The Bedfordshire Regiment in the Great War
The 2nd (Regular) Battalion
(Formerly the 2nd/16th Regiment of Foot)
The regiment itself had served as a line regiment of the British army since 1688, but in 1858 the single battalion 16th Regiment of Foot raised a second battalion, which later became the 2nd Battalion of the Bedfordshire Regiment when the county affiliation was introduced in 1881.
After spending their first three years in Ireland, 1861 saw the 2nd Battalion posted to Halifax, Canada in response to tensions created between the British Empire and America during the aftermath of the American Civil War. After a three year posting to the West Indies from 1866, the battalion returned to Curragh in Ireland.
1876 saw them posted to India for the first time, being based from Madras (now Chennai) until moved to Burma in 1881. In 1885 orders arrived that moved them to Bellary (Ballari, in Karnataka), India, and a move 350km north-east to Secunderabad (in Telangaga) followed four years later.
After fifteen years abroad, the battalion returned to England in 1891, landing at Devonport. Between 1896 and 1898 they were based at Litchfield, moving to the Dublin garrison until war broke out in South Africa.
The 2nd Battalion arrived at Cape Town with the 12th Brigade of the 6th Division on 8 January 1900 and remained in the Free State area to help contain the considerable Boer presence whilst a newly raised contingent of Bedford Mounted Infantry were involved in the general advances that year. The 2nd Battalion had a difficult start to the campaign, suffering severely from Enteric Fever as a result of being placed on very bad ground at Bloemfontein and inconclusive actions against strong Boer forces in that area. A more successful operation was seen at Slabberts Nek late that year where 4,000 of De Wet's Commando's surrendered and a month later the 2nd Bedfordshires and Queenstown Volunteers captured a Boer leader called Oliver and his three sons. September 1901 saw the battalion's only defeat of the wars when a small party intent on capturing a camp of Boers was tricked, surrounded and captured after a four hour stand against overwhelmingly hopeless odds. The prisoners were later released as the Boers had no facilities for holding them. The rest of the war saw the battalion conduct themselves well and they returned to England in 1903.
Posted to the Colchester garrison on their return, from 1904 the battalion were stationed at Borden Camp, moving to Tidworth two years later, before starting their next 'Grand Tour' from 1907 when they were stationed on Gibraltar. 1909 saw the next move to Bermuda, were they remained until South Africa beckoned once more in 1912.
The 2nd Battalion's service in the Great War
The 2nd Battalion were at Roberts Heights near Pretoria (South Africa) at the outbreak of war and were immediately recalled to England, landing at Southampton on 19 September 1914 and forming part of the 'Immortal' 7th Division. Having refitted for European warfare, the division left Southampton at 8 a.m. on 5 October 1914, on board the S.S. Winifredian and after a brief stop at Dover for supplies, landed in Zeebrugge at 6.30 a.m. on 7 October 1914.
The division moved almost 40 miles south to meet the rest of the army and on 18 October 1914, around the 10km marker stone on the Ypres-Menin road, they met the German Army for the first time in a brief skirmish. The following day saw the division attack Menin and the battalion were joined in a European battle for the first time. Their involvement in the Great War would last for another forty-nine months, with their last action being fought at Preux-au-Bois on 4 November 1918, 8 km north east of Le Cateau and not far from their first engagement four years earlier.
The 2nd Battalion were in the 21st Brigade of the 7th Division between September 1914 and December 1915, which was made up as follows:
- 2nd Battalion, the Bedfordshire Regiment
- 2nd Battalion, the Yorkshire Regiment
- 2nd Battalion, the Royal Scots Fusiliers
- 2nd Battalion, the Wiltshire Regiment
- 1st/4th Battalion, the Cameron Highlanders
With the arrival of the New Armies during 1915, the British army on the Western Front was reorganised and many of the regular battalions of the army were dispersed amongst the New Army units to provide a 'professional' contingent to the brigades in which they served. On 20 December 1915, the entire 21st Brigade left for the 30th Division and the Bedfordshires were moved into the 89th Brigade of that division. During their service with that brigade, it was comprised:
- 2nd Battalion, the Bedfordshire Regiment
- 17th Battalion, the King's (Liverpool) Regiment
- 19th Battalion, the King's (Liverpool) Regiment
- 20th Battalion, the King's (Liverpool) Regiment
Following the reorganisation of the depleted British Army in February 1918, the 2nd battalion became a part of the 90th Brigade, still within the 30th Division. Many of the men from the disbanded 8th Battalion were absorbed into their ranks, in line with the sweeping changes. Between February and May 1918, their brigade comprised:
- 2nd Battalion, the Bedfordshire Regiment
- 2nd Battalion, the Royal Scots Fusiliers (until April 1918)
- 16th (1st City) Battalion, the Manchester Regiment (from April 1918)
- 14th Battalion, the Argyll & Sutherland Highlanders (until June 1918)
A further reorganisation was called for in May 1918, as a result of the huge losses suffered by the Fifth Army in March and April. The 7th Battalion of the Bedfordshire Regiment was disbanded and their rank and file folded into the 2nd Battalion, with the resulting unit joining the 54th Brigade of the 18th (Eastern) Division, where they remained for the duration. The 54th Brigade was made up as follows:
- 2nd Battalion, the Bedfordshire Regiment
- 11th Battalion, the Royal Fusiliers
- 6th Battalion, the Northamptonshire Regiment
The men of the 2nd Battalion served with distinction throughout the Great War, earning hundreds of gallantry medals including a prestigious Victoria Cross. Around 1,540 officers and men gave their lives for King and country serving in the battalion, and around 6,500 were wounded in combat. *
*According to the "Official History of the Great War, medical services, casualties and medical statistics" by Major T.J. Mitchell and Miss G.M. Smith (1931) there were 2,977,801 British Army casualties, including 704,803 deaths (23.67%). This factor (4.22) is used in the approximation of regimental casualties.
Major Battles
The battalion were engaged in the following major battles throughout the war:
In 1914 they were at the Battle of Ypres 1914 (also known as the First Battle of Ypres) during October and November.
In 1915 they were engaged during The Battle of Neuve Chapelle in March, the Battle of Festubert in May, the Second Action at Givenchy in June and the Battle of Loos in September
In 1916 they were engaged in several phases of The Battle of the Somme, namely the Battle of Albert (including during the opening day when their division broke the German lines, and their assault on Trônes Wood on 11 July) and the Battle of Delville Wood in July, as well as the Battle of Le Transloy in October.
In 1917 they were involved in the German retreat to the Hindenburg Line in March, the Battle of Arras (specifically in the First Battle of the Scarpe) in April. During the Battles of Ypres 1917 (known as the Third Battle of Ypres or Passchendaele), the battalion were engaged in the Battle of Pilkem in July and August but were spared direct assaults for the rest of the year, being confined to aggressive patrolling an raiding instead.
In 1918 the battalion were heavily engaged in the First Battles of the Somme 1918 (also called the German Spring Offensives, Operation Michael or Kaiserschlacht), specifically the Battle of St Quentin, the actions at the Somme crossings and the Battle of Rosieres in March. During the Battle of the Lys, they were also engaged in the First Battle of Kemmel and the Battle of Scherpenberg in April. Once the Allied army went on the final offensives that would become loosely known as the "100 days" they were engaged in several actions - The Battle of Amiens in August, the Second Battles of the Somme 1918, specifically during the Battle of Albert in August and the Second Battle of Bapaume in September. During the Battles of the Hindenburg Line they were involved in the Battle of Epehy and the Battle of the St Quentin Canal in September. Their last major battle was to be the Final Advance in Picardy, when they were engaged during the Battle of the Selle later in October and the Battle of the Sambre on 4 November.
Commanding Officers of the 2nd Battalion
The battalion had many commanding officers during the war, due to the heavy casualties suffered in 1914 and 1915, regular promotions, and several of them being killed or wounded in action. As a result, the list below is complicated:
- Lieutenant-Colonel Hugh Wishaw Unett COATES, D.S.O. between 1 September 1913 and 4 October 1914, although he was ill when the battalion went to France so did not command on the front lines.
- Major John Murray TRAILL took over from 4 to 30 October 1914, when he was killed during the First Battle of Ypres.
- Captain Charles Calveley FOSS, V.C., D.S.O., from 30 October to 7 November 1914. Captain Foss won his V.C. in the 2nd battalion at the Battle of Neuve Chapelle in March 1915.
- Captain Cleland Bulstrode CUMBERLEDGE, D.S.O., between7 and 18 November 1914.
- Lieutenant-Colonel William Henry DENNE, D.S.O., from 18 November 1914 to 12 January 1915.
- Lieutenant-Colonel Cranley Charlton ONSLOW, C.B., C.M.G., C.B.E., D.S.O., between 12 January and 20 March 1915.
- Major John MacKENZIE, V.C., between 20 March and 17 April 1915.
- Lieutenant-Colonel Edward Ivan de Sausmarez THORPE, C.M.G., D.S.O., 17 April to 20 May 1915.
- Lieutenant-Colonel Cranley Charlton ONSLOW, C.B., C.M.G., C.B.E., D.S.O., 20 May to 15 September 1915.
- Lieutenant-Colonel John Cassells MONTEITH 25 September to 1 October 1915, when he was killed during the Battle of Loos.
- Major Harold Francis BIDDER, D.S.O., between 1 October to 10 November 1915.
- Major Hugh Stainton POYNTZ, D.S.O., commanded between 10 November 1915 and 28 February 1918, but spent many periods sick and commanding higher units. Whilst he was away from the battalion, the following four officers temporarily commanded:
- Lieutenant-Colonel Cranley Charlton ONSLOW, C.B., C.M.G., C.B.E., D.S.O., 25 to 29 January 1916.
- Captain Richard Owen WYNNE, D.S.O., from 8 April 1917 until pre July 1917, and between the 16 and 26 July 1917.
- Major Charles Hamilton St. Pierre BUNBURY from 3 to 16 July 1917 and from 26 July to 28 December 1917.
- Lieutenant-Colonel Edward Ivan de Sausmarez THORPE, C.M.G., D.S.O., 28 December 1917 to 16 January 1918.
- Major Richard Owen WYNNE, D.S.O., commanded from 28 February 1918 until the 2nd and 7th battalions were merged on 22 May 1918, after which time he went to train the newly arrived American units.
- Lieutenant-Colonel Arthur Ernest PERCIVAL, C.B., D.S.O. & Bar, O.B.E., M.C., O. St. J., D.L., took command from 22 May 1918, having commanded the 7th battalion during the merger in May 1918. This is the same Arthur Percival who went on to serve as a decorated and extremely capable regular officer beyond the war, commanded the Singapore garrison during the Japanese conquest of the Far East, spent many years as a Japanese prisoner of war and the rest of his life fighting for the former Japanese POWs rights and comforts.
- Major Leslie Howard KEEP, M.C. was initially from the 7th Battalion and assumed command whilst Colonel Percival was on leave and commanding larger units.
- Lieutenant-Colonel Cranley Charlton ONSLOW, C.B., C.M.G., C.B.E., D.S.O., took command from September 1918 until February 1920
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