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Remembered Today:

Bedford Signal Depot Royal Engineers - SWB Card


AndrewFrench

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If you put in the search criteria "Bedford SD" in Regiment on Ancestry's site for medal index card you get 618 hits. All these seem to be silver war badge cards.

Of the two men that I know the details of, they both enlisted into the Signal Troop of the Berkshire Yeomanry and were transferred in 1917 into the 6th Mtd Brigade Signal Troop RE when in Palestine.

One of these card is uploaded with this post.

It would seem that SD probably stands for Signal Dept. I have no explaination for BEDFORD.

Can anyone help assist in further interpretation ?

regards

Andrew French

post-7967-1271928494.jpg

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Hi

Googled this - http://1914-1918.invisionzone.com/forums/l...php/t56217.html

and in it - I think that the reference to 101 Sqn going out to France with BE12 & BE12a is misleading. It went out to the BEF purely as a light night-bombing squadron with FE2bs. My understanding is that the 9th Wing SD Flight, which operated the BE12/12as on agent/pigeon dropping missions, was attached to 101 Sqn in September 1917and remained with that unit until mid February, when it became parented by 102 Sqn. The SD Flight eventually was redesignated I Flight in July 1918

So I presume SD has something to do with planes and he was and engineer working at Bedford on those

regards

Robert

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Hi

Googled this - http://1914-1918.invisionzone.com/forums/l...php/t56217.html

and in it - I think that the reference to 101 Sqn going out to France with BE12 & BE12a is misleading. It went out to the BEF purely as a light night-bombing squadron with FE2bs. My understanding is that the 9th Wing SD Flight, which operated the BE12/12as on agent/pigeon dropping missions, was attached to 101 Sqn in September 1917and remained with that unit until mid February, when it became parented by 102 Sqn. The SD Flight eventually was redesignated I Flight in July 1918

So I presume SD has something to do with planes and he was and engineer working at Bedford on those

regards

Robert

Thank for your post Robert

Done a bit of googling myself

I think below is the more likely answer.

First from Hansard 16th July 1919

Mr. LUNN asked the Secretary of State for War what are the circumstances attending the proposed dispatch of men of G Company, A Signal Depot, Royal Engineers, Bedford, to the East, in view of the fact that the men allege they have been recently informed that under an Army Council Instruction, dated 28th June, they were shortly to be demobilised; if he is aware that a large number of these men 386 are repatriated prisoners of war; and what steps, if any, it is intended to take to stop the dispatch of these men to the East?

second from an online roll-of-honour

Corporal John Henry Rodgers 9 November 1918 Died in the United Kingdom whilst on strength Bedford ‘A’ Signal Depot, Royal Engineers

regards

Andrew

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Andrew

The Royal Engineers' Signal Service Training Centre H.Q. was moved to Bedford in October 1917 with a number of Depots being established there.

Bedford 'A' was the Recruits Depot.

Bedford 'B' was for Signalmen and Field Linesmen.

Bedford 'C' was for Operators.

There were also further Depots established at Biggleswade, Haynes Park and Hitchin.

Regards

Steve

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Andrew

The Royal Engineers' Signal Service Training Centre H.Q. was moved to Bedford in October 1917 with a number of Depots being established there.

Bedford 'A' was the Recruits Depot.

Bedford 'B' was for Signalmen and Field Linesmen.

Bedford 'C' was for Operators.

There were also further Depots established at Biggleswade, Haynes Park and Hitchin.

Regards

Steve

Thanks for that steve - mystery solved - regards Andrew

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  • 9 years later...

3.jpeg.2b50abe456efb06b023f51487111dbd5.jpeg

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  • spof changed the title to Bedford Signal Depot Royal Engineers - SWB Card

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