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7th Battalion, Bedfordshire Regiment
The 7th Battalion, The Bedfordshire Regiment was raised at Bedford in September 1914 for the duration of the war as a part of Kitchener's Second New Army. They joined 15th (Scottish) Divisionas divisional troops. On the 25th of February 1915 they transferred to 54th Brigade, 18th (Eastern) Division. In 1916 they were in action on The Somme in The Battle of Albert capturing their objectives near Montauban, The Battle of Bazentin Ridge including the capture of Trones Wood, The Battle of Delville Wood, The Battle of Thiepval Ridge, The Battle of the Ancre Heights playing a part in the capture of the Schwaben Redoubt and Regina Trench and The Battle of the Ancre. In 1917 they took part in the Operations on the Ancre including Miraumont and the capture of Irles, the fought during The German retreat to the Hindenburg Line and in The Third Battle of the Scarpe before moving to Flanders. They were in action in The Battle of Pilkem Ridge, The Battle of Langemarck and The First and Second Battle of Passchendaele. The bulk of the battalion was transferred into the 2nd Battalion on the 25th of May 1918. A cadre of officers and NCO's were assigned to train American Units with 197th Brigade, 66th (2nd East Lancashire) Division, until the battalion was disbanded in July 1918, the remaining troops joining the 2nd Bedfords.
Jul 1915 Training Instruction
Jul 1915 Billets
2nd Aug 1915 Inspection 
10th of September 1915 Sore Feet
12th of September 1915 Church and Baths
13th of September 1915 Working and Learning
15th of September 1915 Accidents
16th Oct 1915 The Derby Scheme
1st Dec 1915 Derby Scheme Armlets
11th Sep 1915 Last day of Derby Scheme Recruitment
10th Jan 1916 Group System Reopens
11th Jan 1916 Knee Deep in Mud
9th February 1916 Call Ups
14th May 1916 Training Discussed
21st June 1916 Orders Issued
26th June 1916 Trench Raid
1st July 1916 Attack
12th Aug 1917 Difficult Relief
1st Mar 1918 Recce
1st Mar 1918 Zones
2nd Mar 1918 in Camp
3rd Mar 1918 Orders
4th Mar 1918 Working Parties
5th Mar 1918 Working Parties
6th Mar 1918 Working Parties
7th Mar 1918 Working Parties
8th Mar 1918 Working Parties
9th Mar 1918 Working Parties
10th Mar 1918 Sports
11th Mar 1918 Training
12th Mar 1918 Working Parties
13th Mar 1918 Training
18th Mar 1918 Reinforcements
19th Mar 1918 Information
20th Mar 1918 Orders
21st Mar 1918 In Defence
21st Mar 1918 Dispositions
21st Mar 1918 Attack Made
21st Mar 1918 Hard Fighting
21st Mar 1918 Critical Situation
21st Mar 1918 Counter Attack
21st Mar 1918 Withdrawal
21st Mar 1918 Gallant Actions
22nd Mar 1918 Bridge
22nd Mar 1918 Enemy Attacks
22nd Mar 1918 The Fight for The Crozat Canal
22nd Mar 1918 Orders Issued
22nd Mar 1918 Bridges not Blown
23rd Mar 1918 Fighting Withdrawal
23rd Mar 1918 Orders Received
23rd Mar 1918 Attack Made
23rd Mar 1918 Attack Made
23rd Mar 1918 Heavy Attacks
23rd Mar 1918 Heavy Attacks
23rd Mar 1918 Heavy Attacks
24th Mar 1918 Fighting Withdrawal
24th Mar 1918 New Line
25th Mar 1918 Counter Attack
26th Mar 1918 Withdrawal
27th Mar 1918 Praise
30th Mar 1918 Move
31st Mar 1918 In Support
1st Apr 1918 Reliefs Complete
2nd Apr 1918 Attack Made
3rd Apr 1918 In Billets
3rd Apr 1918 Praise
4th Apr 1918 Shelling
5th Apr 1918 Shelling
25th May 1918 On the March
27th May 1918 Merger
If you can provide any additional information, please add it here.
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| Want to know more about 7th Battalion, Bedfordshire Regiment? There are:5300 items tagged 7th Battalion, Bedfordshire Regiment available in our Library
These include information on officers, regimental histories, letters, diary entries, personal accounts and information about actions during the Great War.
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Those known to have served with7th Battalion, Bedfordshire Regiment during the Great War 1914-1918. - Ansell Walter T.. Pte. (d.1st July 1916)
- Aspley Henry. L/Cpl. (d.8th Jan 1916)
- Beedie Charles Peter. Pte. (d.15th August 1917)
- Boddy William Edward. Pte. (d.17th Aug 1917)
- Cooper . Sgt.
- Dawbon George William. Pte. (d.1st July 1916)
- Howard Cedric Stewart. 2nd.Lt. (d.28th September 1916)
- Ouldcarr . Sgt.
- Page William George. Pte.
- Willacy MM. Robert. Sgt. (d.13th March 1917)
- Williams John Henry. Pte. (d.27th September 1916)
- Worrall . Sgt.
All names on this list have been submitted by relatives, friends, neighbours and others who wish to remember them, if you have any names to add or any recollections or photos of those listed,
please Add a Name to this List
Records of 7th Battalion, Bedfordshire Regiment from other sources.
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2nd.Lt. Cedric Stewart Howard 7th Btn. F Coy. Bedfordshire Regiment (d.28th September 1916) Cedric Howard, born 4th March 1894 in Staffordshire, son of Albert and Helen Alice Howard of Bedford. The 1901 census shows the family living in Bedford and in 1911 he is an Auctioneers pupil. He attended Bedford Modern School.
He enlisted with the Bedfordshire Regiment and rose through the ranks to second Lieutenant with F Company, 7th Battalion. He was killed in action on 28 September 1916 aged 22 years during the attack on Thiepval and Schwaben Redoubt, he is buried in Mill Road Cemetery, Thiepval, Somme. He is remembered on the War Memorial All Saints Church, Bedford. A pupil of Bedford Modern School 1907-10, he is commemorated on the Schools War Memorial, which was unveiled in 1923 and in the Roll of Honour, published in The Eagle, December 1923.
Information courtesy of www.roll-of-honour.com
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Pte. John Henry Williams 7th Btn. Bedfordshire Regiment (d.27th September 1916) John Williams, son of Mrs. A C Gibbs, 19 Oliver Street, Ampthill, Bedfordshire was born and lived in Ampthill. He enlisted in Luton and served with 7th Battalion, Bedfordshire Regiment He was killed in action on 27th September 1916 in France aged 28 years. He has no known grave and is commemorated on Thiepval Memorial, Somme, France. He is remembered on both The War Memorial and The Alamada, St. Andrews Church, Ampthill. Information courtesy of www.roll-of-honour.com
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Pte. Walter T. Ansell 7th Btn Bedfordshire Regiment (d.1st July 1916) Walter Ansell, born and living in Ampthill, Bedfordshire, with the 7th Battalion Bedfordshire Regiment. He was killed in action on 1st July 1916 in France and Flanders and is commemorated on Thiepval Memorial, Somme, France. He is remembered on both The War Memorial and The Alamada, St. Andrews Church, Ampthill. Information courtesy of www.roll-of-honour.com
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Sgt. Robert Willacy MM. 7th Btn Bedfordshire Regiment (d.13th March 1917) One of three brothers to enlist, Robert Willacy was the middle brother and married with 2 young children. Robert enlisted in Clitheroe, Lancashire but wasn't allocated to a local regiment. He was idolised by his younger brother who ran away to join up aged 15. His mother got him back twice but gave up at his third attempt. Both his brothers served in local Lancashire regiments and survived the war. A hundred years on Robert is still remembered by his family.
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Pte. William Edward Boddy 7th Btn Bedfordshire Regiment (d.17th Aug 1917) I'm afraid my research into William Boddy's service hasn't brought me very much information. Apparently the WW2 bombs destroyed a lot of Military Service records and I suspect that my Great Grandfather's records were included.
I do have a postcard with the Bedfordshire Regiment coat of arms stitched into the front. My GGrandfather had sent it to my Nana when she was very little.
It's my understanding that if he was killed in August of 1917 it would likely have been the attack made by the 7th Bedfords at Ypres.
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L/Cpl. Henry Aspley 7th Bat. Bedfordshire Regiment (d.8th Jan 1916) Henry Aspley volunteered in September 1914, he was engaged on Coastal Defence duties for a time, and crossed to the Western Front in the following year. In this theatre of war he served as a bomb-thrower and fought in many fiercely contested battles including those at Ypres and Loos.
He gave his life for freedom of England whilst on night patrol in the Loos sector on January 8th 1916.
He was entitled to the 1914 -1915 Star, and the General Service and Victory Medals.
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Pte. William George Page 7th Btn. Bedfordshire Regiment My great uncle William Page survived the war, but was gassed. He belonged to the regiment known as 'The Shiny Seventh' along with most of the young men from the area. He was given compassionate leave in 1916 to attend the funeral of his five-year-old brother Hubert who had died of Diphtheria. There was an epidemic in Biggleswade, and almost every family in the town lost a child. I found William's name in an article from the Biggleswade Chronicle which reported the funeral. His father, also William Page, was a well-known local figure, a dairyman and milkman. He re-joined his regiment to find many had been killed during recent engagements.
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