Riflemen Walter Richard Bedingham 2nd Bn Kings Royal Rifle Corps

[MBrockway]

I haven't checked the exact movements/dates as I'm sure you'll have got those correct.

 

Some typos ...

"war dairy" - revise to "war diary"

"Mauberge" - revise to "Maubeuge"

"Viller-Sur-Nicole" - revise to "Villers-sire-Nicole"

[Gardenerbill]

Cheers Mark,

Typos corrected, the war diary has Villers-Sir-Nicole, I mistranscribed this as Viller-Sur-Nicole but as you say it should be Viller-Sire-Nicole.

[MBrockway]

1 hour ago, Gardenerbill said:

Cheers Mark,

Typos corrected, the war diary has Villers-Sir-Nicole, I mistranscribed this as Viller-Sur-Nicole but as you say it should be Viller-Sire-Nicole.

 

That's not what I said!  As per my post, the correct spelling is Villers-Sire-Nicole, NOT Viller-Sire-Nicole. 

[Gardenerbill]

Yes that's what I meant, Villers.

[Gardenerbill]

And the next part:

 

The Battle of Mons
The first engagements between the allies (Belgium, France and Britain) and the advancing Germans are referred to as the battle of the frontiers; the first well known battle involving the BEF took place at the Belgian town of Mons.

At dawn on Saturday 22 August 1914, a cavalry squadron of the 4th Royal Irish Dragoon Guards, pushed out two patrols north from Mons towards Soignies and engaged with the Germans for the first time; there is a memorial near the spot today.

During the day behind the cavalry, the British infantry took up a line of roughly entrenched positions along the Mons-Conde canal, following it round the north and east of the town. The Germans were apparently unaware of the presence of the BEF in this area until the skirmishes with the cavalry on the 22nd. Walter’s battalion were still at Villers-Sire-Nicole, 11 miles to the south of Mons and not in the path of the advancing Germans.

By 9am on the 23rd German artillery had been placed on high ground north of the canal and were shelling the British positions and the German infantry were engaged with the British at Obourg north east of Mons. By midday the German attack had spread westward along a 7 mile front.  Meanwhile Walter’s battalion had marched a couple of miles east to Rouveroy; the battalion diary records heavy fighting to the north.

After midday the Germans crossed the canal at Obourg putting the British battalions there in a precarious position and under heavy attack. To the west of Mons at Jemappes the British battalions withdraw under heavy pressure and the Gemans crossed the canal here as well. By mid afternoon the battalions at Obourg had been withdrawn and in early evening there were further withdrawals but the Germans did not push home their advantage and the British held on.

Back at Rouveroy about 5 o’clock in the afternoon a message came through from the Division headquarters asking for reinforcements to support 6th Brigade to the north, Walter’s battalion and the 1st Battalion Northamptonshire Regt were ordered to move at once to GIVRY just 7 miles from Mons.

At 8 o’clock in the evening another message arrived from a Battalion at HARMIGNIES that was under heavy attack, Walter’s Battalion was sent forward to reinforce it, but there was something not quite right as the battalion diary recorded:
‘We had heard no firing or noise in the direction of HARMIGNIES which was only about a mile away and when we arrived there we found everything quiet, so the message was perhaps a bogus one.  We were not so suspicious of spies at this time as we became later on. However, we spent the night there, at the Eastern end of the village with A and B Coys entrenched in front and C and D Coys in reserve.’

Late in the evening of the 23rd news came through that the French Fifth Army was going to begin a general withdrawal; to the north Tournai had fallen, a gap had opened up between the British and French and the enemy had broken throug. Sir John French, commander of the BEF, had little option but to order a general withdrawal in the direction of Cambrai, and to try to re-establish contact with his allies.

 

[Gardenerbill]

Retreat from Mons

Walter’s Battalion had come tantalizingly close to their first battle being able to see and hear the action at Mons. The next day they were on the move marching back to Givry and then to billets at Fegnies. Over the next 12 days they covered 180 miles in a south westerly direction in what has come to be known as the retreat from Mons. They finally stopped retreating on the 4th September when they reached the town of Bernay approximately 31 miles south east of Paris. During the retreat Walter’s Battalion regularly had to take its turn as rear guard for the Brigade, but without incident.

 

On the 5th September Walter’s Battalion began to move north east back towards the enemy. Over the next 5 days they marched steadily North East until on the 10th September they reached the village of Courchamps near the River Aisne. Enemy Convoys were seen here a couple of miles in front and at 9:30 a.m. the brigade artillery opened fire. The German artillery returned fire, causing casualties in the Battalion; 2nd Lieutenant Tindall and 4 men of D company were wounded. 2nd Lieutenant Tindall later died of his wounds. These were the first losses sustained under enemy fire by Walter’s Battalion. In the Evening they bivouacked near a small village called Rassy.

[Gardenerbill]

And finally:

 

Battle of the Aisne
Over the next three days, with the Germans now in retreat, Walter’s Battalion the 2nd K.R.R.C. continued to march north east reaching the village of Bourg on the river Aisne 13th September. The Germans set up defensive lines on the high ground to the north of the river. After some opposition the Brigade Cavalry crossed the river, followed by the Infantry including the 2nd K.R.R.C. Artillery on both sides opened up causing some casualties among the Cavalry. C and D companies of the 2nd K.R.R.C. moved to high ground North of Bourg with A and B Companies in support, at 5.30 orders were received to move into billets in Moulins with C Company in the out-post line roughly between the villages of Vendresse and Paissy. Late in the evening, before they moved into their billets, the battalion received the order to advance to the plateau above Troyon and dig in. At midnight a patrol was sent out to get in touch with the enemy on the road running along the plateau. The patrol moved up the road on to the high ground north of Troyon and located a German picquet (out post) before returning at 2 a.m.

At 3 a.m. the Battalion moved up to Troyon, D company were sent forward to deal with the German Picquet, on the road out of the village they came across a cavalry patrol, they warned the patrol about the picquet but  the patrol went the up road ahead of them anyway before retreating under fire coming down the road.
D company then advanced about 100 yards and came under heavy fire from 3 sides but hung on, the Germans realising the danger of attack had brought up more men and machine guns. When A company was brought up in support, the Battalion now occupied a line either side of the sunken road. The positions were very exposed to artillery fire from 12 German field guns 600 yards away on the plateau.  A company of 2nd Battalion Sussex Regiment reinforced A and D companies. B company moved up on the left of D out flanking the enemy positions in front of D company. The battalion advanced on the enemy trenches taking the Germans by surprise who promptly surrendered.

A Company of the Cold stream guards then got into the village of Cerny at the top of the road and the 1st LNL pass through the line held by Walter’s battalion and pushed on to the Sugar factory. The advanced firing line of Walter’s battalion pushed past 2 German batteries near the sugar factory but had to drop back under heavy fire.
The Battalion consolidated its position on the slope below Cerny and repulsed several German counter attacks with help from the brigade artillery. The fighting went on all day with the battalion finally being relieved at 9 p.m.

During the fighting 15 officers and 308 other ranks of the 2nd Battalion King’s Royal Rifle Corps were killed wounded or missing, one of these was Riflemen Walter Richard Bedingham. The estimated casualties for the whole battle was 13,000, the battle ended in stalemate both sides dug in and neither side was able to dislodge the other, this marked the beginning of trench warfare on the western front.

Walter is remembered with Honour on La Ferte-Sous-Jouarre Memorial, his remains may still lie under the fields on the slopes below the village of Cerny where he fell, most likely though is he is one of several hundred unknown soldiers buried in the British cemetery at Vendresse.

 

[TRICKY DICKY RGJ]

Im trying to find out information  regarding  my great grandfather Walter Richard Bedingham. I have his war medals and some from the rest of our family .

 

On 09/10/2017 at 09:23, Gardenerbill said:

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

 

 

[Gardenerbill]

Hi Tricky Dicky, I will respond via PM shortly.

[MBrockway]

Thanks for the PM off the board Tricky Dicky RGJ.

Welcome to the Forum and to the Rifles family here.  Are you yourself former RGJ?

I'm happy to help, but looking through the thread above, we have already worked up a history for Walter that is way more detailed than we typically manage!  I'm not sure I can add much more.

Is there something specific you'd like us to investigate?

I have now acquired the 1903 KRRC Chronicle, so I'll take a look for anything relevant.

All the best!

Mark

Edited 21 November , 2023 by MBrockway
1903, NOT 1904!

[TRICKY DICKY RGJ]

On 09/10/2017 at 11:33, johnboy said:

Service papers on FMP  some dates not entered and faint.

Born1883

enlisted 1902

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

Hi I am ex rgj and walter Richard Bedingham  was my great grandfather 

[MBrockway]

On 28/10/2017 at 16:31, MBrockway said:

   <snip> ... since posting, I have found that same table as Appendix A on p.216 of Wallace's 2005 Brief History of the KRRC. <stating 1/KRRC were in Egypt>

It is definitely incorrect: the 1904 and 1905 KRRC Chronicles give great detail of 1/KRRC's time in Malta and their relocation to Egypt (and Cyprus/Crete etc.) in Feb 1905.

Unfortunately I do not have the 1902 or 1903 KRRC Chronicles yet, so I cannot give you an exact date when the battalion got to Malta from South Africa.

The 1903 Hart's Annual Army List has 1st/60th stationed in Malta and states they embarked for there in 1902.

The 1902 volume has the battalion in South Africa.

Cheers,

Mark

Having acquired the 1903 volume since writing the above, I can now add the 1903 KRRC Chronicle has 1/KRRC already stationed at Floriana Barracks, Malta by December 1902.  There's no mention of Walter by name in the 1/KRRC Battalion Record.  I'm still looking through the Rifle Depot sections as well as the rest of the volume.

I still do not have a copy of the 1902 volume.

Mark

[TRICKY DICKY RGJ]

Hi I  am ex rgj and Walter Richard Bedingham  was my grandfather 

[TRICKY DICKY RGJ]

I have my grandfathers  medals as well as other family members  also I have 2 death pennies for him could  you  tell me why ? 

Regards Richard 

[TRICKY DICKY RGJ]

Hi I'm looking for information regarding my great grandfather Walter Richard bedingham.

 

[Matlock1418]

14 minutes ago, TRICKY DICKY RGJ said:

I have 2 death pennies for him could  you  tell me why ? 

Welcome to GWF. 

What name(s) on those Memorial Plaques - It was not totally unknown for mistakes to have been made or for casulties to have be mistakenly conflated - there were two W. BEDINGHAM casualties according to CWGC.

Moving on to who probably recieved at least one plaque - his widow, Maria Clara BEDINGHAM

At WFA/Fold3 there are several dependant's pension records for Walter Richard BEDINGHAM, 4925, KRRC

Here's probably the most interesting/informative, a pension index card:

Image thanks to WFA/Fold3

M

Edited 21 November , 2023 by Matlock1418
Edit: posted too soon in error - add PIC image

[TRICKY DICKY RGJ]

1 minute ago, Matlock1418 said:

Welcome to GWF. 

What name(s) on those Memorial Plaques - It was not totally unknown for mistakes to have been made or for casulties to have be mistakenly conflated - there were two W. BEDINGHAM casualties according to CWGC.

Moving on to who probably recieved at least one plaque - his widow, Maria Clara BEDINGHAM

At WFA/Fold3 there are several dependant's pension records for Walter Richard BEDINGHAM, 4925, KRRC

Here's probably the most interesting, a pension index card:

 

Image thanks to WFA/Fold3

M

Both plaques have the same name 1 is  copper coloured and the other 1 is a dull silver colour . Have you a copy of the pension index card? I have other family medals which I would like to find out about. also I'm in touch with Mark Sheppard / gardenerbill a member on here whose father in law knows the relative that was asking after my great grandfather and  I am interested to see who it is . 

Many thanks for your help Richard

[MBrockway]

12 minutes ago, TRICKY DICKY RGJ said:

I have my grandfathers  medals as well as other family members  also I have 2 death pennies for him could  you  tell me why ? 

Regards Richard 

His medals were all sent to his wife, Mrs Maria Clara Bedingham (your Great Grandmother), as follows:

1914 Star (aka The Mons Star) ...

 

His Victory Medal ...

 

His British War Medal ...

 

The family received the 'Death Penny' because he was killed in September 1914 with 2/KRRC in front of TROYON on the CHEMIN DES DAMES.  He was reported Missing for the period 14-17 Sep 1914 and the War Office accepted him as dead on 16 Dec 1915, giving 14 Sep as his date of death.

I am not sure why you have two 'Death Pennies' - a possible explanation is a re-issue of a duplicate after the original failed to arrive, but the original was eventually delivered late, or to an out-of-date address.

 

 

[TRICKY DICKY RGJ]

Ok thanks 

I thought he fell at cerny ? I saw this written on here somewhere also this may help?  We sometimes  have our surname spelt with 2 dds instead of 1 d also I have medals with it spelt right and  wrong but with the correct number ???

[MBrockway]

13 minutes ago, Matlock1418 said:

Welcome to GWF. 

What name(s) on those Memorial Plaques - It was not totally unknown for mistakes to have been made or for casulties to have be mistakenly conflated - there were two W. BEDINGHAM casualties according to CWGC.

Moving on to who probably recieved at least one plaque - his widow, Maria Clara BEDINGHAM

At WFA/Fold3 there are several dependant's pension records for Walter Richard BEDINGHAM, 4925, KRRC

Here's probably the most interesting/informative, a pension index card:

Image thanks to WFA/Fold3

M

As above, Maria Clara BEDINGHAM was Walter's wife.

Maria Louisa BEDINGHAM and George Henry Walter BEDINGHAM were their two children.  I found no other children when I researched this in 2017 nor did I find his parents (though I was principally focussed on Walter's military career).  I had the same birthdates for Walter's children as on this Pension Index Card.   You are presumably descending from one of these two.

Walter had a brother George Henry BEDINGHAM, born c. 1889, who was a Regular in the Royal Marines in 1911, and a sister, Mrs May LOW, born c.1893.  These would be your Great Great Uncle and Aunt.

Mark

 

[Michelle Young]

9 minutes ago, TRICKY DICKY RGJ said:

Ok thanks 

I thought he fell at cerny ? I saw this written on here somewhere also this may help?  We sometimes  have our surname spelt with 2 dds instead of 1 d also I have medals with it spelt right and  wrong but with the correct number ???

Cerny is geographically close to Troyon, just up the hill. 

[Matlock1418]

21 minutes ago, TRICKY DICKY RGJ said:

Have you a copy of the pension index card?

Apologies, I posted too soon - we must have crossed as I was editing/posting the image above

30 minutes ago, Matlock1418 said:

Here's probably the most interesting/informative, a pension index card:

Image thanks to WFA/Fold3

I'm afraid the image isn't exactly the clearest I've seen/produced [I've tried to get better but no significance difference???]

Much is probably self-explanatory but here are a few interpretations that may assist/interest you:

Of course, there was a sad aftermath - his widow made an initial claim for a war pension for herself and for a pension allowance(s) for her children under the prevailing Royal Warrant [which in this case would initially have been the 1915 RW] - Article 11 [widow] and Article 12 [child(ren)]. 

This pension index card was in the soldier’s name and there was another briefer card in the widow’s name so they could be cross-referenced/accessed.  These came from/lead to a ledger page(s) via the claim case references [also at WFA/Fold3] and then to an awards file the awards file probably deliberately destroyed once its use was passed [as was the common case]

The original Case No. 253 claim reference was largely replaced by a later Ministry of Pensions one of 11/W/62221 - the 11 representing pension region 11 [SE England Region] and 11/APW/21137 an Alternative Pension Widow's claim under Article 13 [his widow would have had to produce some sort of evidence that her husband’s proven earnings from employment and/or business before his service were sufficiently high to entitle her to a higher pension - providing that that calculation came out higher than the minimum/standard one].  APW details typically recorded in more detail on a separate pension ledger page [which I have not found] and we can see this APW claim was sent to the AP {Alternative Pensions] branch and from the card that she was unsuccessful.

Form 104-88 = Death notification of a married man sent from the man’s Record Office to the War Office.

Form 104-76 = Declaration made by the Widow of a Soldier in support of claim to pension for herself and children

Date of birth: 4.12.82 = his widow’s - required because her pension could be age-related/supplemented if she was >35 [which she obviously was not]. Such an age banding of pension is believed to address the less likely possibility of re-marriage with increasing age.

The standard pension initially paid to his widow was 18/6 per week from 25.5.15 [there usually was an approx. 6 month gap between death and paying of a pension - in the meantime standard Separation Allowances continued to be paid – so, unlike what many observers think when they first see such a card, there was not a complete absence of monies in the intervening period]. And we can see he must have initially been missing and was later Presumed Dead

That was 10/- pw for a widow <35 plus increments of 5/0 and 3/6 pw respectively for the children. 

The child(ren)'s allowance(s) were paid to their mother, typically until they reached 16 when such payments ceased [occasionally up to 21 if they were in some form of further vocational training or sometimes if they had impairment/disability] - then the child(ren) would certainly be expected to go out to work to earn their keep. Or paid until the earlier death of a child. Hence their recorded dates.

She could have potentially received a grant to cover urgent expenses arising from her husband's death - often for mourning dress, sometimes for moving home [typically downsizing as she would no longer be expected to keep a home in the same level of comfort as her husband might have expected had he returned!] - commonly used for local newspaper death notice inserts [these quite often had a photo = so a good place to search, e.g at British Newspaper Archive or through Find my Past] but I don't know why she was ineligible

Noted for Novel is thought to mean i.e. special treatment/calculation.

S.A. means Separation Allowance - A portion of a soldier's pay which was matched by the government and sent to his dependants to make sure they were not left destitute while he was on active service.  SA were often more generous than pensions and children’s allowances because a wife had to maintain a home in the same level of comfort as before ready for her husband’s return whilst a widow did not have such a need and costs – after all, apparently, she could then cut back and down-size her home!  Typically, the No. for whom SA is paid on the card reflected the number of children – as we can see here

I think the WWG.98 was possibly a certificate identity number to allow for the collection of the pension and allowances from a Post Office - but I am a bit more cautious about that.

Images of other PIC and PL available by subscription at the Western Front Association https://www.westernfrontassociation.com [highly recommended!] and/or Fold3

I hope of interest

M

 

Edited 21 November , 2023 by Matlock1418
remove duplication of image and typos

[TRICKY DICKY RGJ]

My name is Richard Walter Bedingham i was in the royal green jackets 1982-1990 my late mother searched our ancestry extensively and I have access to our family history from the present day back to the doomsday book.

Many thanks for this information I'm intrigued to find out more now as I didn't know I was in the same regiment as my great grandfather until after I left the army and my father Walter Richard Edward Bedingham showed me his medals ,also how much alike we were when we were serving in our actions and ways 

[TRICKY DICKY RGJ]

2 minutes ago, Matlock1418 said:

Apologies, I posted too soon - we must have crossed as I was editing/posting the image above

I'm afraid the image isn't exactly the clearest I've seen/produced [I've tried to get better but no significance difference???]

Much is probably self-explanatory but here are a few interpretations that may assist/interest you:

Of course, there was a sad aftermath - his widow made an initial claim for a war pension for herself and for a pension allowance(s) for her children under the prevailing Royal Warrant [which in this case would initially have been the 1915 RW] - Article 11 [widow] and Article 12 [child(ren)]. 

This pension index card was in the soldier’s name and there was another briefer card in the widow’s name so they could be cross-referenced/accessed.  These came from/lead to a ledger page(s) via the claim case references [also at WFA/Fold3] and then to an awards file the awards file probably deliberately destroyed once its use was passed [as was the common case]

The original Case No. 253 claim reference was largely replaced by a later Ministry of Pensions one of 11/W/62221 - the 11 representing pension region 11 [SE England Region] and 11/APW/21137 an Alternative Pension Widow's claim under Article 13 [his widow would have had to produce some sort of evidence that her husband’s proven earnings from employment and/or business before his service were sufficiently high to entitle her to a higher pension - providing that that calculation came out higher than the minimum/standard one].  APW details typically recorded in more detail on a separate pension ledger page [which I have not found] and we can see this APW calim was sent to teh Ap {Alternative Pensions] branch and from the card that she was unsuccessful.

Form 104-88 = Death notification of a married man sent from the man’s Record Office to the War Office.

Form 104-76 = Declaration made by the Widow of a Soldier in support of claim to pension for herself and children

Date of birth: 4.12.82 = his widow’s - required because her pension could be age-related/supplemented if she was >35 [which she obviously was not]. Such an age banding of pension is believed to address the less likely possibility of re-marriage with increasing age.

The standard pension initially paid to his widow was 18/6 per week from 25.5.15 [there usually was an approx. 6 month gap between death and paying of a pension - in the meantime standard Separation Allowances continued to be paid – so, unlike what many observers think when they first see such a card, there was not a complete absence of monies in the intervening period]. And we can see he must have initially been missing and was later Presumed Dead

That was 10/- pw for a widow <35 plus increments of 5/0 and 3/6 pw respectively for the children. 

The child(ren)'s allowance(s) were paid to their mother, typically until they reached 16 when such payments ceased [occasionally up to 21 if they were in some form of further vocational training or sometimes if they had impairment/disability] - then the child(ren) would certainly be expected to go out to work to earn their keep. Or paid until the earlier death of a child. Hence their recorded dates.

She could have potentially received a grant to cover urgent expenses arising from her husband's death - often for mourning dress, sometimes for moving home [typically downsizing as she would no longer be expected to keep a home in the same level of comfort as her husband might have expected had he returned!] - commonly used for local newspaper death notice inserts [these quite often had a photo = so a good place to search, e.g at British Newspaper Archive or through Find my Past] but I don't know why she was ineligible

Noted for Novel is thought to mean i.e. special treatment/calculation.

S.A. means Separation Allowance - A portion of a soldier's pay which was matched by the government and sent to his dependants to make sure they were not left destitute while he was on active service.  SA were often more generous than pensions and children’s allowances because a wife had to maintain a home in the same level of comfort as before ready for her husband’s return whilst a widow did not have such a need and costs – after all, apparently, she could then cut back and down-size her home!  Typically, the No. for whom SA is paid on the card reflected the number of children – as we can see here

I think the WWG.98 was possibly a certificate identity number to allow for the collection of the pension and allowances from a Post Office - but I am a bit more cautious about that.

Images of other PIC and PL available by subscription at the Western Front Association https://www.westernfrontassociation.com [highly recommended!] and/or Fold3

I hope of interest

M

Thanks anything and everything will be of interest to me many thanks again 

[MBrockway]

13 minutes ago, TRICKY DICKY RGJ said:

Ok thanks 

I thought he fell at cerny ? I saw this written on here somewhere also this may help?  We sometimes  have our surname spelt with 2 dds instead of 1 d also I have medals with it spelt right and  wrong but with the correct number ???

Here's the map of the action showing 2/KRRC's dispositions by company - all the coys without regiments named are 2/KRRC:

[KRRC Chronicle 1915, facing p.68]