Three Chevrons by "Orex"

[Black Maria]

Just finished reading this book by "Orex",who's real name was Major H.F Bidder D.S.O.,it was first published

in 1919 by John Lane and was part of their superb "on Active Service " series of books. Major Bidder was a

special reserve officer of the Royal Sussex Regiment who arrived in France in late December 1914 and was sent

as a company commander to an unfamiliar battalion in the 7th Division. The book consists of his letters home

between his waiting to be sent to France and the battle of Messines ridge.

He describes the terrible conditions in the trenches during the first winter of the war,one of the trench

sectors he served in was nicknamed the "Aquarium". Probably as a result of this he developed flue and is

sent back to blighty. He returns in June 1915 and takes the job of Brigade Machine Gun officer (21st Brig)

and sees action that month at Givenchy and later at Loos where the C.O of the 2nd Bedfords is killed and

Bidder takes over command of the Battalion.

At the end of the year the Brigade joins the 30th division and Bidder returns to his roll as Machine gun

and Bombing officer to the Brigade. He gives a good description of the fighting at Montauban on the first

day of the Somme offensive and again at Le Transloy in October where he again commanded a battalion of the

Brigade, this is where the bulk of the letters end. After the Somme he takes a job back home in Blighty

but returns as Corps Machine gun officer in April 1917 where he revisits some of his old haunts of 1914/15

and is present at the opening of the Messines offensive in June.

A good read,the only disappointment being the lack of information about place names and units he served with

as he was restricted in what he could write in his letters. Reading the write up for the book on the N&M Press

web site,it says he joined the 1st South Staffs(22nd brig)in Dec 14, although he never mentions joining a new

brigade in June 15 and a young women who he was billeted with in 1915 and whom he re visits in 1917 calls him

"The Captain of the West-lands",just wondered if this could mean the 2nd Wilts who were in the 21st Brigade?