The
Bedfordshire Regiment in the Great War
(Site
built by and © Steven Fuller, 2003 to 2010)
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Doing your own research?
Over and above the years spent on researching
the regiment, I also spent time as a full time military and
family history researcher for other people in addition to working
as a cataloguer for the Imperial War Museum, so thought it may
be helpful to share the basics I learned along the way.
I would suggest collecting the information available
on your ancestor from those sources show below, then expanding
on the essence of their service by reading books and watching
the films available from my reading list (below), which is tailored
to suit research into servicemen from the Bedfordshire or Hertfordshire
Regiments.
PLEASE NOTE:
The guidance below
is as accurate as I can possibly achieve without going into
excessive levels of detail! Bear in mind that the records from
that generation of our ancestors are around 90 years old now
and, as such, have been thumbed through by millions of people,
bombed by the Luftwaffe in the Second World War and re-classified
and filed. Despite the best efforts of the archivists over the
years, there are bound to be errors, missing information and
some illegible records.
What type and detail of information can be discovered?
Some "basic" information is available from the
National Archives on every person who served in The Great War
at the very least. Identifying them, their Service Number(s)
and what unit they served in will give you essential information
that will allow you to develop their story further. Bear in
mind that certain surnames will be a lot harder to pinpoint,
such as the proverbial "John Smith"; narrowing down the options
can be extremely difficult unless a Service Record exists that
enables you to know exactly which one of the options is the
person you are looking for! However, getting the following information
should allow you to explore their activities as far as you wish
to take it:
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 Medal
Index Card.
This contains basic information,
such as the rank, service number, unit(s) served in and
their medal entitlement (along with a reference to the
"Battalion Medal Rolls" under which the medals are recorded).
Other notes such as references to Kings Regulations, Killed
in Action etc. can also be gleamed from the card, if they
are recorded. Soldiers entering a theatre of combat before
January 1916 also have their date of entry and theatre
entered recorded on this card. Left is an example of one
such Medal Index Card.
It tells us the Regiment,
soldiers service number, and the fact that he was 'K in
A' (killed in action). In addition, the middle left section
show the Battalion Medal Rolls under which his medals
were issued (see below) as well as the first Theatre of
War he entered and the date he first set foot on foreign
soil. They can be searched for free on line here
and downloaded for a charge (£2.00 at the time of writing
this).
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 Battalion
Medal Rolls.
By using the references
recorded on the Medal Index Card and converting them into
today's National Archive reference (which can be done
by a cross reference index held at the National Archives),
the Medal Roll Books can be ordered and studied. They
are several hundred pages per book, but by finding the
correct page (shown on the Medal Index Card) you will
see your ancestor listed amongst their comrades, along
with (sometimes) additional snippets of information.
Left is a 1914 Star Medal
Roll page from the 1st battalion of the Regiment. Some
rolls are listed alphabetically (as above), others are
listed according to the service number and others are
split by a mixture of both. The 'flow' of the page will
become evident once you see the page you are looking at.
The info contained on the pages varies according to the
rolls and who compiled them but they are always worth
collecting. Star Medal rolls usually have the person's
initials only but Victory and British War Medal rolls
usually have the soldier's forenames in full too, rather
than just initials, so between them you have a collection
of useful evidence. Please note that I have the entire
collection of Bedfordshire Regimental Medal Rolls,
covering the 1914 and 1915 Stars as well as the Victory
and British War Medal rolls. I also have several of the
Silver War badge rolls, Long Service Award rolls, Territorial
Force War medal rolls and various other books, all in
digital format. Just ask! If you can provide me with
the page and roll number, whether in its original form
(e.g. 'K/2/104B1 p121') or the new format (the equivalent
of the previous example would be 'WO29/927, page 121'),
it would make life a little easier and my reply a little
quicker. However, if you do not have them, ask anyway
as hopefully they will be on one of my databases or I
can look through them as I understand the flow of their
layout all too well!
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 Battalion
or Unit War Diaries.
As you may have already noticed, the War Diaries for
the Bedford Regiment are all on this site, so if they
served in the Bedfords, then much of the more laborious,
"hard work" is done!
Once you have been able to establish what unit they
served in and between what dates, looking at the War Diary
of the relevant unit will enlighten you as to what happened
during their service. Be prepared though - they were sometimes
written by candlelight in a dugout or similar, so can
occasionally be hard to read. Each month is usually represented
by between 5 and 10 pages, dependant on what they were
doing at the time.
There are also Appendices to the diaries (although not
all have survived) that may reveal further detail not
contained within the pages of the Diary itself, so worth
looking through.
Left is an example of an appendix from the 8th battalion.
This one is nicely typed and legible but don't always
expect that to be the case!
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 Service
Records.
The proverbial "Holy Grail"! Although only 25 to 35%
of the records have survived (depending on what source
you believe) it is ALWAYS worth looking for it.
"Standard" records (Infantrymen and the like) are on
microfiche at the National Archives and searchable within
five categories ("WO363", "WO363MISSORTS", "WO364", "WO364
MISSORTS" and "PIN26""), in Surname order. However some
are available on line via Ancestry.com now so if you are
a subscriber, look in the Military section for the codes
mentioned. In theory, the WO364 sections contain those
men who received a pension as a result of wounds (etc)
received during the war, whereas the people within WO363
didn't. To be sure, check all of the categories in case
they were miss-filed.
Officers, Airmen and other categories are traced through
working through two or three layers of Indexes, which
give you access to the original documents and are ordered
to be viewed in the Reading Room.
The Archives have help sheets and archivists / assistants
on site to help should you need assistance.
Left is a solitary page from an officers record, giving
important information that will help to piece his movements
together.
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If your relative lost their life in the war, the Commonwealth
War Graves Commission hold basic information on the
casualty and the records of "Soldiers Died in The Great War"
adds more including what town they lived in (if the information
was recorded). I have the 'SDGW'database so ask if you need
the information from it.
Over and above
the "basics" mentioned above, it may be worth searching
Local Newspaper Archives of the time for obituaries,
photographs or news from their families that may have
been published. Expect to spend quite a long time doing
this though as they can be fascinating and it is easy
to get distracted from the task at hand!!
Left is an example
of an article I came across in the Bury Post. Although
most of the time you will be looking for specific information
on an individual, keep an open eye as little gems such
as this will jump out at you!
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 If
your ancestor was awarded any other decoration (such as
"The Silver War Badge" for example) then extra information
can often be gleamed from their records.
Left is an example of a Silver War Badge Roll which
shows enlistment dates, discharge dates and the reason
they were discharged - all useful evidence if you have
no service record to work from.
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When you know what battles (etc) your ancestor was involved
in, I would suggest reading book(s), magazines and searching
for internet sites on the particular subject to give you
a clearer idea. By using a search engine, you may well
be surprised what you can find! There is also a growing
selection of Video's and DVD's on the Great War which
are both eye opening and informative. Again, be warned,
as the details can often be quite harrowing if you have
not read around the Great War before. Section 4 lists
potential sources of information.
Officers will also be shown in the Army
List books from the time, as is the case with all
serving Officers. The National Archives have the entire
colelction so rememebr to look there!
Although a long shot, also look in the
National Roll of the Great War at the archives,
as there may have been an entry placed in there by the
soldier or their next of kin after the war. For the sake
of a few minutes looking at the Index of names, it is
worth the time!
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 If
there was any 'event' that may have seen your relative
recorded in the Times Newspaper (such as a casualty,
promotion or such like) try searching here.
It may surprise you to learn what was recorded during
the war. If you are a library member, it may be
that your membership card will give you access to this
site, which hold the original digital scans of
the paper and makes for interesting reading. With both
sites, bear in mind that their search engines may not
be perfect! The typing is small and software is only as
good as the environment it operates within, so you may
end up putting several variations of the name into the
search facility before winning.
Above is an example of a casualty list from
the Times on line archive. It shows a small section of
the 15th August 1915 casualties suffered by the 5th battalion
on Gallipoli but if you are sensitive, be prepared for
staggeringly large lists that leave you thinking how anyone
was left to carry on fighting ...
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This
site is also an extraordinary resource with a
huge amount of information contained within it! The link
takes you to a research page and the home page is here.
This is run by the same person (Chris Baker) who also
runs The
Great War Forum which is yet another superb resource.
Also, look at the Links page
for any specific sites that may be able to help further
as Google
and other such sites will provide an amazing variation!
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The National Archives at Kew, West London
Their website is here
and will give you much more detail than I would even try to
produce on this page! As mentioned above, Medal Index Cards
can be searched and downloaded on line here
if you do not subscribe to Ancestry or a similar site that gives
access ot them. If you are a new visitor, you will need to register
as a Reader and get a card to access the research areas,
which needs to be done when you visit - read this
page and take some identification though. Once you have
this card, you will be able to pre-order
documents in advance of following visits, so they are
ready and waiting for you when you get there.
Take a digital camera if you use
one as it will save you both time and copying costs. Also, expect
to spend some money on printing costs, just in case. And most
importantly, plan your trip so you know what you are looking
for, otherwise you may find yourself sitting there with a blank
mind!
When you walk in and venture upstairs through the security
barrier to where the research can be done, on entering the main
research room (1st Floor) you will note there are 3 distinct
sections. The far left (through the security barriers) is the
Reading Room, the middle section
is the Research Enquiries room
and the right section is the Microfilm
Readers Room. The left is where you will collect and
read any original documents, the centre is where most of the
main indexes are held and the more generalised helpdesks are
located and the right is where Medal Cards, Service Records
and other such info is held on microfilm and fiche. Most of
your time will be spent in these 3 rooms, unless you need to
view large or older documents, which they will advise on if
required.
Remember though, ask the helpdesk people rather than struggle
your way through things and missing something! That's why they're
there and they do not mind helping!
The Bedford County Records
Office
Nigel Lutt and his excellent team at the
Bedford
County Records Office are an invaluable source of information
and experience, and have such a genuine interest in the subject
(amongst others) that no job seems too small for them. Martin
Deacon from the CRO, as well as compiling and editing the book
"The Shiney Seventh" (on the adventures of 7th Battalion in
France), has spent many hours transcribing the diaries of the
Regiment. Once I realised he had been engaged in the same project,
I stopped doing it myself and the gaps in my own transcriptions
have been filled with his painstaking efforts.
Having searched their on-line catalogue,
if you need to contact them directly, email them on archive@bedscc.gov.uk
The Great War Forum
I would also point those in search of info in
the direction of The
Great War Forum as the collective knowledge available
on there is incredible. There are thousands of people like yourself
there looking for or happy to share info. Most are everyday
folk with an interest but some are more 'professional' historians
or have been researching the subject for so long, they are 'experts'
in their own fields of interest by default.
Ancestry and other sites
Personally, I subscribe the Ancestry
for the purposes of extending the research into the Regiment,
but there are other options available, all with their own benefits
and restrictions. Others, as I understand it, offer similar
services so which one is the better option is really down to
personal preference. Look out for trial offers and the like
to test them out beforehand.
If you go with any subscription site, remember
that when you are searching, the results are only as good as
the data you enter and the individual who created the catalogue
entry on behalf of the site. Therefore, if your searches return
'no results' think a bit laterally and try different spellings
and the like. For example, the Medal Index Cards on Ancestry
appear to have been catalogued by people who do not appear to
live in the UK so, whilst we may think that it is obvious that
'Beds' means Bedfordshire, do not assume everyone else does!!
One of my favourites under the County heading was 'Beols' which,
had it been catalogued correctly, would have been listed as
'Beds'. I have seen many examples of strange and wonderful places
in the UK that only exist in the minds of the cataloguer (who
apparently knows little of our geography).
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Further Reading and Understanding
There are not a huge number of books on the Bedfordshire
Regiment, so specific regimental books can be rare and relatively
expensive. Therefore I have tried to establish the best "reading
list" possible to cover the areas of the conflict that are readily
available and won't cost a fortune. Most importantly, remember
your local library as they can sometimes help out with little
or no cost to yourself.
"The story of the Bedfordshire
and Hertfordshire regiment (the 16th regiment of foot)"
in two volumes. By the Royal Anglian's Regimental History committee.
420 and 730 pages respectively. Two A4 sized volumes using large
print, so not usually cheap! Try ordering a copy from your local
library in the first instance, as this is by far the most detailed
compilation on the history of the regiment, as suggested by
the sheer size of it! The Great War period is predominantly
taken from the regimental journal 'The
Wasp' and is essentially the war diaries written out
in longhand. However, some areas (such as the early phase of
the 1st battalion's war) contain personal accounts to add more
details to the story.
"Historical Record of
The Sixteenth, or, The Bedfordshire Regiment of Foot: containing
an Account of the Formation of the Regiment in 1688, and of
its subsequent Services to 1848". Compiled by Richard
Cannon, Esq., Adjutant-General's Office, Horse Guards. 45 pages,
published by Parker, Furnivall, & Parker in 1848. This book
briefly covers the period from 1688 to the 1840's only ut is
an interesting read.
"The 16th Foot. A History
of the Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire Regiment". By Major-General
Sir F. Maurice, with a foreword by General, The Earl of Cavan,
Colonel of the Regiment. 240 pages, published by Constable &
Company Ltd., 1931. A slightly more detailed summary of the
regimental history, but still very limited.
"A guide to the history
to the Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire regiment", by J.D.
Sainsbury. 32 pages, 1987. This is very brief summary of the
regiment, with no specific details of individuals or engagements.
"The Bedfordshire and
Hertfordshire regiment" by G.W.H. Peters, from the 'Famous
Regiments' series and edited by Lt-General Sir Brian Horrocks.
Published by Leo Cooper Ltd., 1970. 100 pages giving a brief
summary of the regiment's history. A brief, summarised history
of the regiment with some interesting elements, although there
is not enough space to go into huge levels of detail.
"The 54th Infantry Brigade,
1914-1918. Some Records of Battle and Laughter in France"
by E.W.J. Rowan, published by Gale and Polden, 1919. The 7th
battalion served in this Brigade from 1915 to May 1918 and the
2nd battalion served between May 1918 and the end of the war
and the book can be downloaded for free here.
This book is written from a particular perspective but contains
superb details on the Brigade's activities, with many individuals
covered. Although not specifically about one of the regiment's
battalions, this provides a good context to their activities
and includes numerous references to their part in various engagements,
as you would expect.
"The Doings of the Fifteenth
Infantry Brigade: August 1914 to March 1915". By Brigadier-General
Count Gleichen, K.C.V.O., C.B., C.M.G., D.S.O. Published by
William Blackwood & Sons Edinburgh and London 1917. This book
was written by the Brigade's commander and covers the period
from August 1914 to March 1915. It provides a good record of
the Brigade in which the 1st battalion served and can be downloaded
free here.
"Cap Badge: The Story
of Four Battalions of the Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire Regiment
(T.A.), 1939-47". By R.H. Medley. 352 pages, published
by Pen & Sword Books Ltd., 1995. Hard to find and usually relatively
expensive when you do find a copy.
"Biggleswade and the Great War; our own flesh
and blood" by Kenneth Wood.
 This
was only recently launched (2009) and the cover reads:
"Kenneth
Wood has added a small but significant stitch to the tapestry
of the history of Britain in the First World War.' Professor
Gary Sheffield, Centre for First World War Studies, University
of Birmingham. The Great War - the words still hold a fascination
even as we pass the ninety-fourth anniversary of its start and
the ninetieth of its ending. Out of a population of just over
6,000, Biggleswade saw 199 of its men killed, whilst hundreds
of others were wounded. This is the story of how the Great War
affected Biggleswade through the experiences of those who fought
and those who remained behind. The book builds and humanises
their stories in the context of the war, and how this impacted
upon a typical town of the period. Letters from the men at the
front feature throughout, and reveal the stoicism, fortitude,
humour and determination of those who fought. Kenneth Wood's
passion was sparked off at an early age by the stories in his
family of the death of great uncle Harry, a volunteer for Kitchener's
New Armies, who lost his life on the Somme. Here he uses his
own research, war diaries and local newspapers to weave local,
national and international strands of the story together. This
fascinating account does not seek to glorify war but strives
to ensure that these men are not forgotten, and that their sacrifice
is remembered."
Copies can be
purchased by emailing the author on kwoodathome@tiscali.co.uk,
through Amazon or History Press directly.
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