The Bedfordshire Regiment in the Great War
Officers who died serving in the 4th Battalion
(This roll of honour is in chronological order)
At 6.30am on the 13th November 1916, the battalion saw their first offensive action when the surprise attack that would become known as the Battle of the Ancre was launched.
British Divisions assaulted German positions around the Ancre River on the northern edge of the Somme battlefields and made headway that would be capitalised on early in 1917. Casualties were so heavy in the 63rd (Royal Naval) Division that the 2,000 German prisoners taken easily outnumbered the survivors, yet gave the British troops no trouble as they were sent back to the Prisoner cages, often without guards. The Bedfords' own Brigade were to be the third line of the assaulting waves of the 63rd Division, yet the Bedfordshires still lost 9 Officers and 57 men killed with a further 5 Officers and 130 men wounded or missing, most falling to a German strongpoint that had been overlooked by the assaulting waves.
The first nine officers below are the Officers who fell that day:
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Captain Francis George Coningsby ASHMEAD-BARTLETT Francis was born in 1885 and served in the South African Wars. Close to retirement when the Great War broke out, he was recalled to active service and gazetted a Second Lieutenant on the 6th August 1914, just two days after war was declared. He landed in France on the 19th December 1914, was promoted to full Lieutenant the following day and served in the 2nd battalion from the 23rd December until wounded during the Battle of Neuve Chapelle, on the 11th March 1915. Having returned to fitness again he arrived in France to serve in the 4th battalion, where he fell during the Battle of the Ancre. His obituary on page 1 of the 22nd November 1916 edition of the Times, records that he fell leading his Company. He was the son of the late Sir Ellis Ashmead-Bartlett, M.P., and Lady Ashmead-Bartlett. He left a wife, Phyllis and is buried in the Knightsbridge cemetery, Mesnil-Martinsaart, 8km north of Albert (a photograph of his gravestome can be seen here) Francis' brother was Ellis Ashmead-Bartlett, an outspoken British war correspondant during the Great War who is credited with the birth of the 'ANZAC legend' courtesy of his reporting on Gallipoli. |
Killed
in action 13th November 1916 |
Lieutenant Richard Harvey BOYS Richard was gazetted a 2/Lt in the 2nd battalion on the 20th March and joined the battalion in the field on the 26th March as a cadet from the Artist's Rifles. Two months later, on the 17th May, he was wounded at the Battle of Festubert during the eight day battle that saw half of the battalion become casualties and many of the wounded men drown when they were unable to pull themselves from the deep ditches in the area. After his ordeal in May, 2/Lt Boys returned to Blighty to recover and was promoted to a full Lieutenant on the 29th October 1915. He was attached to the 4th battalion when he returned to France in the autumn of 1916, where he was killed during the Ancre battle. Richard was the son of Dr. A. H. and Ada Mary Boys, of 95, St. Peter's St., St. Albans and is buried in the Knightsbridge cemetery, Mesnil-Martinsaart, 8km north of Albert |
Killed
in action 13th November 1916, aged 27
Killed
in action 13th November 1916, aged 20.|
Lieutenant William Arthur TURNBULL William was gazetted a 2/Lt in the 4th battalion on the 6th February 1915, which was confirmed on the 24th October. He appears to have left for France with the 4th battalion in the summer of 1916 and on the 2nd November 1916 he became the battalion adjutant; a role he maintained until his death several days later. William was the only child of Mr W. and Mrs A.D. Turnbull, of Prior Manor, Corbridge-on-Tyne, Northumberland. He lies in the Knightsbridge cemetery, Mesnil-Martinsaart, 8km north of Albert. |
Killed
in action 13th November 1916, aged 23|
Second Lieutenant Sydney Herbert AGATE Sydney was gazetted a 2/Lt in the 3d battalion on the 5th August 1916 and sailed to France attached to the 4th battalion once they were deployed. He was killed during his first offensive battle and was the son of Walter Golds Agate and P. Agate of "The Oaklands" in Headcorn, Kent. Second Lieutenant Agate is buried in the Knightsbridge cemetery, Mesnil-Martinsaart, 8km north of Albert. |
Killed
in action 13th November 1916, aged 22|
Second Lieutenant John BRODIE John was born 9th January 1895 and enlisted on the 4th August 1914, when he was a resident of 18 Polmuir Road in Aberdeen. He was gazetted a 2/Lt on the 26th June 1915 and arrived with the 4th battalion late in the summer of 1916. John was the son of John Brodie of 28 Carlton Place in Aberdeen and is buried in the Knightsbridge cemetery, Mesnil-Martinsaart, 8km north of Albert. He is recorded on Aberdeen's City Roll of Honour, Aberdeen Grammar School Roll of Honour, Officers Book page 85, North of Scotland Bank Ltd: War Record: Page 29, Aberdeen Daily Journal Roll of Honour. (With thanks to Anne Park, who provided information taken from the Aberdeen Roll of Honour and the list of sources) |
Killed
in action 13th November 1916, aged 21|
Second Lieutenant Thomas Hooton HILL Thomas was gazetted a 2/Lt on the 7th July 1916 and arrived with the battalion not long before his death that November. He was the son of Sam Flower Hill and Eliza Emily Hill of Northampton and is buried in the Knightsbridge cemetery, Mesnil-Martinsaart, 8km north of Albert |
Killed
in action 13th November 1916, aged 30|
Second Lieutenant Harold Baldwin HUDSON Harold was the son of William M. and A.E. Hudson of 36 Friends Rd., Croydon. He was a fellow of the Entomological Society and lies in the Knightsbridge cemetery, Mesnil-Martinsaart, 8km north of Albert |
Killed
in action 13th November 1916, aged 23|
Second Lieutenant Roger Leslie Stuart WILKINSON Died of wounds 21st November 1916, aged 18
He seems to have arrived with the battalion when they were mobilised in July 1916 and was wounded during their assault on the 13th November. Having struggled against his wounds for over a week, on the 21st (or 23rd) November, Roger died. He lived in Wraysbury, Bucks at the time of his death and was the only son of Richard and Margaret Wilkinson of 237 Knightsbridge in Kensington. Roger is buried in the Etaples cemetery on the coast, where he died. (My thanks to John Hamblin for the photograph) |
In February 1917 the British army commenced operations on the banks of the Ancre river once again, intent on driving the German forces from the salient they occupied before pushing on with their next large scale campaigns that spring.
Several 'assault divisions' were assigned the task, including the renowned 63rd Division, who launched their operations on the 11th February.
The next two Officers fell and a further 70 casualties were lost during the partly successful advance which was held up by uncut wire.
Killed
in action 11th February 1917, age 26
Killed
in action 11th February 1917, age 26|
Second Lieutenant Eric Charles FREEAR Son of Harry Marshall Freear, and Margaret Ann Freear, of Harpenden, Herts. Bailleul Rd. East cemetery, St. Laurent Blagny, north-east Arras |
Killed
in action 13th April 1917, aged 20
The Arras Memorial to the Missing
During the Battle of Arras, the Division were ordered to assault German positions around Gavrelle.
Their sheer tenacity resulted in the operation going down in the annuls of the divisional history as one of the finest achievements of the war which, given their reputation, was quite something.
Almost 300 Bedfordshires became casualties during their determined operations, including the next three officers who were killed that day:
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Second Lieutenant William Robert BRIDGES Killed in action 23rd April 1917, aged 22 William was the son of Philip and the late Mary Bridges of Bridgend, Stonehouse in Gloucestershire and lies in the Aubigny communal cemetery, 15km north-west of Arras |
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Second Lieutenant Horace Wellesley MUIR Killed in action 24th April 1917, aged 33 Horace was the son of the late George Horace Muir, of "Hartfield Rise", Hartfield Square, Eastbourne and is remembered on Arras memorial to the missing (above) |
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Second Lieutenant Roy TIMBERLAKE According to the personal diary of Frederick Spicer, MBE, MC, Roy was killed by a bullet whilst leading a ration party and is buried in the Bailleul Rd. East cemetery, S. Laurent Blagny, Arras. |
Killed
in action 27th July 1917During the Second Battle of Passchendaele, the battalion were involved in a frontal assault that was quickly bogged down by glutinous mud, and left them exposed to be cut to pieces by the murderous German cross fire
They lost almost 250 men in the battle, including the next three officers:
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Lieutenant Cecil Hooten WAREING Died of wounds 1st November 1917, aged 26. Cecil was the son of Henrietta Helena Wareing, of 46, Southgates, Chichester and lies in the Dozinghem military cemetery, north-west of Poperinghe |
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Second Lieutenant Albert Victor CLARKE, MC Died of wounds 2nd January 1918
He is buried in the Rocquigny-Equancourt Road British Cemetery, Manancourt, 12km south-east of Bapaume. He can be seen here in the officers' group photograph taken in September 1917. |
Second
Lieutenant Clarke initially enlisted as a Private in the Essex regiment
and was commissioned in July 1917. He was attached to the 4th Battalion
from November 1917 and was gassed whilst holding the trenches at
Villers Plouich in France. Two of his fellow officers were also
gassed on the 2nd January but Albert died later that day. |
Second Lieutenant George Willmot CHILDS Died of wounds 22nd January 1918, aged 35. George was the son of G. W. C. and Agnes V. Childs, of Ilford, Essex and lies in the Rocquigny-Equancourt Road British Cemetery, Manancourt, 12km south-east of Bapaume, 12km south-east of Bapaume. He can be seen here in the officers' group photograph taken in September 1917. |
The Arras Memorial to the Missing
During the opening phase of the German Spring Offensives, the battalion were heavily engaged from the start and were practically rebuilt once the fighting had died down.
The following eleven officers lost their lives during the fighting in March and early April 1918:
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Lieutenant William Stanley DAVIS Killed in action 22nd March 1918, aged 22 William was from the 5th battalion but fell whilst attached to the 4th battalion in France. He was killed in battle on the 23rd March, whilst the Battalion withdrew from Havrincourt Wood, through Neuville towards Ytres. William was the son of Mary Rosina Davis, of 7, The Embankment, Bedford, and the late Dr. William Davis. He is remembered on Arras Memorial to the missing (above). William can be seen here in some of the group photographs |
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Captain Noel Charles Frederick NIXON Killed in action 24th March 1918 Captain Nixon was from the 8th battalion, but was attached to the 4th when they were disbanded in January 1918. He was initially posed as missing but his body was not recovered. Hence, he is remembered on Arras Memorial to the missing (above) |
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Second Lieutenant Robert Charles FYNN Killed in action 25th March 1918 Robert was the son of Mr. and Mrs. W. W. Fynn and lies in the London Cemetery and extension in Longeuval on the Somme He can be seen here in the officers' group photograph taken in September 1917. |
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Second Lieutenant Arthur HAYES Killed in action 25th March 1918, aged 21 He was the son of W. F. and Anne Hayes, of 115, Torriano Avenue, Kentish Town, London and is remembered on Arras Memorial to the missing (above) |
Arthur
was attached to B Company of the 4th battalion from the 3rd (Reserve)
battalion and is shown |
Lieutenant-Colonel John Stanhope COLLINGS-WELLS, V.C., D.S.O. Killed in action 27th March 1918 Lieutenant Colonel Stanhope-Wells was the battalions Commanding Officer. His full biography can be seen here. |
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Major George Paterson NUNNELEY, M.C. Killed in action 27th March 1918, aged 36 He was the son of Rev. F. B. Nunneley, M.A., M.D. and lies in the Ovillers Military Cemetery, 5km north-east of Albert.
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Major
Nunneley was the battalion's second in command and was a pre war
officer who had served on the Western Front since November 1914.
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Second Lieutenant Oliver Jack SOAMES Killed in action 27th March 1918, aged 24 He lies in the Bouzincourt Ridge Military cemetery, 3km north-east of Albert. Oliver can be seen here in the officers' group photograph taken in September 1917. |
Oliver
was born in Earl Stonham, Suffolk and was the son of Mr. and Mrs.
H. Soames and the husband of H. K. Olive Soames, of 71, Norwich
Rd., Ipswich. |
Second Lieutenant David Harold MACKLIN Killed in action 27th March 1918, aged 20 On the 27th March 1918, the 4th Battalion was west of Albert and counter attacked German positions, resulting in heavy Officer casualties including 2/Lt Macklin. He was the son of the Rev. Herbert W. Macklin and Marian M. Macklin, of White Wood Corner, Sandy, Beds and is buried at the Ovillers Military Cemetery. He can be seen here in the officers' group photograph taken in September 1917. |
David
joined the 4th battalion on the Western Front on the 11th August
1917. |
Second Lieutenant Leslie Arthur Walter VINCENT Died of wounds 31st March 1918 whilst a POW in German hands, aged 22 He can be seen here in the officers' group photograph taken in September 1917. |
Leslie
was the son of Mr. A. R. Vincent, of 21, Cowick Rd., St. Thomas,
Exeter and lies in the Cambrai East military cemetery. |
Lieutenant James Bowen PRIMROSE-WELLS Died of wounds 4th April 1918 whilst a POW in German hands, aged 30 James was born 18 October 1887 at Douglas on the Isle of Man, the son of Dr. and Mrs. Primrose-Wells. At the time his father was the Surgeon to the Governor of the Isle of Man. He served in the Honourable Artillery Company for two years before his family moved to Canada, where James was an Accountant by the time war broke out in 1914. Aged 27, James enlisted into the Canadian infantry as Private 77820 on 18 November 1914. Initially serving in the 30th Battalion, he was gazetted a Temporary Second Lieutenant in the Special Reserve of Officers, being posted to the 4th Bedfordshires on 22 May 1915. Second Lieutenant Primrose-Wells set sail for France 19 May 1916 and joined the 2nd Bedfordshires in the field on 13 June 1916. On 30 June 1916 his rank was confirmed and he was promoted to full Lieutenant on 1 July 1917. James survived several of the battalion's engagements during the Battle of the Somme but on 8 September 1916 was send to hospital sick. Once recovered he was posted to the 4th Battalion but was wounded during their assault on Gavrelle 23 April 1917. Rejoining them on 15 November, he was among the long list of 4th Battalion men posted as wounded and missing during their ferocious rearguard action on 27 March 1918 that saw his distant relative Lieutenant-Colonel Collings-Wells VC, DSO killed. Lieutenant Primrose-Well died in German captivity on 4 April 1918 and was buried in the Becourt German Military cemetery. His headstone now stands in the Blighty Valley cemetery although a memorial plaque and the CWGC registration documents record that his was among the five British soldier's whose graves were lost. Lieutenant Primrose-Wells' service record is held by the National Archives under reference WO329/62985 He can be seen here in the officers' group photograph taken in September 1917. (With thanks to Gordon Head who supplied his photograph above, information relating to his Canadian service and family background) |
The Pozieres Memorial to the Missing
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Second Lieutenant Reginald B. RUDDOCK Killed in action 6th April 1918 Lieutenant Ruddock was from the 5th Northumberland Fusiliers, attached to the 4th Bedfords. He arrived with Second Lieutenants Lovatt and Miln (both below) on the 4th April and was killed 2 days later. He has no known grave and is remembered on the Pozieres Memorial to the missing (above). |
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Second Lieutenant Charles LOVATT, M.C. Killed in action 12th April 1918, aged 21. Second Lieutenant Miln was from the 26th Northumberland Fusiliers, attached to the 4th Bedfords. He arrived with Second Lieutenants Ruddock and Miln (above and below) on the 4th April and was killed a week later. As he earned a Military Cross for bravery. He was the only son of Mr. and Mrs. J. Lovatt, of 28, Egerton Rd., South Shields and lies in the Aveluy Wood cemetery, Mesnil-Martinsaart. |
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Second Lieutenant William Wallace MILN Killed in action 24th or 25th May 1918, aged 21. Second Lieutenant Miln was from the 26th Northumberland Fusiliers, attached to the 4th Bedfords. He arrived with Second Lieutenants Ruddock and Lovatt (both shown above) on the 4th April and was killed the following month. He was the son of George Peddie Miln and Lillie Miln, of Abbots Lodge, 35, Liverpool Rd., Chester and is remembered on the Soissons Memorial to the missing. |
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Captain Herbert Reginald GLEDSTONE Killed in action 25th May 1918, aged 25. Captain Gledstone was from the Northumberland Fusiliers, attached to the 4th Bedfords. He was the son of the late Thomas Liddle Gledstone and Annie Elizabeth Gledstone and is remembered on the Pozieres Memorial to the missing (above). |
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Second Lieutenant Percival James FLORY Killed in action 22nd August 1918 Percival is buried in the Bienvillers military cemetery, 18km south-west of Arras. |
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Lieutenant and Quartermaster Mark BRAWN, D.C.M. Killed in action 1st September 1918, aged 38 Mark was the son of William and Anne Brawn of The School House, Elton in Huntingdonshire and lies in the St. Martin Calvaire British cemetery, St. Martin sur Cojeul, 8km south-east of Arras. |
Lieutenant
Brawn originally served in the ranks of the London Regment, reaching
the rank of Warrant Officer before being commissioned into the Bedfordshire
Regiment |
Captain Richard Brodnax KNIGHT Died of wounds 5th September 1918, aged 37
His service record does not include a list of his service but his medal rolls refer to him initially serving in the Nigerian Regiment in Africa from 18/10/1914. Captain Knight next appears in the 8th Bedfordshires' war diary in February 1918, when he transferred into the 4th Battalion, in which battalion he served as the temporary commanding officer following Lieutenant-Colonel Collings-Wells' death. During the battalion's involvement in the Battle of Albert on 27/8/1918, Captain Knight was seriously wounded in the head and moved to No.2 Red Cross Hospital in Rouen. A visiting permit was issued to his father but he died from his wounds at 11.45 a.m. on 5/9/1918, before his father could get to him. At the time of his death his parents lived at Summerlands, South Farnborough, Hants Captain Knight is buried in the St. Sever cemetery, Rouen. |
Richard
was born 23/11/1880 in the Chawston rectory, Alton, Hampshire. He
was the son of the Reverend Charles Edward Knight (Rector of Chawton,
Alton, Hants.) and Emma Grace Knight. The battalion were engaged in The Battle for the Canal Du Nord between the 27th September and 1st October 1918, losing around 200 men in the process, including the following seven officers:
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Lieutenant Ernest Dennis ELLIS Killed in action 27th September 1918, aged 25 He can be seen here in the officers' group photograph taken in September 1917. |
Lieutenant
Ellis was from the 10th battalion, attached to the 4th when he was
killed. He was the son of David and Annie Ellis, of "Holmsdale,"
Balbriggan Co. Dublin and is buried in the Moeuvres communal cemetery,
10km west of Cambrai. |
Captain Owen Ellis HOBSON Killed in action 27th September 1918, aged 27 Captain Hobson joined from the 6th battalion when they were disbanded in May 1918, being attached to the 4th. He was the son of James Walter and Rosamond Hobson, of Bedford and the husband of Eileen Nora Roberts, of Lavenderhayes, Budleigh Salterton, Devon. Owen lies in the Moeuvres communal cemetery, 10km west of Cambrai and was mentioned in despatches for bravery. |
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Captain Joseph Keith BATTEN Killed in action 27th September 1918, aged 26 Captain Batten was from the 5th battalion, but attached to the 4th Battalion in France, having also served in the 7th up until their disbandment. He joined the Battalion on 18th June 1918 and was wounded 27th September during operations to take the Hindenburg Line across the Canal du Nord. Captain Batten died from his wounds later that day. Joseph was the son of Joseph and Katie Alice Batten, of Park Corner, Peterborough and is buried in the Mouevres Communal Cemetery Extension. |
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Second Lieutenant Thomas Jenkinson WALLER Killed in action 28th September 1918, aged 26. Second lieutenant Waller joined the battalion from the 3rd Northumberland Fusiliers. Thomas was the son of Thomas M. and Emily M. Waller, of 13, Brierville, Durham and lies in the Sunken Road cemetery, Biosleux-St. Marc. |
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Second Lieutenant Frank William BELLAMY Died of wounds 8th October 1918, aged 23 Frank was born at Crowle in 1894, the eldest son and one of eight children of Isle and Edith Bellamy (nee Howell). His father was from Crowle and his mother from Scotter. Shortly after Frank's birth the family moved to Robert Street in Scunthorpe, where his father worked in the ironstone mines. Frank worked in the clerical department of the Frodingham Iron and Steel Co Ltd until he enlisted in Lincolnshire Regiment at Scunthorpe in September 1914. Posted to the 8th (Service) Battalion he had already been promoted to Lance Corporal when the battalion went out to France on 10 September 1915. Frank rose up through the ranks in the Lincolnshire Regiment until on 29 May 1917 he was commissioned as a Second Lieutenant. With the commission he was transferred to the 6th Battalion of the Bedfordshire Regiment, who were rebuilding after the Battle of Arleux (when they retired from their assault against Greenland Hill on 29 April 1917 with just 58 men). He would have led his men in the Third Battle of Ypres, (or Passchendaele) where they saw action at the Battles of the Menin Road, Polygon Wood Broodseinde and Poelcapelle. As a result of the 6th Bedfordshires being disbanded in May 1918, on 9 June 1918 Frank was transferred to the 4th Battalion. The 4th Bedfordshire's were heavily engaged in the '100 Days' offensives and in September, Frank went on leave back to England and would have returned by the end of the month to join his battalion as they pushed their opponents back to the outskirts of Cambrai during the Battle of the Canal du Nord. On 8 October the Allies resumed their advance towards Cambrai with an attack along a seventeen mile front. At the Battle of Cambrai the 4th Bedfordshires successfully attacked and captured the village of Niergnies, on the outskirts of Cambrai itself. Here they were counter-attacked twice, both times with their opponents using captured British Mk IV tanks. In holding the village they sustained relatively low casualties, with only two men killed. Of the fifteen men wounded, Second Lieutenant Frank Bellamy would die from his wounds later that evening. He was among those interred by the 2nd Division's Burial Officer and today lies in the Noyelles-sur-L'Escaut Communal Cemetery extension. Frank is also commemorated on the recently rededicated Trinity Methodist Church Memorial in Scunthorpe. [With thanks to Paul Connell for producing this obituary] |
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Second Lieutenant Frederick Daniel SIMMONDS Died 18th February 1919, aged 36 Born 2 December 1883, Frederick was educated at Hampden School and became a Sergeant in the 1st Cadet Battalion of the King's Royal Rifles between 1900 and 1903. After schooling he became a Private Seretary and Accountant, marrying Alice Wiliams on 15 September 1906, their son, Frederick Robert, being born in May 1908. On 22 June 1916 he enlisted as Private 11549 on the Inns of Court and on 9 November 1917 was posted to No.14 Officer Cadet School at Berkhampstead. Training complete, Second Lieutenant Simmonds was discharged to commission 30 April 1918 and posted to the 52nd Bedfordshires. He joined the 4th Battalion in the field on the 3rd October 1918 and survived the battalion's intense final month of conflict, only to die of influenza at home in Southfield, Surrey, on 18 February 1919. The 36 year old officer lies in the Wandsworth (Earlsfield) Cemetery. |
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Second Lieutenant Albert LEVY (LEVI) Died 12th June 1919 The former Army Service Corps Private was commissioned 27 November 1917 and joined the 4th Bedfordshires on 20 April 1918. He was wounded 1 October 1918 and died as a result of those wounds 12 June 1919. Albert is buried in the Willesden Jewish cemetery, England. |
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