The Charles Laughton pages   ...   A draft of 2/1st Huntingdonshire Cyclists to France.

2/1st Hunts Cyclists to France.	Leslie Henson	Dermot MacSherry	Gas	C. L. Letters
7th Service Bat. Northamptonshire Regt.	4th (Reserve) Battalion Beds Regiment		H C B Home Page

A draft of 2/1st Huntingdonshire Cyclists to France.

August 9th 1918

The following information is contained in the Battalion Orders of the 2/1st Battalion, Huntingdonshire Cyclist Regiment going from June 30th to September 28th 1918.

Listed below is a list of men who proceeded to France in August 9th 1919. In these Battalion Orders there are two different groups of men, whose orders are listed either under "Territorials" or "Regulars", which might be indicative that by this time the battalion had a mixed establishment.

The men in this list are listed as "regulars" and are separated into two groups, one of them under the note "rationed up to and for 10-8-18" (marked with a blue asterisk), which might indicate that once in France they were meant to be posted to a different unit from the rest of the draft. This list appears in sheets 997 and 998.

Sheet 1002 of the battalion Orders mentions a "group of men" proceeding to France led by 2/Lieuts Cosgrave and Cassidy on August 9th 1918...  (or maybe two groups, since two officers are involved?). What is certain is that these officers to Skegness return on different dates: 2/Lieut Cassidy on August 12th 1918 (sheet 1006), and 2/Lieut Cosgrave on August 14th 1918 (sheet 1010).

By researching men with corresponding names and regimental numbers in the Medal Rolls, it seems evident that the men rationed up to 10-8-18 and the rest proceeded towards different directions in France: in those without the asterisk, a draft proceeding to the (2nd Battalion) Bedfordshire Regiment, and then the (34th Battalion) London Regiment, seems dominant. In those marked with asterisk ("rationed up to 10-8-18"), the main pattern is (4th Battalion) Bedfordshire Regiment, and then (7th Battalion) Northamptonshire Regiment. Those men listed in the Northamptonshire Regiment, with no battalion specified, who are also mentioned as being in the Suffolk Regiment, are quite probably men from the 7th Battalion Northamptonshire Regiment, as many men from this battalion were posted to the 4th Battalion Suffolk Regiment after the armistice to serve in Germany in the army of occupation.

Three of the men in the group "rationed up to 10-8-18" have been spotted so far in the Weekly Casualty Lists, the earlier entry being that of Lionel B Thornicroft, among the wounded men entries for October 12th. From this we deduce that this group of men was already in the 7th Northamptonshires by those dates.

It is known that, after 1916, the Huntingdonshire Cyclists were given five-figure regimental numbers from the Bedfordshire Regiment , hence we are not sure if those men actually served with the Bedfordshire Regiment in France as, due to their numbers, they might have been listed as men from this regiment in Medal Rolls, even if they actually belonged to the Huntingdonshire Regiment.

The text in bigger, bold type corresponds to the list as it appears in the Battalion Orders of the 2/1st Battalion Huntingdonshire Cyclist Regiment. Where reasonable coincidence is found with the medal Rolls, it appears in smaller, italic type underneath. When the Bedfordshire Regiment is not mentioned, men whose data in the medal rolls give a coincidence in name, and the other regiments and numbers can be correlated with those of the other men in the group, have also been included.

When known, the men listed as dead have also been marked. The age of all the fatal casualties is 19, but we can't be sure that all the men in the group belonged to this age group.     

G. Porta

A Company

60595 Pte. Beck, T.F.

48879 Pte. Canfield, H.

48243 Pte. Checkley, W.
(Checkley, William: 2nd Bedfordshire Regiment: same number // 34th London Regiment 897123 Private)

48891 Pte. Grant, F.G.
(Grant, Frederick G: Hampshire Regiment 48891 // Suffolk Regiment 59734)

48240 Pte. Holmes, D.
(Holmes, David: Bedfordshire Regiment: same number // Loyal North Lancashire Regiment 45178 // Machine Gun Corps 179779)

48878 Pte. James, F.
(James, Frederick: Bedfordshire Regiment: same number // London Regiment 897124)

48889 Pte. McDonnell, P.
(McDonnell, Peter E.: Huntingdonshire Cyclist Regt. 2505 // Bedfordshire Regiment: same number // Private, Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire Regiment 52332)

48251 Pte. Mitchell, C.
(Mitchell, Charles: Bedfordshire Regiment: same number // London Regiment 897088)

48235 Pte. Staines, A.J.
(Staines, Alfred J: Bedfordshire Regiment: same number // Loyal North Lancashire Regiment 45176)

48242 Pte. Wood, W.
(Wood, William: Bedfordshire Regiment: same number // London Regiment 897126)

* 48267 Pte. Atkins, J.

* 48887 Pte. Brinn, C.
(Brian, C H: Bedfordshire Regiment: same number // Essex Regiment 48870)

* 48858 Pte. Charles, W.

* 48236 Pte. Kelly, J.
(Kelly, James: Bedfordshire Regiment: same number // Northamptonshire Regiment 42045 // Worcestershire Regiment 64661)

* 48249 Pte. Sutcliffe, F.

* 48880 Pte. Harris, J.

* 48234 Pte. Knopp, J. J.
(Knopp, John J: Northamptonshire Regiment 42048 // Suffolk Regiment 59472 Private)

 * 48247 Pte. Sharp, U.A.

* 48241 Pte. Tour, C.F.

* 48556 Pte. Bentley, A.

* 48895 Pte. Poulson, R.
(Poulson, Robert: Huntingdonshire Cyclist Battalion 48895 // Northamptonshire Regiment 42052)

* 48897 Pte. Thornicroft, L.
(Thornicroft, Lionel B: Northamptonshire Regiment 42053 // Suffolk Regiment 59519)
Mentioned as wounded in the Northamptonshire regiment (Regt. Number: 42053), as appeared in the Weekly Casualty List for October 15th 1918 (among the casualties listed for October 12th). Enlisted in Harrow.

 

B Company

48564 Pte. Clow, C.
(Clow, Clifford: 2nd Bedfordshire Regiment: same number // 34th London Regiment 897109)

48567 Pte. Fox L.A.
(Fox, Laurel A: Bedfordshire Regiment: same number // London Regiment 897108)

48240 Pte. Kilner, C.

49875 Pte. Little, D.

48570 Pte. Oliver, J.
(Oliver, John: Bedfordshire Regiment: same number // Somerset Light Infantry 44677)

48551 Pte. Pick, W.
(Pick, William A: Bedfordshire Regiment: same number // North Staffordshire Regiment 57221)

48286 Pte. Wilson, J.
(Wilson, John: South Staffordshire Regiment 48286)

C Company

48895 Pte. Ash-Everost, F.

48913 Pte. Burton, A.
(Burton, Albert: 2nd Bedfordshire Regiment: same number //  34th London Regiment 897096 Private)

 48253 Pte. Childs, G.

48903 Pte. Graham, L.
(Graham, Alfred L: 2nd Bedfordshire Regiment: same number // 34th London Regiment 897090)

 48904 Pte. Harvey, H.

48914 Pte. Hainsby, E.
(Hainsby, Edward: 2nd Bedfordshire Regiment: same number // 34th London Regiment 897085)

 48905 Pte. Logg, E.

48909 Pte. Platt, A.
(Platt, Albert E: Hampshire Regiment 48909 //London Regiment 897093 // East Surrey Regiment L/13181)

 48896 Pte. Shaw, A. K.

48166 Pte. Turner, J. T.

48908 Pte. White, G.
(White, George W: Bedfordshire Regiment: same number // London Regiment 897086)

D Company

48239 Pte. Barker, A.
(Barker, Albert: 2nd Bedfordshire Regiment: same number // 34th London Regiment 897125)

48579  Pte. Clarke, G.
(Clark, George E P: 2nd Bedfordshire Regiment: same number // 34th London Regiment 897089)

48593 Pte. Haythornwaithe, H.
(Haythornthwaite, Henry E: Bedfordshire Regiment: same number // London Regiment 897100)

48606 Pte. Hebblewaithe, C.
(Hebblethwaite, Charles D: Bedfordshire Regiment: same number // London Regiment 897103)

48697 Pte. Lister, S.S.
(Lister, Samuel S: Bedfordshire Regiment: same number // London Regiment 897098)

48589 Pte. Mason, H.

48589 Pte. Mulligan, F.H.
(Mulligan, Francis: Bedfordshire Regiment: same number // London Regiment 89709)

48598 Pte. Murgatroyd, A.
(Murgatroyd, Alfred A: Bedfordshire Regiment, same number // London Regiment 897099)

48605 Pte. Snaith, F.
Snaith, Harold: (Bedfordshire Regiment: same number // London Regiment 897107. Died of wounds, aged 19, on September 6th, 1918)

48601 Pte. Taylor, E.
(Taylor, Edward: Bedfordshire Regiment: same number // London Regiment 897101. Died of wounds, aged 19, on November 8th, 1918)

48648 Pte. Threlfall, T.
(Threlfall, Thomas: Bedfordshire Regiment: same number // London Regiment 897102)

48959 Pte. Witty, R.F.

* 48579 Pte. Agar, J.H.
(Agar, John H: Bedfordshire Regiment: same number // 87th Training Reserve Battalion 71561 // Northamptonshire Regiment 42054 // Suffolk Regiment 59384 // Royal Engineers 611848)

* 48592 Pte. Bennet
(Bennett, Ernest: 4th Bedfordshire Regiment: same number // 7th Northamptonshire Regiment 42055 // Suffolk Regiment 59401)
Mentioned as wounded in the Northamptonshire regiment  (Regt. Number: 42055), as appeared in the Weekly Casualty List for November 19th 1918 (among the casualties listed for November 15th). Enlisted in Buxton

* 48580 Pte. Creser, G.
(Croser, George?: Northamptonshire Regiment 42056 // Suffolk Regiment 59424. Died april 20th, 1919)

* 48581 Pte. Davey, E.

* 48585 Pte. Duffield, C.

* 48591 Pte. Carroll, J.
(Carroll, James: Bedfordshire Regiment 48591 // Northamptonshire Regiment 42057 // Suffolk Regiment 59627)

* 48587 Pte. Falconer, A.

* 48582 Pte. Gamble, A.
(Gamble, Alec: Northamptonshire Regiment 42061 // Training Reserve Battalion 71845 // Bedfordshire Regiment: same number // Suffolk Regiment 59456 // Royal Engineers 611811)

* 48583 Pte. Hunter, F.
(Hunter, Fred: Bedfordshire Regiment: same number // Northamptonshire Regiment 42062)
Mentioned as wounded in the Northamptonshire regiment (With Regt. Number 42062), as appeared in the Weekly Casualty List for November 19th 1918 (among the casualties listed for November 11th). Enlisted in Sheffield.

* 48603 Pte. Laughton, C.
(Laughton, Charles: 4th Bedfordshire Regiment: same number // 7th Northamptonshire Regiment 42063)
Other sources mention this other unit: 87th Training Reserve Battalion.

* 48600 Pte. Payne, F.W.

* 48598 Pte. Swain, G.
(Swain, George: Bedfordshire Regiment: same number // Northamptonshire Regiment 42065)

* 48588 Pte. Tomlinson, A.H.
(Tomlinson, Albert H: Bedfordshire Regiment: same number // Northamptonshire Regiment 42066 // Royal Field Artillery 292692)