CSMMo Posted 22 April , 2004 Share Posted 22 April , 2004 I'm writing the history of my grandfather's WW1 unit, 4th Highland (Mountain) Brigade, RGA, TF. This unit consisted of Brigade HQ and Ammunition Column , the Argyll Mountain Battery (Campbeltown), Bute Mountain Battery (Rothesay) and the Ross & Cromarty Mountain Battery (Locharron). I have inherited hundreds of photos including two personal albums of photos my grandfather took in training and in combat in the Salonika front. (Ever wonder what a cannon in action looked like?) These photos are beginning to make sense to me, and I am beginning to gather more data about their action in Gallipoli and Salonika, however, can anyone tell me what other units trained at Bedford or in that area? (Background info.) Also, if there are any sources out there for further information, I'm all ears! I'm also willing to post photos as desired on this forum. Mike Morrison Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Raster Scanning Posted 22 April , 2004 Share Posted 22 April , 2004 Hi Mike. As a Bedfordian, I should be able to help you on this. Also another forum member Jock Bruce has researched a diary kept by a young highland soldier while in Bedford. This is available on line. I will do some digging and get back to you. Cheers. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JulianB Posted 22 April , 2004 Share Posted 22 April , 2004 Count me in too. All I can add is that my grandfather trained in Bedford at some time in 1915 when a new 2/Lt with 16th Btn KLR. I'd be interested to hear more Julian Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Charles Fair Posted 22 April , 2004 Share Posted 22 April , 2004 'Behind The Lines' by Lt-Col WN Nicholson is an excellent account of the (?) 51st Highland Div who were based in Bedford for a time in late 14/early 15. Nicholson was one of the Divs staff officers and gives a good account of the difficulties of billeting so many men in the town, also of some of the mutual incomprehension between the Jocks and the natives. Some good accounts of the puzzlement which men from remote highland communities greeted mod cons such as baths, flushing loos etc. It was republished by Tom Donovan a few years ago. Charles Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Malcolm Posted 22 April , 2004 Share Posted 22 April , 2004 The 51st HD History devotes a chapter to Bedford and the inhabitants and is very glowing in it's account. Aye Malcolm Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CSMMo Posted 22 April , 2004 Author Share Posted 22 April , 2004 51st Division makes sense as the 4th Highland (Mountain) Brigade mobilized with them. I wonder where the artillery fired? I'll have to look up the books mentioned. I think I found part of the diary mentioned on the 'net and it provides an interesting perspective from a lad from Caithness. Seems the locals went out of their way to pitch in. I'll be interested to hear more. What a logistics nightmare! Mike Morrison Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Raster Scanning Posted 23 April , 2004 Share Posted 23 April , 2004 Over the weekend I will compile a list of units who were in Bedford. Apart from the 51st Division there were many units in the area. This is a picture of 51st division troops marching past a statue of Bedford's most famous son, John Bunyan. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Raster Scanning Posted 25 April , 2004 Share Posted 25 April , 2004 Mike. Diary The above is a link to the diary of a young Scot billeted in Bedford in 1915. It has been transcribed and researched by Jock Bruce from this forum. I presume this is the one you found. Many young men were struck down with measles and died due to having lived all their lives in remote Scottish regions and never building up an immune system. Apart from all the Scottish units there was at Ampthill a large training camp for the Bedfords set up by the Duke of Bedford. The Royal Engineers Signal Service had a large camp in the grounds of Wrest Park a stately home near by. The 68th (2nd Welsh) Division was also based in the town from August 1915 and The 62nd division from October 1916-Jan 1917(Composition of these divisions can be found on the mother site). The Bedfordshire Regiment also had a large barracks in Kempston, Short Brothers had an Airship Base at Cardington and local factories were manufacturing aircraft and their engines. I would be very interested to see the pictures taken at Bedford, I may well be able to cast a local eye on them and give you additional info. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CSMMo Posted 26 April , 2004 Author Share Posted 26 April , 2004 Yes, that is the diary I found. It is quite interesting and addresses issues mentioned here. As for the photos -- Off-line or on the forum? I have so many, some not yet scanned. When I saw the photo "Highland Troops in Bedford" it reminded me of one I have with the exact writing on it, but it has a gun section of my grandfather's Mountain Battery marching on horseback (old soldiers will understand that term!) with their cannon. I'm happy to share the photos. There are over 100 of them and they are in pretty good shape, but he annotated the ones from Salonika (and some from Bedford and Scotton) with dates, names, locations, etc, which gives them a little something extra, historically speaking. Mike Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nick Posted 26 April , 2004 Share Posted 26 April , 2004 Hi, Elemenst (if not all) of the 53rd Division were at Bedford for some time in the early summer of 1915 before sailing to Gallipoli. Nick Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CSMMo Posted 2 May , 2004 Author Share Posted 2 May , 2004 Here's one of the photos I have of Bedford (same titel as the earlier ones). This is a section of the Bute (Mountain) Battery, RGA, TF. There may have been a prohibition (or "discouragement") of photographing the guns, as they are omitted in the next photo as well. Too bad, because their "mountain" guns were old and cranky. The Argyll (Mountain) Battery wore theirs out in Gallipoli and had to scrape together other guns for the Suvla Bay landing. They weren't even repairable by then, so they relented and gave them the new cannons with a recoil system (!) for their further efforts in Salonika. Mike Morrison Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CSMMo Posted 2 May , 2004 Author Share Posted 2 May , 2004 2nd photo Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jock Bruce Posted 3 May , 2004 Share Posted 3 May , 2004 Mike, the only reference in the 51 Div history is as part of the description of units removed from the division for overseas service in late 14/early 15 - 'The next and last act of depletion was the ordering of the Mountain Artillery Brigade to the East to take part in the Gallipoli expedition. Two batteries only were sent, and the third was kept at home as a training unit for mountain artillery - the only one at home. The health of Lt Col Robinson was doubtful, and the GOC decided to retain him, and he was afterwards given the billet of organising and commanding the Divisional Ammunition Column. He was, as a sort of comment to the GOC's decision, the only Colonel who served with the Division from start to finish.' The following is from '51st Highland Division War Sketches' by Fred Farrell COLONEL C. M'LEOD ROBERTSON, D.S.O., T.D., COMMENCED his military career in September 1893, when he was gazetted as Second-Lieutenant to the Argyle and Bute R.G.A. (V.) and appointed to the local company at Millport. He was promoted Lieutenant in 1895, and Captain two years later; and on the disbanding of the Argyle and Bute R.G.A., consequent on the inauguration of the Territorial Force, he was transferred to the Bute Battery, 4th Highland (Mountain) Brigade, R.G.A. (T.), being promoted Major to command that battery on April 1, 1908. In November 1912 he was promoted Lieutenant-Colonel on being given command of the brigade.On the outbreak of war he mobilized with his brigade, and remained in Bedford training till the Division was ordered to France in April 1915, when he took command of the Divisional Ammunition Column. He served with the Division during its whole period of active service, being the only combatant commanding officer to do so, and finally came home in command of the cadre of the Division in April 1919.In recognition of his length of service in the field he was promoted Colonel on August 5, 1918. He was twice mentioned, was awarded the D.S.O. in January 1918, and the Croix de Guerre of France (with silver star) for the operations on the Marne in July 1918. He also has the Territorial decoration which he received in 1913. This is on the web, with a sketch of the colonel, at http://www.lib.byu.edu/~rdh/wwi/memoir/docs/51st/51st4.htm I'll be in touch off-forum in response to you recent e-mails, Jock Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Raster Scanning Posted 9 May , 2004 Share Posted 9 May , 2004 Hi Mike. The first of your pictures is part of a very large set of pictures of Highland Troops, produced by Blake & Edgar, local photographers. The men are in De Parys Avenue (I think). The picture I posted previously is number 1 in the set and shows soldiers leaving De Parys Avenue and heading into the High St. I will confirm this next time I am home, as the street has little changed. The second is almost impossible to identify I am afraid. Any more? John. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CSMMo Posted 9 May , 2004 Author Share Posted 9 May , 2004 Hello John, Thanks for identifying the photo. As for the second, it looks as if they are leaving the camp area to go to the field for drill. Just a guess, however. As for others, I have well over 100, I'll look through the scans to check for those which might be specific to the Bedford site. The one attached shows some background (Also shows the cannons packed onto Highland Ponies exemplifying the mountain mission of the Battery) Mike Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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