The Bedfordshire Regiment in the Great War |
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1919 War Diary NOTES: All remarks in squared brackets are my own additions, amendments or comments and are not part of the original document I have adjusted all names to show in bold and capital letters, to make them easier to pick out. This is not how they appear in the original document. WAR
DIARY FOR JANUARY 1919 1-9
Jan 1919 - Gembloux In Billets in GEMBLOUX Education & training
carried on. Sports held every afternoon weather permitting. 10
Jan 1919 As above Photographs of Officers, Sgts, & Corpls taken.
11-16
Jan 1919 In Billets as above. Training etc. as above. 17-23
Jan 1919 In billets as above. Training & Sports as above. 24
Jan 1919 As above. Divisional General visited Battalion. 25
Jan 1919 As above rehearsal for the Trooping of the Colour at LEUZE.
26
Jan 1919 As above rehearsed for the trooping of Colours at GEMBLOUX.
27
Jan 1919 As Above. 28
Jan 1919 Ceremonial parade for trooping the Regt Colour in Place
St.Aubyn, Namur, together with the 2nd Batt King's Own Scottish
Borderers. This ceremony was performed in commemoration of the taking
of the town and citadel of Namur in 1695, in which this Batt and
the 2nd Batt King's Own Scottish Borderers took part. Reviewing
Officer: - Lt.General Sir G.M.HARPER K.C.B., D.S.O. Comdg.
IV Corps Officer
Comdg. the Colour Guard: Capt.J.C.A.[James Charles Abbott] BIRCH.
Lieutenant
of the Escort. Lt.YOUNG. 2/Lt.
for the Colour: - 2/Lt.[Ernest Charles] HERBERG.. N.C.O.
for the Colour: No.10339 C.S.M.MEADE. D.C.M. 29
Jan 1919 Photographs of Batt taken and also of Colour Guard and
Escort. 30
Jan 1919 Training and Sports carried on as usual. 31
Jan 1919 As above. |
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WAR
DIARY FOF FEBRUARY 1919 1-2
Feb 1919 - Gembloux In Billets in Gembloux. Usual training in
morning. Games in afternoon. 3
Feb 1919 100 men visited Waterloo by lorries with C.O. Remainder
training as above. 4-8
Feb 1919 Training and games as above. 9
Feb 1919 Church Services for all Denominations. 10
Feb 1919 Training and games carried on. Cross Country Race Battalion
Team, 20 finished out of 25 thereby winning race. Medals for runners
and Cup for Battalion. 11-15
Feb 1919 Training as above. 16
Feb 1919 Church Service for all Denominations 17-22
Feb 1919 As above. Demobilization of Battalion practically finished.
23
Feb 1919 Church Service for all Denominations. 24
Feb 1919 Training and Sports as above. The Brigadier General presented
Cup to Battalion Cross Country Team. 25
Feb 1919 As above 26
Feb 1919 Draft of 2 Officers 7 143 O.Rs (for Rhine) proceeded
to Calais to join 11th Suffolk Regiment, 61st Division 27
Feb 1919 As above 28
Feb 1919 As above. Mobilization Stores despatched to Charleroi Dump.
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WAR DIARY FOR MARCH
1919 1
Mar 1919 - Gembloux Battalion billeted in Gembloux. 2-6
Mar 1919 Battalion Band arrived from England. Billetted as above.
7
Mar 1919 As above. General & Lady HAKING inspected
Coy Banners of the Division at the Hotel de Ville, Gembloux 8
Mar 1919 Billetted as above. 9
Mar 1919 Church Service for all Denominations. 10-11
Mar 1919 As above. 12
Mar 1919 As above. Divisional Dinner for Officers at Brussels.
13-15
Mar 1919 Billetted as above. 16
Mar 1919 As above. Church Service for all Denominations 17-22
Mar 1919 Billetted as above. 23
Mar 1919 As above. Church Service for all Denominations 24-26
Mar 1919 As above 27-29
Mar 1919 As above Lt.Col.C.E.G.[Charles Edward Gowran] SHEARMAN
D.S.O., M.C. detailed to join 53rd Bn. Bedford Regt. on expiration
of leave. 30
Mar 1919 Church Service for all Denominations. 31
Mar 1919 Capt.G.McM.[George Macmaster] BETTY, M.C., Capt.W.HOBBS,
M.C., Capt.W.R. [William Robert] CAMPION, M.C., Capt.A.J. [Arthur
James] FYSON, 2/Lt.F. [Frank] WHATELY-KNIGHT, Lt.R.HALL proceeded
to join 52nd Battn Bedfordshire Regt. |
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WAR
DIARY FOR APRIL 1919 1-5
Apr 1919 - Gembloux Battalion in billets in Gembloux 6
Apr 1919 As above. Battalion preparing for move to Gilly, first
stage in journey to England. 7
Apr 1919 - Gilly Battalion moved to Gilly & billeted. See O.O.178
8
Apr 1919 As above 9
Apr 1919 As above. Captain W.C.SEARLE proceeded to 52nd Battn.
10
Apr 1919 As above 11
Apr 1919 As above. 2Lts E.C.[Ernest Charles] HOWLETT & D.LYDLE
proceeded to England. 2Lts L.G.[Lawrence George] CALE & E.W.P.
[Ernest Walter Pillis] ROBINSON to the 5th Divisional Details
Battalion. 12-15
Apr 1919 As above. 16
Apr 1919 As above. Received orders for entrainment on 17th. 17
Apr 1919 - on board train Battalion marched to HAUTEVILLE Station,
CHARLEROI & entrained. trains moved at 19.00 hours see O.O.
179. 18
Apr 1919 - Embarkation Camp, Antwerp Train arrived ANTWERP 07.00
hours. Battalion detrained & marched to Embarkation Camp. 19
Apr 1919 In Camp as above. 30 Apr 1919 Embarked for England |
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Operational Orders; April 1919 OPERATION
ORDER NO. 178 1st Battalion the Bedfordshire Regiment. 6th. April
1919 1
MOVE. The Battalion will move to GILLY tomorrow, parade at Orderly
Room at 09.25 hours - Dress Marching Order less packs. Water bottles
to be filled, water proof sheets to be carried. 2
KITS Officers kits, blankets, packs, and Orderly Room boxes to be
taken to Q.M. Stores by 08-30 hours band boxes etc. will be ready
for loading at "A" Chateau by 09-00 hours. 3
REVEILLE reveille will be at 06-30 hours 4
Breakfasts Breakfast will be at 7-30 hours 5
Advance Party Corpl. DIEMER and 1 O.R. will go with first
lorry leaving Q.M. Stores at 09-00 hours 6
DINNERS Dinner will be on arrival in billets. All ranks are warned
to carry the unexpired portion of the days rations with them as
no haversack ration will be issued. 7
MARCHING STATE Marching out states will be rendered to the R.S.M.
who will render complete state to the Adjutant on parade 8
TRANSPORT Transport will march in rear of the Battalion. OPERATION
ORERS NO.179 1st Battalion The Bedfordshire Regiment 16th April
1919 1
MOVE The Battalion will entrain for ANTWERP tomorrow. Battalion
will parade in front of Q.M.Stores at 12.00 hours. Dress Marching
Order less packs, Water-bottles to be filled. 2
REVEILLE Reveille will be at 06.30 hours. 3
MEALS Breakfast will be at 07.30 hours, dinners at 11.00 hours.
4
KITS Officers' kits, blankets in bundles of ten, packs etc. to be
at Q.M.Stores by 11.00 hours. 5
COLOUR PARTY The following W.O. & N.C.O.s will form the Colour
Party for the journey: - C.S.M., J.T.TRUNDLEY D.C.M. Sgt., T.BRYAN
D.C.M. Sgt., A.DAVISON 6
LOADING PARTY Cpl.Iley and 6 O.R.s from the band will proceed to
HAUTEVILLE Station level crossing at 08.00 hours and will meet lorry
there at 08.30 hours. They will proceed with lorry to the Barracks
CHARLEROI and load Band boxes etc. |
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1st Battalion links Below are links to the other pages with information on the 1st battalion during the Great War:
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