The Bedfordshire Regiment in the Great War

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The Hertfordshire Regiment were a purely Territorial Army unit when war was declared in August 1914 and fielded no regular Army units whatsoever. Because of the association between Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire, many Hertfordshire men served in the ranks of the Bedfordshire Regiment even before the amalgamation of the two County regiments in 1919. Indeed, the Bedfordshire County badge proudly sports the Hart crossing the ford and did so from the 1880's.
 

In addition, the disbanding of the last of the New Army battalions raised in the Bedfordshire Regiment saw the men from the 6th battalion moved into the 1st/1st Hertfordshire Regiment in May 1918, where they served for the rest of the war.

During the war, the Regiment raised four Infantry battalions, all of them within the 1st Hertfordshires. They were:

The 1st/1st Battalion

In August 1914 the battalion were a part time, Territorial Army unit based in Hertford as a part of the East Midland Brigade of the East Anglian Division. In November 1914 they were mobilised for Foreign Service and sent to France to fight in the 4th (Guards) Brigade of the veteran 2nd Division. Because of this attachment, they were sometimes referred to as the "Hertfordshire Guards" and adopted many of the Guards peculiarities as a result, including naming their Companies by number rather than letter.

Whilst serving in the 4th Brigade, the battalion fought alongside the following other Guards battalions:

  • The 1st/1st battalion of the Hertfordshire regiment
  • The 2nd Battalion, the Grenadier Guards
  • The 2nd Battalion, the Coldstream Guards
  • The 3rd Battalion, the Coldstream Guards
  • The 1st Battalion, the Irish Guards
When the "New Armies" arrived on the Western Front in the summer of 1915, the battalion were moved as the army was reorganised so that veteran units were distributed amongst the "green" New Army battalions. The Guards battalions were organised into specialised Guards Brigades and, as a result, the 19th August 1915 saw them transferred to the 6th Brigade of the veteran 2nd Division where they remained until the next shake up. During their service in the 6th Brigade they served alongside:
  • The 1st/1st battalion of the Hertfordshire Regiment
  • The 1st battalion of the King's Liverpool Regiment
  • The 2nd battalion of the South Staffordshire Regiment
  • The 13th (Service) battalion of the Essex regiment - called the "West Ham" battalion who joined in December 1915.
  • The 1st battalion of the Royal Berkshire Regiment - left in December 1915.
  • The 1st battalion of the Kings Royal Riflre Corps - left in December 1915.
  • The 1st/5th battalion of the King's Liverpool regiment - left in December 1915.
The 29th June 1916 saw the battalion moved again, this time into one of the completely New Army units raised for the duration of the war - the 118th Brigade of the 39th Division.
  • The 1st/1st battalion of the Hertfordshire regiment
  • The 1st/1st battalion of the Cambridgeshire regiment
  • The 1st/6th battalion of the Cheshire Regiment
  • The 4th/5th battalion of the Black Watch - amalgamated with the 1st/4th and 1st/5th battalions.
On the 8th February 1918, in line with a major shake up of the British Army as it reorganised itself into a smaller force as a result of the growing manpower shortage, the battalion were moved to the 116th Brigade, still within the 39th Division.
  • The 1st/1st battalion of the Hertfordshire Regiment
  • The 11th (Service) battalion of the Royal Sussex regiment - called the "1st South Down's"
  • The 12th (Service) battalion of the Royal Sussex regiment - called the "2nd South Down's"
  • The 13th (Service) battalion of the Royal Sussex regiment - called the "3rd South Down's"
In what would be their final move of the war, the 11th May 1918 saw the battalion transferred again, this time moving into the 112th Brigade of the 37th Division. Essentially they replaced the disbanded 6th battalion of the Bedfordshire Regiment who's rank and file made up the 1st/1st Hertfordshire's for the first weeks of it's existance after the entire battalion were affected by Gas Shelling at Fonquevillers on the 11th May 1918. For the final phase of the war and until the battalion's demobilisation in March 1919, the Brigade comprised the following battalions:
  • The 1st/1st battalion of the Hertfordshire Regiment
  • The 13th (Service) battalion of the Royal Fusiliers
  • The 1st battalion of the Essex Regiment
 
The 2nd/1st Battalion

Formed in Hertford in September 1914. In December 1914 they were attached to the 207th Brigade of the 69th Division. The unit remained in UK until disbanded on the 20th September 1917.

 
The 3rd/1st Battalion
Formed in Hertford in December 1914. On the 8th of April 1916 they became the Regiment's "Reserve Battalion" and on the 1st of September 1916 became a part of the East Anglian Reserve Brigade. The 11th July 1917 saw them merged with the 5th (Reserve) Battalion of the Bedfordshire Regiment.
The unit remained in UK throughout the war and provided drafts for the front line battalion as well as training and a degree of Home Defence duties.
 
The 4th/1st Battalion

Formed in Thetford in November 1915 by  cadre from the 2/1st Battalion and attached to the 206th Brigade of the 69th Division. The battalion remained in UK until they were disbanded in August 1917.

Follow the links below to view more information on the Hertfordshire Regiment War Diaries:
 
 
 
Photographs and Biographies from the Hertfordshire regiment: