Photographs and Biographies from the 7th Battalion

D Company, 7th Battalion in 1914.

A lovely photo of D Company from the 7th Battalion late in 1914 before uniforms were issued to the whole Battalion with some in their 'Kitchener Blues'! These men would have enlisted in August and September 1914 under "K1" and "K2" and were still undergoing basic training at the time.

Many of them are wearing their new uniforms with obvious pride but some can still be seen in partial dress, with a few items of civilian clothing dotted around! Have a look at some of the characters in the group including the man holding the Company beer barrel on the far left and the two 'pals' above him.

Private and Sergeant 15483, later Lieutenant Lionel HAMBLING, M.C.

Lionel Hambling was born on the 18th May 1889 in Thrapston, Northamptonshire. His parents were Alfred John William (a retired financier) and Eliza Fanny Hambling who moved to Plough Cottage, South Mimms by the time Lionel enlisted into the army.

Private 15483 L.L. Hambling enlisted on the 7th September 1914 at St. Albans, aged 24 years and 3 months. Trade was shown as a Caterer, who also taught pianoforte harmony. He was posted to the newly raised 7th Battalion and was promoted to Lance Corporal on the 22nd September 1914, to Corporal on the 1st October, finally becoming a Sergeant on the 25th November 1914.

After training, Lionel sailed with the 7th Battalion to France in July 1915 and served in the trenches until, on the 18th October 1915, he reported to Battalion HQ complaining of severe abdominal pains, but returned to the trenches the same day. They didn't go away and on the 1st November 1915 he was transferred to the 55th field Ambulance with Appendicitis and Pyrexia, then straight to 5 CCS, arriving at Rouen on the 3rd. Lionel left France on the 15th on board the Hospital Ship "St. Patrick" and spent until the following summer recovering.

Once he had recovered and retrained, Lionel was posted back to the 7th Battalion as a Sergeant on the 29th September 1916. By now, he was a qualified Machine Gunner. He joined them just in time to join the assault on the impregnable Schwaben Redoubt near Thiepval, which the 54th Brigade took at considerable cost. After the battle, around 400 of the Battalion were left and they took no further part in offensive operations until after Lionel's departure that December. Lionel impressed his CO with his leadership, resulting in him being recommended for a Commission.

He was posted to the Regimental Depot as a Sergeant, arriving in England on the 20th December 1916 and he was posted to No. 3 Officer Cadet Battalion at 70 Woodland Road in Bristol on the 20th March 1917. Once he was trained, Lionel was discharged to the "Special Reserve of Officers" on the 26th June 1917, having been granted a Temporary Commission in the 3rd Battalion. By this time, he had served a total of 2 years and 293 days in the ranks of the Bedfordshire regiment.

2/Lt Lionel Hambling arrived in the 4th Battalion on the 9th September 1917 and was involved in the final big phase of the Third Battle at Ypres ("Passchendaele") when the Division attacked a mile west of the infamous Passchendaele Ridge but were held up by a combination of the mud, enemy artillery and machine gun fire. Almost 200 of the 4th Battalion became casualties on the 30th October and the Canadians eventually took the ridge a week later.

After several quiet months holding the lines, the massive German Spring Offensive was launched on the 21st March 1918, which saw the 4th Battalion in the thick of the incredible fighting withdrawal that only just held the onslaught. After a week of fighting and retiring, the Battalion was becoming extremely weak but still refused to be overrun. On the 27th March, during a superbly led stand against a massive German attack, Lionel was among the many Officers who became casualties. Included in the casualty list were the Battalion CO, Lt-Colonel John Stanhope Collings-Wells who was posthumously awarded the Victoria Cross as a result, the second in command Major Nunnelly and a further seven of the handful of Officers left by the 27th.

Lionel was the Machine gun Officer and was often the last to withdraw from the fighting once the other men had already retired. His guns accounted for unthinkable numbers of Germans during the week long fight, and he was awarded the Military Cross for his bravery. The Citation hints at his involvement during the defensive actions:

"SUPPLEMENT to THE LONDON GAZETTE, 22nd JUNE, 1918. 7411 2nd Lt. Lionel Hambling, Bedf. R., Spec. Res. For conspicuous gallantry and devotion to duty. He showed great skill and courage in keeping his Lewis guns in action to cover a withdrawal, .and inflicted heavy losses on the enemy. Later, during an enemy attack, he established two Lewis guns in a forward position and put two enemy machine guns out of action."

Lionel received a gunshot wound to the forehead and left the 4th Battalion on the 27th March 1918, once they had been relieved. He arrived back in Dover on the 5th April to start another phase of recuperation. On the 11th September 1918, Lionel was deemed fit again and ordered back to the 3rd (Reserve) Battalion to restart training in readiness for his return to the front but by the time he was fit again, the war was thankfully over.

On the 27th December 1918 Lionel was promoted to the rank of Lieutenant and on the 25th March 1919, he was disembodied from the Special reserve of Officers. The 12th February 1920 saw him finally relinquished his commission but retained the rank of Lieutenant and he returned to his life, having served the entire war in the Regiment and rising from a civilian Private soldier to a decorated Lieutenant in the process