The Bedfordshire Regiment in the Great War

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Group Photographs from the 5th Battalion

Officers of the 5th Battalion at St. Albans 1915

This photo was taken early in the summer of 1915, shortly before the Battalion was shipped to Gallipoli. Sadly, many of these officers were killed or invalided out of the army before the end of the year.

Top Row: Lt FWH Nicholas, 2/Lt John Tristram Yarde (KIA 1918), Cpt EV Andreini, Lt FB Hobbs, Lt FW Ballance, Lt Thomas Alderman Franklin (KIA)

2nd Row: 2/Lr PR Chaundler, Lt William Stuart Chirnside (went on to become the CO of the Battalion from 1928) Lt CR Day, Lt LJ Hunter, Lt Frank S Shoosmith (KIA), 2/Lt HE Woodhouse, Lt D Rising, Lt CH Miskin (went on to become the Battalions 10th CO, from 1928 onwards), 2/Lt CR Day, Lt LJ Hunter, 2/Lt Ralph Dalton Jarvis Brighten, Lt FC Kemspon RAMC

3rd Row: Cpt Emil Theodore Maier, Cpt CT Baker (KIA), Cpt Rudolph Meade Smythe (KIA), Cpt GJ Norris, Major J Clutton (went on to become the Battalions 8th CO, between 1920 and 1923), Lt-Colonel Edgar William Brighten (the Battalions 7th CO, between 1915 and 1920), Cpt and Adjutant H Younghusband, Cpt JE Hill, Cpt Walter Kendrick Meakin (KIA), Cpt Brian C Cumberland (KIA), Cpt R Forrest

4th Row: Lt CR James, 2/Lt EL Rawlins, 2/Lt HS Toogood, 2/Lt ER Campbell, 2/Lt BW Smythe.

Sergeants of the 5th Battalion St Albans 1915

The CO, Adjutant, Warrant Officers and Sergeants of the 5th Battalion in St Albans, 1915. This picture was taken not long before the Battalion went to Gallipoli. Again, over half of the men in this photo were to become casualties in the coming four years, with many not making it through Gallipoli to see Christmas Day of that year.

Back Row: Sergeants Tarry, Green, Mead, Day, Odell, Wheatley, Penny, Brown

2nd Row: Sergeants Buckingham, Burgess, Martin, McPheat, Perkins, Gilbert, W Stapleton (KIA), Barker, Elston, Beaumont, Lewzey

Centre Row: Sergeants Robinson, Dracup, Whitworth, Davis, A Hinks (KIA), Rayner, Dudley, F Butler (KIA), [?], Mead, Allen, Hoolichan, Fellows, [?], Lovell

Sitting: CQMS Holt, CQMS Sugars, CSM Aleck Milton, CSM Brazier, RSM Munson, Colonel Edgar William Brighten (CO), Captain Younghusband (Adjutant), RQMS Scott, CSM Odell, CQMS Bateman, CQMS Chilton

Lying: Sergeant-Cook Finding, Sergeants WH Foster (KIA), Buckingham and Wheeler.

Spring and Summer 1915, before Gallipoli

A Company at Bury St Edmunds, early in 1915

5th June 1915 at the Luton Town Hall

5th June 1915 in Luton Town Centre

Transport Section approaching Luton June 1915

At Barton Cutting on the A6, June 1915

Post war photographs

5th Battalion Officers at the Summer Camp in 1929

5th Battalion Sergeants at the 1929 Summer Camp

On parade in 1953

This is from 1953, but well worth including! It was taken on Sunday, 25th October 1953 in Hertford and shows that well known figure of the Queen Mother taking the salute from the Old Comrdaes Association of the 5th battalion, Bedfordshire Regiment. The Queen Mother was the battalion's Colonel in Chief and was presenting the battalion with their new colours that day.

On the front right hand corner of the parade (front left as you look), the tallest man in shot, is Charles Marlow, MM, who rose to Colour Sergeant / WOII by the end of the war and won his MM at the Third Battle of Gaza in November 1917. Looking at the men, most or all of them are of retirement age and have lived through two world wars. Yet they are still dressed in their 'Sunday Best' suits, walking tall and looking rightfully proud. A lovely photo.

(My thanks to Bob Amos, Charles Marlow's Grandson for the photo, information and permission to include it here)

5th Battalion links

Below are links to the other pages with information on the 5th battalion during the Great War:

War Diaries:

1915 War Diary	1916 War Diary	1917 War Diary	1918 War Diary	1919 War Diary
	1916 Appendices	1917 Appendices	1918 Appendices

Photographs and biographies:

Biographies of those Officers who fell in the 5th Battalion
Officers photographs and biographies (1)	Officers photographs and biographies (2)
"Other Ranks" photographs and biographies (1)	"Other Ranks" photographs and biographies (2)
Group photographs and biographies (1)

The personal diary of Second Lieutenant Leonard Leader Brereton from January to April 1917

Photographs taken from Leonard Brereton's personal album showing Officers and NCO's training in and around Halton Camp in 1916

Gallantry medals:

Biography of Samuel Needham, the battalion's Victoria Cross winner

Gallantry Medals won in the 5th Battalion (1). All bar Military Medal winners

Gallantry Medals won in the 5th Battalion (2). Military Medal winners only

Battles and events:

The Battle for the Kirech Tepe Sirt, Gallipoli Peninsular, 15th to 16th August 1915

The raids against Umbrella Hill, Gaza, July 1917

The sinking of the S.S. Aragon, 30th December 1917, Alexandria