2nd Battalion Bedford Reg

[Guest scott leader]

Does anybody have any info on the 2/Bedford's for GHELUVELT October 1914 & the battle of Spehy - Ronssoy September 1918

Particularly -22nd - 31st October 1914 & 17th - 22nd December 1918,

The soldier in question is Captain G.E.Gott

Thanks in advance

[ALANJONES]

Your best bet will be the War Diary at the PRO but also look at the Osprey book on First Ypres 1914 by David Lomas.

Not fully indexed but P 70 has a good illustration/map which indicates 1 Coy 2/Bedfordshire's location . And there are other mentions in the book for org and for the 1 Bedfords in Givenchy.

Alan

[Guest Hill 60]

Bedfordshire County Council also have copies of the War Diaries and will, for a charge, send you copies of the bits you want.

Try e-mailing them at Archive@bedscc.gov.uk

[Chris_Baker]

The place name is Epehy, by the way.

[Guest scott leader]

Thanks for the info!!

One other point which you might have seen on the forum, the guy was wounded at Ypres, but the MIC shows no Clasp or rose, this had to be clamed, but would the roll be the true source to confirm if he was due them or not??

Thnaks Again

[Robert Dunlop]

From the British Official History for the 22nd October:

"At dusk the 21st Brigade was ordered to take advantage of its success to recover the trenches lost the day before near Poelzelhoek; but it was still too heavily engaged for so large an operation. The company of the Scots Fusiliers and one of the (2nd) Bedfordshire, which had made the attempt, found the enemy too strongly posted to do more than drive off some snipers, and return with seven prisoners they had taken."

Robert

[Robert Dunlop]

On the night of 24th/25th October, "detachments of 2/Bedfordshire (21st)" were involved in holding the line from Gheluvelt to Broodseinde.

On 29th October, the 'Green Howards and Bedfords' were involved in a counter-attack that 'failed to gain ground'. That evening, '2/Bedfordshire was in support' on the right of the line held by 7th Division.

On 30th October, 7th Division repelled a German attack. Subsequently, 'the 21st Brigade headquarters just west of the road behind the spur midway between Zandvoorde and Gheluvelt were fired into with shrapnel at short range, as were the 2/Bedfordshire in support near headquarters. To get in touch with the line and assist the exposed flank, a company of the Bedfordshire and half the 54th Company RE were sent up on to the spur, but they were quickly blown off it.'

On 31st October, 'Gheluvelt and the salient of the Queen's [were] taken [by the Germans, who] turned his attention to two companies of the 1/Loyal North Lancashire and the detachment of the 2/Royal Scots Fusliers. A company of the Bedfordshire in a wood on their right had disappeared.' 'The Bedfordshire were being blown out of their trenches.'

At the end of the day 'the 21st Brigade [had been] reduced to 750 of which the 2/Bedfordshire counted 370'.

Robert

[Guest scott leader]

Thanks for your time phil.

I have some info on him Lieut G Gott,

Early in the morning of Oct 23 C Company advanced to fill the gap in the front line between the Yorkshire' left & Royal Scots Fusiliers right.........

Company advanced almost to the bend of the Pozeelhoek road...........enemy opend such a sharp fire that our company was not able to hold it's ground.

Some months after an officer from the Royal Scot's Fus said that one platton was very gallantly led by a officer in an assult on a house that contained Machine Guns, their is reason to believe the platoon was led by Lieutenant G E Gott.....

Do you have any info about this??

and

18th September - attack on Epehy - Ronssoy in with he was awarded the MC?

Thanks Again.