The Barry Hobbs Collection of Great War Medals 84
Three: Private J. H. Chapman, 1st Battalion, Bedfordshire Regiment, who died of wounds during the Battle of La Bassée on 22 October 1914
1914 Star (9527 Pte. J. H. Chapman. 1/Bedf: R.); British War and Victory Medals (9527 Pte. J. H. Chapman. Bedf. R.); Memorial Plaque (John Henry Chapman) nearly extremely fine (4)
£240-£280
John Henry Chapman was born in 1890 at Ely, Cambridgeshire and attested there for the Bedfordshire Regiment in 1910. He served with the 1st Battalion during the Great War on the Western Front from 16 August 1914 as part of the 15th Brigade, 5th Division in Smith-Dorrien’s II Corps, his battalion coming under fire at Mons on 23 August and also three days later in a stand at Troisville during the Battle of Le Cateau in which the 5th Division won 3 Victoria Crosses. After services on the Marne and the Aisne they were rushed north by train and bus towards Flanders and the opening of the Battle of La Bassée.
Taking over trenches at Givenchy on 12 October, the 1st Bedfords suffered terribly, the War Diary for the 13 October stating: ‘13 October 1914. Heavy bombardment of trenches & village all day. About midday cannonade became terrific. Practically every house damaged & neighbourhood of church continually shelled. Our front trenches, in continuation of Dorsets, unable to hold on in afternoon after Dorsets were enfiladed & withdrew. Smoke of shells & dust of falling houses made it impossible to see clearly what was going on to flanks. Enemy attacked front & flanks & Battalion retired about 300 yards in rear of village & reformed on new line holding road to Pont Fixe in continuation of Dorsets. Norfolks on our left. Losses 7 officers & 140 other ranks.’
After a relative lull in the fighting, Chapman died of wounds on 22 October 1914 (1914 Star Medal Roll refers). The War Diary entry for 19 October provides the following insight into Private Chapman’s likely fate: ‘19 October 1914. Quiet. 'B' Company sent to join Cheshire Regiment on our left near Violaines. Subsequently at dawn on 22nd inst. were in support close to Cheshire front trenches when the latter were rushed by Germans, who came through on to 'B' Company. Lieutenants Coventry & Litchfield missing, believed to be killed. About 40 other ranks killed, wounded or missing.’
The War Diary entry for 22 October reports no further fatal casualties for the battalion that day and so it is likely that Chapman together with the Lieutenant Coventry, Second Lieutenant Litchfield and the 14 other men of the battalion whom the CWGC records as having died on 22 October were all killed or died of wounds received in B Company’s support of the 1st Cheshires at Violaines.
He was the son of William Chapman, of 5, Nutholt Lane, Ely, Cambridgeshire and is commemorated on Le Touret Memorial, France. 85
Three: Private W. Clayden, 1st Battalion, Bedfordshire Regiment, who was killed in action near Gheluvelt during the First Battle of Ypres on 7 November 1914
1914 Star (7682 Pte. W. Clayden. 1/Bedf: R.) in named card box of issue; British War and Victory Medals (7682 Pte. W. Clayden. Bedf. R.) in slightly damaged named card box of issue; Memorial Plaque (Walter Clayden) in card envelope, extremely fine (4)
£240-£280
Walter Clayden was born in 1882 at Lexden, Essex and enlisted in the Bedfordshire Regiment at Colchester in September 1903. He served with the 1st Battalion during the Great War on the Western Front from 16 August 1914 as part of the 15th Brigade, 5th Division in Smith-Dorrien’s II Corps, his battalion coming under fire at Mons on 23 August and also three days later in a stand at Troisville during the Battle of Le Cateau in which the 5th Division won 3 Victoria Crosses. After services on the Marne, the Aisne and at the Battle of La Bassée, the 1st Bedfords took over trenches in a wood south of the Ypres-Menin road at Gheluvelt on 6 November. The following day the enemy gained part of the line on their left which was reclaimed in a counter attack the same day, the fighting coming at a cost of the lives of 49 men of the battalion, including that of Private Clayden. Another source notes the loss of 7 officers and 140 other ranks killed, wounded or missing on 7 November 1914. Bob Pigg of the 1st Bedford’s later wrote of this day: ‘The fighting at Ypres was terrible. We had eighteen days in the trenches and I can tell it put years on me. The first day we got there we had to do a charge, a thing I shall never forget. We lost 332. I saw as many as 12 buried in one grave.’
He was the wife of Agnes Laura Clayden of 55 Maidenburgh Street, Colchester, Essex and is commemorated on Le Touret Memorial, France.
86
Three: Drummer B. E. Robertson, 1st Battalion, Bedfordshire Regiment, who was killed in action near Gheluvelt during the First Battle of Ypres on 16 November 1914
1914 Star (9234 Dmr: B. E. Robertson, 1/Bedf: R.); British War and Victory Medals (9234 Pte. B. E. Robertson. Bedf. R.) good very fine (3)
£140-£180
Bertram Ernest Robertson was born in 1892 at Slough, Berkshire and resided in Godalming, Surrey prior to attesting for the Bedfordshire Regiment in 1908. He served with the 1st Battalion during the Great War on the Western Front from 16 August 1914 as part of the 15th Brigade, 5th Division in Smith-Dorrien’s II Corps, his battalion coming under fire at Mons on 23 August and also three days later in a stand at Troisville during the Battle of Le Cateau in which the 5th Division won 3 Victoria Crosses.
After services on the Marne, the Aisne and at the Battle of La Bassée, the 1st Bedfords took over trenches in a wood south of the Ypres- Menin road at Gheluvelt on 6 November. A section of the line on the left was lost to the Prussian Guard on the 7th and reclaimed at considerable cost (150 officers and men killed or wounded) in a counter attack the same day.
Men continued to fall to the regular shelling and smaller German assaults over the following week with Drummer Robertson being one of five men of the battalion killed on 16 November 1914. He was the husband of Dorothy Rachel Robertson and, having no known grave, is commemorated on the Ypres (Menin Gate) Memorial, Belgium.
87
Three: Private T. Dennis, 2nd Battalion, Bedfordshire Regiment, who died as a result of a motor accident on 17 December 1914
1914 Star, with clasp (8547 Pte. T. Dennis, 2/Bedf: R.); British War and Victory Medals (8547 Pte. T. Dennis. Bedf. R.); Memorial Plaque (Thomas Dennis); Memorial Scroll ‘Pte. Thomas Dennis, Bedfordshire Regt.’; together with a photograph of the recipient in uniform, the whole contained in a contemporary glazed wooden frame, extremely fine (5)
£140-£180
Thomas Stanley Dennis was born in 1887 at Clerkenwell, Middlesex and attested for the Bedfordshire Regiment at Stratford in 1906. He served with the 2nd Battalion during the Great War on the Western Front from 6 October 1914 and died on 17 December 1914 at Home Hospital, Landguard, Suffolk, from injuries sustained in a motor accident. His sole legatee was his sister, Mrs. Florence Louisa Prince, and he is buried in Felixstowe (Walton) Cemetery, Suffolk.
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