The Bedfordshire Regiment in the Great War

(Site built by and © Steve Fuller 2003-2009)

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During the Great War, the battalions of the Bedfordshire Regiment were engaged on The Western Front, Italy, Gallipoli, Egypt and Palestine. The regiment's 2 'Regular' Infantry Battalions, its single 'Territorial' Battalion and 2 'Reserve' Battalions were supplemented by many 'New Army' Battalions when War broke out in 1914. A total of 21 Infantry Battalions served within the regiment between 1914 and 1918, being posted at home, on the Western Front, in northern Italy, the Middle East, India and Burma during the war. In addition to the Infantry, there were also Yeomanry, Garrison and Reserve units within the regiment, although at the time of writing, this site focuses on the regiment's infantry battalions.

The regiment's soldiers achieved incredible feats during the war and were awarded many hundreds of gallantry and bravery medals including seven Victoria Crosses. Many of the characters within the regiment went on to achieve great feats after the war, ranging from air speed records to positions of importance within the military, in public life or private endeavours. Their bravery and determination was unquestionable, as was their capacity for singing and laughter even under the most extreme and adverse conditions. This site is dedicated to them, their courage and their spirit, in the sincere hope they will never be forgotten.

Site layout

Other than the generalised and more obvious pages within the site, I have broken most of the content on this site according to the battalion, as most people seem to be looking for information based on a particular battalion. Each battalion page contains their summary and a selection of links taking you onto more specific information, such as the war diaries. In addition to the pictures on various pages, there are also several photograph pages dotted around. Have a look as there are some fantastic photographs and biographies, both from my own collection and those that have been passed to me from people visiting the site. The ones on this site are deliberately small files, to allow the room for as many as possible. If you would like the larger ("original") copy, please ask. Also note the new section on the Hertfordshire regiment which seemed a logical development considering the military connection between the two counties. Thousands of men from Hertfordshire served in the ranks of the Bedfordshire battalions before, during and after the Great War, the 6th battalion of the Bedfordshires was folded into the 1st/1st Hertfordshires in 1918 and in 1919 the Hertfordshire title was incorporated into the regiment in recognition of the long standing connections. As a result, their War Diaries and stories are as welcome on this site as those who served within the Bedfordshire Regiment.

Battalions of the Regiment and War Diaries on this site

Between 1914 and 1918, the following Battalions served within the Bedfordshire Regiment, and their War Diaries can be viewed by following the links:

1st Battalion - A pre-war 'Regular' Battalion dating back to 1688, and later renamed the '16th Regiment of Foot'. Apart from a few months in Italy during the winter of 1917-1918, they served on the Western Front from August 1914 until April 1919.

2nd Battalion - A pre-war 'Regular' dating back to 1858, which was stationed in South Africa when war broke out. They served entirely on the Western Front between their arrival in September 1914 to April 1919.

3rd Battalion - A 'Reserve' Battalion who were initially a 'Militia' battalion dating back to 1757. They served entirely around Harwich and Felixstowe in England, providing home defence and training drafts for front line units.

4th Battalion - The regiment's second 'Reserve' Battalion who provided home defence around Harwich and Felixstowe in England, until mobilised to France in July 1916. They served the rest of the war on the Western Front within the renowned 63rd (Royal Naval) Division until April 1919.

5th Battalion - A 'Territorial' Battalion initially raised as a 'Rifle Volunteer Battalion' in 1860, becoming the 5th Territorial Battalion in Haldene's reforms in 1908. They were embodied in August 1914 and initially provided home defence in East Anglia and on the Norfolk coast until sent abroad July 1915. They served in Gallipoli, Egypt and Palestine until disembodied June 1919. The 2nd/5th and 3rd/5th Battalions were raised in October 1914 and June 1915 respectively and trained drafts for the front line 1st/5th Battalion.

6th Battalion - A 'Service' Battalion raised specifically for the duration of the war in August 1914, as part of K1. They remained on the Western Front from August 1915 until it's personnel transferred into the 1st/1st Hertfordshires in May 1918. An Officer and NCO cadre trained American Units until the battalion was finally disbanded completely in August 1918.

7th Battalion - A 'Service' Battalion raised specifically for the duration of the war in September 1914 as a part of K2. They served entirely on the Western Front until the bulk of the battalion was transferred into the 2nd Battalion in May 1918. A cadre of officers and NCO's were assigned to train American Units until the battalion was completely disbanded in July 1918.

8th Battalion - A 'Service' Battalion raised in October 1914 as a part of K3, specifically for the duration of the war. They served entirely on the Western Front between August 1915 and February 1918, at which time the battalion was disbanded. The personnel were transferred into the 2nd, 4th, 6th and 7th Battalions.

9th Battalion - A 'Service' Battalion raised in October 1914 as a part of K4, specifically for the duration of the war. It remained in England as a "Reserve" Battalion, providing drafts for the front line units until transferred into the 28th Battalion Training Reserve in August 1916.

10th Battalion - A 'Service' Battalion raised in December 1914 as a part of K4, specifically for the duration of the war. It remained in England as a "Reserve" Battalion. The battalion transferred into the 27th Battalion Training Reserve in September 1916, later becoming the Regiment's 53rd Battalion in October 1917.

11th Battalion - A 'Territorial' Battalion raised in January 1917, that provided home defence on the Suffolk coast until disbanded in 1919.

Transport Workers Battalions - The 12th and 13th Battalions were raised December 1916 and March 1917 respectively and disbanded August and September 1919 respectively. They were based in Croydon and, although dressed as Infantry, they were never armed.

Graduated Battalions - The 51st and 52nd Battalions were raised initially as Norfolk and Suffolk Battalions respectively that provided home defence from October 1914. They later served in the British Army of the Rhine between March and August 1919 until disbanded in March 1920. Following the introduction of conscription and the lowering of minimum service ages, the 53rd 'Young Soldier's Battalion was affiliated to the Regiment in October 1917, to train young recruits until fit for active service abroad. It remained in England until 1919 and also served in the British Army of the Rhine between March and August 1919 until disbanded in March 1920.

Garrison Battalions - The 1st Battalion was raised in December 1915 and served in India between February 1916 and December 1919 until disbanded January 1920. The 2nd Battalion was raised in December 1916 and served in India between February 1917 and December 1919 until disbanded January 1920. The 3rd Battalion was raised in January 1917 and served in Burma between March 1918 and June 1919, thereafter in India from June to December 1919. It was disbanded January 1920.

The 1st and 2nd Volunteer Battalions - Citizen units formed in November 1914 by patriotic citizens for "non-specific home defence". Between July and September 1918 they became a 'Special Service' unit that provided defence of the coastline around Hunstanton due to the acute manpower shortage in France.

The 1st/1st Battalion, the Hertfordshire Regiment - A territorial unit who were sent to France as early as November 1914 and remained on the Western Front throughout the war. They were also called the "Hertfordshire Guards" due to serving in the 4th Guards Brigade of the veteran 2nd Division for some time and as a result were the only regiment outside of the Guards to number their Companies numerically, as opposed to alphabetically.

Victoria Cross winners from the Bedfordshire Regiment in the Great War

What's new

  • I have re-written The history of the 16th Regiment of Foot, which has also been expanded to include much more post war details and runs up to 2009.
  • The biographies of all the Colonels of the regiment are now on their own page, having also been considerably expanded in detail.
  • All War Diaries are being expanded and I am slowly adding more names into the text and many of the biography pages too.
  • A new book called "Biggleswade and the Great War" has just been launched, details on which are shown at the bottom of the research page.
  • My local war memorial at Meldreth and the stories hidden within it's stone.
  • A new book about the Ampthill Park training depot is now available, produced by Ian Church who has been sifting through the archives at Woburn. Contact me for his details and how to order a copy.
  • Within Thomas Adlam's VC biography is the story of the 7th battalion storming Thiepval village and the 'impregnable' Schwaben Redoubt
  • Photographs from before the Great War.
  • Comprehensive Rolls of Honour of those Officers who died in the 1st/5th battalion, the 6th battalion the 7th battalion and the 8th battalion as I can generate, with the others to follow as time allows!
  • The fantastic personal diary and photo's of 2/Lt Leonard Leader Brereton from 1917 whilst in the 5th Battalion in Egypt and opposite Gaza, up to the time of his death. Also available are his personal photographs from the album his family have kept to this day. What a lovely collection well worth the look!
  • Second Lieutenant Paul Norman Jones CHRISTIE, 1st Battalion biography and letters home. This 19 year old subaltern was killed in action 9th October 1917, during the Third Battle of Ypres.
  • A narrative of the Spring Offensives of March 1918 from the perspective of the 7th Battalions involvement, including maps and photos of the area as it looks today.
  • The sinking of the SS Aragon on the 30th December 1917 during which several men from the 5th Battalion were drowned. This page includes the Roll of Honour for those Bedfords who drowned, including the sixteen year old Private Douglas Ernest Williams who had already been wounded in France.

Donate to the upkeep of this site

The site is here to make what I consider to be valuable information available to those who need it but do not know where to look. It is a personal site, not built for profit or associated to any business. As a result it is a labour of love, primarily fund by myself and I have expanded it through the welcomed and generous donations of people who have visited the site and appreciated it. These small donations all add up and help to cover the costs of keeping the site going and growing. Hence, if you feel you have benefited from the site being here, any help you may wish to offer is greatly appreciated and will go directly into adding more and more information onto this site, so that future visitors and generations can understand more about what our relatives went through. Should you wish to donate to the upkeep and development of this site, Paypal, Visa or Mastercard donations can be made by clicking the button below. Alternatively, please contact me to donate by cheque.

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