steve fuller Posted 26 January , 2006 Share Posted 26 January , 2006 Hi ya Pals One of my guys in the 2nd Bedfords earned a medal during some pretty stiff fighting on 8th May 1918 & I cant see that any major engagement was happening in the Ypres area at that time. Georgette had finished by then & the only other one I can see around then was a way to the south at Chemin de Dames. Yet the English were attacked with flamethrowers & all sorts ... Been staring at this on & off for days, so have I missed something obvious or were the germans just narked & decided to have another pop at the composite battalions in the area (localised engagement if you like) do you think? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Max Posted 26 January , 2006 Share Posted 26 January , 2006 Hello Steve Are you sure that it is 8th May 1918 and not 1915? Having said that I think that the 2nd Beds were involved at Aubers Ridge on this day. Andy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
steve fuller Posted 27 January , 2006 Author Share Posted 27 January , 2006 Hi Max Yep, definitely 1918 mate. The GOC congrat card & diary are clear, so definitely the right dates ... so there was something going on there then that invovled more than just their little composite battalion then? If it helps to confirm, the 2 Wilts & 2 Beds were thrown together after Michael when they were both hammered into less than 200 men each. Cheers Steve Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Owen D Posted 27 January , 2006 Share Posted 27 January , 2006 Here's a extract to 2nd Wilts war diary. Looks qiuet to me. 2nd Wiltshire Wednesday 8th May 1918 France, Le Paradis Working party under Lieut S COLLIER rejoined from WATOU from The Wardrobe website. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Owen D Posted 27 January , 2006 Share Posted 27 January , 2006 Aha sorted ! I didn't read the entry for the next day. Here is a link 2nd Wilts War Diary 9/5/18 They did take casualties. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
steve fuller Posted 27 January , 2006 Author Share Posted 27 January , 2006 A public thanks to you Owen - just what i needed I think! Nice one. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Owen D Posted 27 January , 2006 Share Posted 27 January , 2006 From Kendrick, The Wiltshire Regiment. page137. Arriving near Ypres, Major Rapson had to send what fighting men he had, about two companies, to form a composite Battalion with the 2nd Bedfordshires,to hold the front line at Gheluvelt.He and his Headquarters were sent back to St.Omer. Once again the Germans were trying to break through in front of Ypres and drive for the Channel ports. Once again the 2nd Wiltshires helped to stop them.After very severe fighting, only two officers and seventy-one other ranks rejoined their Battallion's Headquarters near St Omer on 9th May. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
steve fuller Posted 28 January , 2006 Author Share Posted 28 January , 2006 The Bedfords had 114 casualties too, so they had a heavy day. Was the day they were to be relieved too, so they must have been extremely frayed around the edges by the time their releif could reach them, bless em. Cheers Owen. Steve Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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