Left December 1915.)

15th Infantry Brigade

[Temporarily in the 28th Division between 3rd March and 7th April 1915]
1st Battalion, The Bedfordshire Regiment.

1st Battalion, The Norfolk Regiment.

1st Battalion, The Cheshire Regiment.

1st Battalion, The Dorset Regiment. (Between August 1914 and December 1915.)
1st/6th Battalion, The Cheshire Regiment. (Between December 1914 and March 1915.)

1st/6th Battalion, The King's (Liverpool) Regiment. ([Between February and November 1915.)

16th Battalion, Royal Warwickshire Regiment. (Between December 1915 and October 1918.)

95th Infantry Brigade

[Transferred in from 32nd Division on 26th December 1915].
1st Battalion, The Devonshire Regiment. (Joined January 1916.)

12th (Bristol) Battalion, The Gloucestershire Regiment. (From December 1915 to October 1918 when disbanded.)

1st Battalion, The East Surrey Regiment. (Joined January 1916.)

1st Battalion, The Duke of Cornwall's Light Infantry. (Joined January 1916.)

Pioneers:
1st/6th (Renfrewshire) Battalion, The Argyll & Sutherland Highlanders. (Between June 1915 and October 1918.)

1st/5th Battalion, The Cheshire Regiment. (Between November 1915 and February 1916.)

14th Battalion, the Royal Warwickshire Regiment. (Called the “1st Birmingham”. From October 1918.)

Men of the 1st Battalion served with distinction throughout the Great War, earning thousands of gallantry medals including the vaunted Victoria Cross. Over 1,600 Officers and men gave their lives for King and Country serving in the Battalion, and over 13,000 were wounded on the front line.

The Battalion fought in major battles every year of the war, including:

Mons, Le Cateau, Marne, Aisne, Neuve Chapelle and La Bassee in 1914
Ypres and Loos in 1915
Four of the phases of The Somme Battles in 1916
Arras, Ypres and Cambrai in 1917
Somme (Operation Michael), Lys and the final "100 days" battles in 1918

Commanding Officers of the 1st Battalion.

The following Lieutenant Colonels commanded the battalion between 1914 and 1919:

Charles Richard Jebb GRIFFITH, C.M.G., between the 16th October 1913 and 3rd December 1915, at which time he went to command the 108th Brigade.
Benjamin Robert ROCHE between 6th December 1915 and 1st February 1916, after which he returned to England to command Middlesex and Worcester Reserve battalions
Crauley Charlton ONSLOW, C.M.G., D.S.O., from 1st February to 14th June 1916, when he went on to command the 57th Brigade
Noel Wilfred LAUDER from 14th June to 16th July 1916, who was killed in September that year.
Walter ALLASON, D.S.O., between 16th July and 3rd December 1916, when he was severely wounded by an accidental revolver discharge whilst in the trenches
Francis Noel BUTLER, between 18th December 1916 and 1st April 1917, when he went to command the 11th Essex
Percy Reginald WORRALL, D.S.O., M.C., from 1stt April 1917 to 5th February 1918, when he went on to command the 1st Devons
Edward Ivan de Sausmarez THORPE, C.M.G., D.S.O., from 7th February to 16th April 1918, after which he served as the Brigadier General of the 152nd Brigade
Montague Walter HALFORD, M.C., from 16th April to 18th June 1918
Hugh COURTENAY between 18th June and 23rd August 1918, when he died of his wounds after the assault against Achiet le Petit that day.
William Stuart CHIRNSIDE, M.C. and Bar, from 23rd August to 14th October 1918
Charles Edward Gowran SHEARMAN , D.S.O., M.C., Legion of Honour, from the 14th October 1918 onwards

Follow the links to see the War Diaries or the growing selection of photographs and biographies from the 1st Battalion:

1914 War Diary of the 1st Battalion in France and Flanders

1915 War Diary of the 1st Battalion in France and Flanders

1916 War Diary of the 1st Battalion in France and Flanders

1916 Appendices from the 1st Battalion War Diary

1917 War Diary of the 1st Battalion in France, Flanders and Italy

1917 Appendices from the 1st Battalion War Diary

1918 War Diary of the 1st Battalion in Italy, France and Flanders

1918 Appendices from the 1st Battalion War Diary

1919 War Diary of the 1st Battalion in France and Flanders

Photographs and Biographies of Officers from the 1st Battalion (1)

Photographs and biographies of Officers from the 1st Battalion (2)

Photographs and Biographies of "Other Ranks" from the 1st Battalion (1)

Group Photographs from the 1st Battalion (1)

Second Lieutenant Paul Norman Jones CHRISTIE biography and letters home. KIA 9th October 1917 at the Third Battle of Ypres.

Biography of Private 7602 Edward Warner who won the Victoria Cross on Hill 60 in May 1915

Some photographs from before the Great War.

The Bedfordshire Regiment in the Great War

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