Riflemen Walter Richard Bedingham 2nd Bn Kings Royal Rifle Corps

[Gardenerbill]

My father in law has asked me to help find out about this man for a friend of his who is a relative, I currently don't have an active Ancestry or FMP subscription, so can't do much myself, the information I have is from the CWGC website, I don't know much about the early months of the war so any information would be greatly appreciated:  

Riflemen Walter Richard Bedingham 2^nd Bn Kings Royal Rifle Corps Service No. 4925

Died Age 30 14/09/1914 Burial 2a Ferte-Sous-Jouarre Memorial Department-de-Seine-et-Marne

 

Edited 9 October , 2017 by Gardenerbill

[Gardenerbill]

Ok done a bit myself, from the Long Long Trail:

 

2nd Battalion Kings Royal Rifle Corps
August 1914 : at Blackdown. Under command of 2nd Brigade in 1st Division.
13 August 1914 : landed at Le Havre.

 

1st Division
The history of 1st Division

One of the first British formations to move to France, the 1st Division remained on the Western Front throughout the war. It took part in most of the major actions, including:
1914

    The Battle of Mons and the subsequent retreat, including the Rearguard Affair of Etreux (August)
    The Battle of the Marne (September)
    The Battle of the Aisne including participation in the Actions on the Aisne heights and the Action of Chivy (September)

 

[Gardenerbill]

So could have been wounded at Marne (7tth to 10th September) died later or Aisne (12th to 15th September).

[johnboy]

Service papers on FMP  some dates not entered and faint.

Born1883

enlisted 1902

only readable address [poss wife] 115 kingslake street walworth.

[Gardenerbill]

Thanks Johnboy,

That fits with the CWGC entry:

 

Husband of Maria Clara Bedingham, of 115, Kinglake St., Bagshot St., Walworth, London.

[Gardenerbill]

Kinglake Street runs between the Old Kent Road and Thurlow Street, looking on Google street view most of the buildings are relatively modern the exception being Amery House flats which have been converted from large Victorian or late Georgian terraces.

Edited 9 October , 2017 by Gardenerbill

[Gardenerbill]

Here's a curious thing, there is a Medal Index Card for Walter Bedingham but it has no theatre enterred date and only has BWM and VM, no Star?

[johnboy]

spose you would need to check the star roll.

[johnboy]

a receipt for 1914 star is in record.

[Gardenerbill]

1 minute ago, johnboy said:

a receipt for 1914 star is in record.

 

Thanks Johnboy.

Edited 9 October , 2017 by Gardenerbill

[clk]

Hi Mark,

 

His 14 Star roll record shows him as having disembarked on 13th August 1914, and as "accepted as died 14-9-14". Under the "Date and Place of Death" column in his Soldiers' Effects record, it reads "On or since 14/17-9-14    Not known".

 

Regards

Chris

[Gardenerbill]

Thanks Chris,

Again that ties in with the CWGC i.e. on the memorial at Ferte-Sous-Jouarre.

[Gardenerbill]

I am researching a soldier (4925 Pte Walter Bedingham) who was KIA with the 2nd Battalion KRRC in September 1914. He had been called up from reserve and was originally in the 1st Battalion KRRC. According to his service papers, he attested in London 7th October 1902 at the age of 18 joining the KRRC. The 1st KRRC were in South Africa from 1899 to 1902 and then in Egypt from 1902 to 1906.

 

There is a defaulter book page in his papers that shows the following:
Joined Gosport 9.10.02
Joined 1st KRRC 2.3.03
Joined Refle Depot 3.5.04

 

Gosport        31/10/02 Rfm Creating a disturbance in the Bk Room

Malta            9.07.03     Rfm Drunk on the ???? Marina

Winchester 18.7.04      Rfm Absent off furlough ????

 

He was discharged 6th October 1905 and put on the army reserve list.

 

So what was he doing at Gosport when the KRRC depot is at Winchester?

What was he doing in Malta when the battalion were in Egypt?

What were the battalion doing in Egypt?

 
 

 

[stiletto_33853]

31 minutes ago, Gardenerbill said:

I am researching a soldier (4925 Pte Walter Bedingham) who was KIA with the 2nd Battalion KRRC in September 1914. He had been called up from reserve and was originally in the 1st Battalion KRRC. According to his service papers, he attested in London 7th October 1902 at the age of 18 joining the KRRC. The 1st KRRC were in South Africa from 1899 to 1902 and then in Egypt from 1902 to 1906.

 

There is a defaulter book page in his papers that shows the following:
Joined Gosport 9.10.02
Joined 1st KRRC 2.3.03
Joined Refle Depot 3.5.04

 

Gosport        31/10/02 Rfm Creating a disturbance in the Bk Room

Malta            9.07.03     Rfm Drunk on the ???? Marina

Winchester 18.7.04      Rfm Absent off furlough ????

 

He was discharged 6th October 1905 and put on the army reserve list.

 

So what was he doing at Gosport when the KRRC depot is at Winchester?

What was he doing in Malta when the battalion were in Egypt?

What were the battalion doing in Egypt?

 
 

 

On 18/12/1894 the barracks at Winchester were destroyed by fire, in the meantime the KRRC & RB were stationed in Gosport Barracks. 29/8/04 Winchester Barracks was re-opened.

 

Andy

[Gardenerbill]

Thanks Andy

[Gardenerbill]

These entries are from a service record defaulter book page:

 

 

The first entry is:

Malta 9.7.03 Rfm I Drunk on the ___ _____ about 11.25 p.m.

The second word looks like marina any ideas?

 

The second entry is:
Winchester 18.7.04 Rfm Absent off furlough ______ 18th till 11.45 p.m. 19th

The word looks like tattoo

 

Also 5 days CB what is CB?

[Terry_Reeves]

Drunk on the mole....

 

Absent off furlough tattoo

 

CB - confined to barracks

 

TR

[Gardenerbill]

Thanks Terry,

Mole as in breakwater makes sense so Mole Marina, CB obvious when you know, and Tattooo is waht I thought.

[Dai Bach y Sowldiwr]

Is it a Maltese word -'Marino'  presumably meaning marine or marina, or a place name?

[Gardenerbill]

Yes Dai I agree it does look like Marino.

[Gardenerbill]

I thought I would give this a nudge. I still don't know why Pte Bedingham was given 5 days CB when found drunk in Malta when the battalion were in Egypt. Was he on leave or was the Malta garrison occupied by the regiment that was doing a tour of duty in Egypt?

[Ron Clifton]

In 1914 the garrison of Malta was five infantry battalions. I think that the garrison of Egypt was the same, including a battalion in the Sudan and a detached company in Cyprus.

 

The most likely reasons for his presence on Malta are:

1. Stopping off in transit for Egypt (Alexandria)

2. Temporary leave from Egypt

3. Hospitalisation away from Egypt.

 

Ron

[Gardenerbill]

Thanks Ron.

I thought of stopping in transit but wasn't sure, the dates are:

 

Attested 7th October 1902

Gosport 9th October 1902

Joined 1st Bn 2nd March 1903

5 days CB for drunkenness Malta 9th July 1903 Date of award 13th July 1903

 

There is a 4 month gap between joining the battalion and the offense, this seems to rule out in transit.

[MBrockway]

Apologies - technical issue with my IP address has kept me off the Forum!  Thanks Andy for flagging this one up to me.

 

1/KRRC were in Malta 1903 to Feb 1905 when they left for Egypt, with several companies also sent to Crete and to Cyprus.  A few men remained behind in Malta - a mixture of sick and time-expired, and a small number for whom there'd not been room on the transport.

 

The KRRC also had a mounted infantry detachment in Somaliland during this period, which included some 1/KRRC men.

 

What's your source for 1/KRRC being in Egypt 1902-1906?  I ought to get that corrected.

 

Andy's already explained the Depot was at Gosport.

 

HTH.

Mark

 

 

 

 

[Steven Broomfield]

On 10/26/2017 at 21:17, stiletto_33853 said:

. 29/8/04 Winchester Barracks was re-opened.

 

Andy

 

And on this lovely sunny Autumn afternoon, very lovely they look too!