X550/8/1/1605

1-5-16 Nothing happened of any importance in A2 Sector. 12th Middx. were relieved by 11th R.Fus. in A1. 31.4.16. 19th Manchesters on our left. general Officer Commanding 54th Brigade requested the C.O. to publish in battn. Orders the communiqu appearing in the Times of 29th April respecting the raid carried out on night of 26/27th April by D Company. Complimentary Order attached. BATTALION AFTER ORDERS By Lieut.Colonel G.D.Price Commanding 7th (S) Battalion Bedfordshire Regiment 30th April, 1916 COMPLIMENTARY ORDER. At the request of the General Officer Commanding 54th Infantry Brigade, the Commanding Officer has great pleasure in notifying to all ranks the Communique published in the "Times" of April 29th 1916 which referred to the recent raid. "Last night the Bedfordshire Regiment carried out a very successful raid near CARNOY. The raiding party rushed the trenches and after fierce hand to hand fighting drove the remaining Germans into their dugouts and bombed them there. Our casualties - eight wounded, all brought in. German loss considerable." The General officer Commanding 54th Infantry Brigade is of opinion that in publishing the name of the Regiment in the newspaper, which up to now has scarcely ever been done, a high honour has been conferred on the Battalion. The British Communique has also been published in all French papers. (signed) J.H.Bridcutt, Captain Adjutant 7th (S) Battalion Bedfordshire Regiment 2-5-16 General MacAndrew visited trenches in morning. Fine Day. Enemy very quiet day & night. 2/Lieut.H.J.Cartwright joined for duty. Capt.L.H.Keep & Capt.W.H.[Bull] sat as members of a F.G.C.M. in A1 Sector Headquarters at 10.30 a.m. Revd.G.Jarvis Smith (Wesleyan Chaplain) posted to the Battn. by 54th Brigade. [Operation Orders No.13] by Lieut.Colonel G.D.Price Commanding 7th (S) Battalion Bedfordshire Regiment 2nd. May 1916. 1. Intention The Battalion will be relieved by the 18th Bn.Kings Liverpool Regt. In A.2.Sector Trenches on the evening of the 4th May, 1916. On completion of relief 7th Bn.Bedfordshire Regt. Will occupy billets as follows: - A & B Companies:- - - -FROISSY C & D Companies: - - - BRAY Battalion Headquarters and Transport will be at BRAY. 2. Order of Relief.: - Centre : Left : Right : Reserve & BN Hd.Qrs. The leading company of the relieving Battalion will commence the relief by passing (first platoon) the level crossing L.15.b.5.9. at 7.30 p.m.. the last platoon to be clear of this point by 8.10 p.m. After being relieved companies will proceed to their billets via BRAY - BRONFAY Road. 3. Lewis Gunners & Signallers. Will be relieved independently, but relief must not commence before 2 p.m. 4. Trench Stores. The following representatives of the relieving Battalion will arrive in the trenches to take over Trench Stores at 10 a.m. Officers Commanding Coys. With Coy.Sgt.Majors. Battalion Bombing Officer. Battalion Lewis Gun Officer. Battalion Sniping Officer. Regimental Sergeant Major. Three Trench Store Lists are issued herewith. All three lists will be signed by the Officer handing over and by the Officer taking over. One list will be submitted to the Adjutant by 2 p.m. on 4th inst. Or as soon as possible after handing over is completed. One list will be handed to the Officer taking over and the third will be retained by the officer handing over. 5. Transport. The 18th Kings Liverpool Transport will take back to BRAY and FROISSY the kits and stores of the 7th Bedfords from Bn.Hd.Qrs. A.2.Sector on the night of the 4th inst. All kits and stores will be stacked at the Dump, Bn.Hd.Qrs. A.2. by 6 p.m. on night of relief. 6. Loading & Unloading Parties. Each company will detail two representatives to take charge of their company baggage and kits when stacked. These representatives will be responsible that their company's kits etc. are loaded on the Transport of the 18th Kings Liverpools, and off loaded at each Company's billets. They will travel with the vehicles carrying their company's kits and see nothing is lost. 7. Meals. All meals, including tea on the day of relief, will be served in A.2. Company Qr.Mr.Sgts. and one cook per company will proceed to billets on the day of relief in time to prepare hot tea etc. for their companies on arrival in billets. 8. Billeting The Battalion Billeting Officer, (Captain L.H.Keep) the Pioneer Sergeant and one representative per platoon will rendezvous at Battalion Headquarters at 2.2. at 8.30 a.m. on the morning of 4th inst. To proceed to BRAY for the purpose of taking over billets. These representatives will meet their respective platoons on their return to billets at night after being relieved as follows: - A & B Coys at a point 600 yards South of LA NEUVILLE, viz. About half way between LA NEUVILLE & FROISSY. C & D Coys at the level crossing L.15.b.5.9. Each guide must know the exact Billets his platoon is to occupy. 9. Guides for relieving unit. 1 guide per platoon from the Centre, Left and Right Companies will report to the Adjutant at Battn.Hd.Qrs. by 8.30 p.m. and will be able to conduct each platoon to its place in the front line. (signed) J.H.Bridcutt, Captain, Adjutant 7th (S) Battn. Bedfordshire Regt. 3-5-16 2nd Wiltshire Regiment relieved 11th Royal Fusiliers on our right. Day and night was fine & enemy quiet except for an occasional shell towards Bronfay. SECRET CORRIGENDA to 54th INFANTRY BRIGADE OPERATION ORDER 30 Apr 1916 NO.15 Copy No.4 54th Bde. BM. 885 2:5:1916 The following amendments will be made: - para.8, substitute: - The G.O.C. 21st Infantry Brigade, will take over command of "A" Sector at 12 noon on May 4th. 54th Infantry Brigade Headquarters will close at BRAY at 12 noon on May 4th and re-open at that hour at OISSY (11 miles W of AMIENS). MARCH TABLE. May 3rd delete Y.18.T.M.Battery from trenches to SAILLY LAURETTE. May 3rd 19th Manchester Regt. from CORBIE to BRAY and FROISSY. May 4th 19th Manchester Regt. from BRAY & FROISSY to BRONFAY. May 4th 54th Bde. H.Q. from BRAY to OISSY. May 4th delete Y.18.T.M.Battery from SAILLY LAURETTE to NEW AREA. May 5th delete 54th Bde. H.Q. from CORBIE to OISSY NOTE: - Y.18.T.M.Battery will remain in the trenches for work under C.R.A., 18th Division. ACKNOWLEDGE (sgd) E.G.Miles, Captain, Brigade Major, 54th Inf. Bde. SECRET Corrigenda No.2 to 54th Infantry Brigade Operation Order No.15 - 30th April 1916 The following amendment will be made to the March Table: - Date - Unit - From - To - Route - Remarks May 4th - 19th Manchester - Bray & Froissy - Bronfay - Billon Valley to Billon Wood & Bronfay Farm - To relieve 12th Middlesex Regt.by Platoons at 10 minute intervals commencing at 7 a.m. (separate instructions are being issued to the units concerned) 12th Middlesex - Bronfay - Grovetown Camp - Will be relieved by 19th Manchester Regt. in morning 3 Companies will report on road at junction of squares F.27 & L.3. at 8 a.m. for work on Dernancourt Railway. Remainder of Battalion moves to Grovetown camp on completion of relief. SECRET 54th Bde. 7th Bedford Regt. B.M. 911 12th Middlesex 3:5:1916 18th K.Liverpool Regt. 19th Manchester Regt. 2nd Wiltshire Regt. ) For information 21st Inf. Bde. ) Reference 21st Brigade Operation Order No.124 dated 25.4.16 and 54th Brigade Operation order No.15 dated 30.4.16 (1) 19th Manchester Regt. on arrival in Bray on the evening of May 2nd will become Battalion in Brigade Reserve to 54th Infantry Brigade. (2) In case of attack the Battalion in Brigade reserve moves as follows: - Hd. Qrs. & 1 Coy.....to BRONFAY FARM 3 Companies...........to BILLON WOOD Defences (3) 19th Manchester Regt. (BRAY and FROISSY) will relieve 12th Middlesex Regt. in the BRONFAY-BILLON area on the morning of 3rd May. Route: - BRAY - LEVEL CROSSING L.16.a.11 - cross roads L.6.c.37 - thence across country to BILLON WOOD, via L.6.c.37 and valley South of BILLON WOOD. (The Coy. for BRONFAY FARM will proceed along the open ground 200 yards E. of the BRAY-BRONFAY ROAD). (4) COMPANIES WILL MARCH BY PLATOONS AT 10 MINUTES INTERVALS. (5) The leading platoon 19th Manchester Regt. will pass the LEVEL CROSSING at L.16.a.11 at 7 a.m. An Officer should reconnoitre the route in advance of the leading platoon. (6) 3 Companies 12th Middlesex Regt. will report at 8 a.m. on BRAY-CITADEL ROAD at junction of squares F.27.d and L.3.b (sheet 62.d) for work on the DERNANCOURT Railway. On completion of the day's work these 3 Coys. will move to billets in GROVETOWN CAMP. Hd.Qrs. and 1 Coy. 12th Middlesex will move by platoons at 10 minutes intervals to GROVETOWN CAMP as soon as the relief is completed. (This Company will be employed on pitching tents, which are being transferred from ETINEHEM CAMP by 7th Queens Regt. to-morrow 4th instant. Route; - see para. (3). (7) 18th K. Liverpool Regt. (BRAY) will relieve 7th Bedford Regiment in A.2 Subsector on the night 4/5th May under arrangements to be direct between O's C. concerned. (8) The leading platoon of 18th K. Liverpool Regt. will not pass LEVEL CROSSING at L.15.b.5.9 before 7.30 p.m. Route: - BRAY-BRONFAY and CARNOY or SHEFFIELD AVENUE or open ground. (9) Lewis Gun detachments may be relieved by day. (10) On completion of relief 7th Bedford Regt. will move to BRAY & FROISSY. (11) Completion of all reliefs and moves will be reported to 21st & 54th Brigade Hd. Qrs. by wire. (12) Transport will pass LEVEL CROSSING at L.15.b.5.9 at the following times:- Transport for A.2 Subsector...........8.15 p.m. Transport for A.1 Subsector...........8.35 p.m. Transport for BRONFAY................8.55 p.m. R.E.Transport................................9.15 p.m. Royal Sussex Pioneer Transport....9.35 p.m. 91st Brigade Transport..................9.55 p.m. (sgd) E.G.Miles Captain, Brigade Major 54th Inf. Bde. A/2/BRAY 4-5-16 Day quiet. relieved by 18th King's Liverpool Regt. 21st Brigade. Relief completed at 9.15 pm with no casualties. two companies proceeded to Froissy (A & B) & two companies (C & D) took over billets in BRAY. Battalion Headquarters in No.4 Rue Gambetta BRAY. Arrived in billets early morning of 5th BRAY 5-5-16 2-3am A very heavy Artillery duel on our right in the direction of FROISSY. Fine day & warm. general cleaning up & resting prior to proceeding on fatigue tomorrow. 6-5-16 Fatigue taken over from 30th Division. D Company at BRONFAY working on tramway line from BRONFAY FARM to BILLON WOOD. A Company sent 50 men to Ecluse Mericourt for permanent fatigue of unloading barges. Brigade School of Instruction for Specialists commenced at Oissy. Sent 5 Officers & 70 Other ranks. 7-5-16 Fatigues & training carried on. Physical Training in early morning. Adjutant's parade for All N.C.O's & men available at 10 a.m. Weather Fine & dry. 8-5-16 Fatigues & training carried on as per programme. Weather cold rained most of the day. Nothing exciting occurred in BRAY. Everything very quiet. 9-5-16 Fatigues & training carried on as per programme. The Defence Post allotted to this Battn. by 30th Division is the area NE of BRAY with an Office representing the Battalion at road junction L 9 d 9/2. Musketry range opened at field just off Cappy Road. Brig.Genl.H.Shoubridge proceeded on leave Lt.Colonel G.D.Price in command of 54th Brigade. Weather Fine & dry. 10-5-16 Training & fatigues carried on as per programme. 2 Officers & 13 Other ranks proceeded on leave (12th to 21st) day quiet. Weather Fine & Dry. C.O. called a conference of Company Commanders at 10 a.m. Musketry carried out on the range. All employed men & details fired. Weather Fine & Dry. 11-5-16 Training & fatigues carried on as per programme. Nearly all men employed on fatigue. Those not on fatigue paraded at 10 a.m. under the Adjutant. Day cold & squally. 12-5-16 Training & fatigues carried on as per programme. Day very quiet; nothing of importance occurred. At night a few shells dropped near the La Neuville end of BRAY. Day wet & dull. 13-5-16 Early hours of morning a severe bombardment went on between the Germans & the French. A few shells fell near FROISSY & BRAY. A few bugles sounded the "Standfast" in BRAY but the excitement died down about 2.30 a.m. Fatigues carried on but parades cancelled on account of rain. 14-5-16 Fatigues & training carried on. Weather changeable with rain. Lieut.Colonel G.D.Price appointed Commandant of 18th Divisional School vice Colonel Fiennes to date from 20th May. Col.Price proceeded to 18th Div. Headquarters. 15-5-16 Fatigues & training carried out as usual. captain E.Clegg assumed command of the Battn. until Major G.P.Mills returns from leave. A Company & B Company vacated billets at Froissy & joined the other two companies at Bray. French troops arrived at Froissy & took over our vacated billets. 16-5-16 Fatigues & training carried out as usual, most of the Battn. being on fatigues. 2/Lieuts.H.H.Pizey & W.H.Bennett joined for duty & posted to D Company. Fine weather & warm. Enemy aeroplane over Bray during morning about 8 a.m. 17-5-16 Major G.P.Mills returned from leave and assumes command of the Battn. from 18th inst. inclusive. Very fine weather. Training and fatigues carried out as usual. Nothing of importance occurred. 18-5-16 Fine day, very warm. Received notification that following decorations had been awarded by Commander-in-Chief. D.S.O. - 2/Lieut.H.Driver; D.C.M. - L/Sgt.Mills Cox; Military Medal - Cpl.A.H.S.Joyce and L/Cpl.Lancaster. Most of the Battn. on fatigue. Those who were left carried out Bombing & Bayonet Exercises under the Adjutant. 19-5-16 very Fine day - warm. Training and fatigues as usual. Nothing of importance happened in Bray. A few shells of large calibre dropped in the vicinity of Bray at about 7 p.m. 20-5-16 Night quiet. From 8 a.m. till about 9.30 a.m. the BRAY-CORBIE Road was steadily shelled by large calibre shells. No damage to our billets but a few casualties & a slight damage was sustained by the S.Staffords. Day very fine. 21-5-16 Divine Service, Voluntary. Fine & quiet day. No 15635 Pte.F.E.[J].Groves accidentally drowned while bathing near the Bridge on the BRAY-FROISSY Road. Court of Enquiry proceedings held & forwarded to A.G. & 54th Brigade. 22-5-16 Fine Day & quiet. A German aeroplane over BRAY during early hours but was dispersed by our A.A. Guns. 23-5-16 Day dull & Showery. Nothing of importance occurred. 24-5-16 Fine Day & quiet. Brigadier General Visited BRAY & called into our Hdqrs. Fatigues & Training carried on as usual. Nothing to report. 25-5-16 Fine day. 4 Officers arrived: 2/Lieut.R.B.Rednall, 2/Lieut.A.H.C.Gibson, 2/Lieut.G.J.Luscombe. 2/Lieut.J.Cunningham. Fatigues as before. Bn.Hq.Qrs. moved from Rue Gambetta to Rue Phillipe Auguste. Not such good billets as those we vacated but after being cleaned up they looked more respectable. 26-5-16 Bronfay tram line fatigue discontinued & carried on by 53rd Brigade. We took over fatigues of 7th Buffs, cable burying for XIII Corps Artillery. Draft of 7 N.C.O's & 70 men arrived from Base (5th Entrenching Battn.). Fine day & quiet. 27-5-16 Fine day. captain J.H.Bridcutt proceeded on leave & 2/Lieut.F.E.Dealler took over the duties of Adjutant. 2/Lieuts J.D.Hopper & G.B.Hasler joined for duty. 28-5-16 Divine Service - Voluntary. Capt.L.H.Keep & Sergt.Cornell proceeded on course at 4th Army School. Brigadier General Shoubridge visited Hdqrs 10-11 a.m. Fine day, another lot of N.C.O.'s & men proceeded to 54th Brigade Schools of Instruction in place of those returned 27-5-16. 29-5-16 Fine day. fatigues carried on as usual. Town Major BRAY inspected the billets & congratulated on [sic] all ranks on the improvements effected. 30-5-16 Fatigues carried on as before but had to commence at 4.15 a.m. to enable men to get back to bathe during morning. Fine day. 7th Bn. Bedfordshire Regiment mentioned in Sir Douglas Haig's first despatch published in London Gazette Supplement 29-5-16. 31-5-16 G.O.C. 54th Brigade visited BRAY, called into our Headquarters to discuss matter of fatigues. Division require 600 men. Difficult to find the. Fine Day.

May 1916

From: 1916 To: 1916

item

Price, George Dominic,
Mills, George Pilkington,
Bridcutt, John Henry,
MacAndrew,
Cartwright, H.J.,
Keep, L.H.,
Bull, Wilfred Herbert,
Smith, G.Jarvis,
Miles, E.G.,
Shoubridge, T.H.,
Fiennes,
Clegg, E.,
Pizey, H.H.,
Bennett, W.H.,
Driver, Harry,
Mills Cox,
Joyce, Alexander Hugh Sinclair,
Hopper, William,
Hasler, Gordon Beverley,
Haig, Douglas [1st Earl],
Cornell, Arthur Ernest,
Groves, Frederick Edmund James,
Rednall, R B,
Gibson, A.H.C.,
Luscombe, Gridland John,
Cunningham, James,
Hopper, J.D.

12th Battalion Middlesex Regiment, 11th Battalion Royal Fusiliers, 54th Infantry Brigade, Germans, deaths, weather, Methodist individuals, 18th Battalion (2nd City) King's (Liverpool) Regiment, 2nd Battalion Wiltshire Regiment, 21st Infantry Brigade, 19th Battalion (4th City) Manchester Regiment, out county railways, tramways, 19th Battalion (4th City) Manchester Regiment, 7th Battalion Queen's, 8th Battalion Royal Sussex Regiment, Royal Engineers, 84th Trench Mortar Battery, 30th Division, French, South Staffordshire Regiment, 53rd Infantry Brigade, 7th Battalion East Kent Regiment, XIII Corps, 5th Entrenching Battalion, baths, Carnoy, Froissy, Bray-sur-Somme, Bronfay, La Neuville, Oissy, Amiens, Sailly-Laurette, Corbie, Billon Valley (Somme), Billon Wood (Somme), Bronfay Farm [Somme], Grovetown Camp (Somme), Dernancourt, Etinehem Camp (Somme), Sheffield Avenue (Somme), Bray-sur-Somme Rue Gambetta, Mericourt-sur-Somme, Bray-sur-Somme Cappy Road, Bray-sur-Somme Rue Philippe Auguste