'Bethell's Force' or 'Bethell's Flying Column'

[KOBE]

Hi everyone, I wonder if you could help me? I'm looking for information about 'Bethell's Force' from around the time of the Armistice. 

 

Commanded by Hugh Keppel Bethell, it was a mix of units drawn from 66th Division (South African Brigade, 199th Brigade) plus a cavalry brigade and two RAF squadrons and was the farthest eastern British unit at the time of the Armistice (It's right flank was in contact with the French Army just outside Monbliart in Belgium). There don't seem to be many online sources that cover it in much detail and the two books I have on the South African Brigade only cover it superficially. If anyone has any info or can point me in the right direction it would be much appreciated!

 

KOBE

[Ron Clifton]

There may be information about its activities in one of these files, probably the first:

66 DIVISION 
WO 95/3122 Headquarters Branches and Services: General Staff 1918 Sept. - 1919 Mar.  
WO 95/3123 Adjutant and Quarter-Master General 1917 Mar. - 1919 May  
 

They can both be downloaded from TNA's website for £3.50 each, or free if you have a subscription to Ancestry. In the case of the A&Q diary, you will need to add a suffix, probably /1 as there are other diaries in the same file, and for Ancestry, leave out the WO.

 

Good hunting!

 

Ron

[KOBE]

Cheers, Ron! 

 

I've downloaded the first one, now just got to trawl through it...