1st South Midland Brigade - Overseas
by
Lt. E. L. Gedye
Introduction
On the 22 November 1859, the Gloucestershire Volunteer Artillery was formed, making it's headquarters at the Artillery Ground, Whiteladies Rd. Clifton, Bristol. The unit started with five batteries with a sixth added later.
Starting in 1906, the Secretary of State for War Richard Haldane's Reforms were designed to better prepare the armed forces for future wars and involved a reorganization of the regular, volunteer and militia forces. The Territorial and Reserve Forces Act of 1907 saw the formation of the Territorial Force which consisted of fourteen infantry divisions, fourteen cavalry brigades, and a large number of support units including fully established divisions, provided with field artillery, companies of engineers and crucial supply services, including medical provision.
The Gloucestershire Volunteer Artillery became the 1st (South Midland) Brigade RFA (T) in 1908, with a further change of name in 1915 to the 240th Brigade RFA (T), under which it served throughout the First World War.
Lt. E. L. Gedye
Edward Leonard Gedye was the son of George Edward & Lillian Gedye, of 39, St Johns Rd, Clifton, Bristol. He was educated at Queens College, Taunton, and joined the Gloucestershire Royal Field Artillery (Territorial) as a gunner in 1912. He was Gazetted Second Lieutenant on 7 February 1914, and to Lieutenant on 29 August, 1914, and when war broke out he was one of the first Territorials to volunteer for active service.
In March 1915, as brigade orderly officer he went out with the British Expeditionary force, and in the autumn was promoted to the rank of first lieutenant. He was among those mentioned, by Sir John French in the November dispatches. Before the great advance commenced, he had been at his own request attached to his old battery in a territorial unit of the R.F.A. and was constantly in action from the beginning of July onwards. Then he was temporarily attached to another battery, and while so serving was killed while engaged on a dangerous piece of working in the hope of saving others on 23/24 August 1916, aged 23.
In a letter to his father, the Battery Commander wrote:
I do not know if you have already heard how your son was killed; in case you have not, I will tell you as nearly as I can. The evening before a bomb-store near by was hit by the enemy, and two explosions occurred. At about midnight on the 23rd your son was on duty at the battery and noticed a fire amongst a large pile of bombs and other ammunition. He called out to a gunner, 'Come on, we must put this out' and together they went up to it with buckets of water. The gunner was returning with an empty bucket and passed your son on his way up to the fire with a second bucket. A few seconds afterwards the explosion occurred. We buried him in the English military cemetery near by and we are having a cross-made to mark his grave.
Twice mentioned in despatches, the deceased officer, whose career was cut short in the performance of a gallant act, was a keen cricketer, and used to be a member of Westbury Cricket Club. Lt. Gedye is rememered in Aveluy Communal Cemetery, Somme, France (G.46).
The Letters
Sunday March 28th 1915
Left Broomfield soon after 10p.m. to entrain at Chelmsford with the first section of the 1st battery. All entrained within half an hour with the exception of one horse (Brigade Headquarters, of course) which was a stubborn as a mule, and took us over 40 minutes to get it on board.
Left Chelmsford, 12.40 am.
Monday March 29th 1915
6.am. Arrived Southampton. Horses watered and fed. At 6.30 embarked on the S.S. City of Lucknow.
Seven men and seven horses of Brigade H.Q. sent to the S.S. Huanchace (left section 1st Battery) and 20 1st Battery men received in exchange.
(It seems that the Brigade was split up over seven transports for some quite incomprehensible reason). After the horses and vehicles were embarked, we (the Doctor, Vet and myself) breakfasted in the saloon and then everybody was turned off the ship, until further orders.
Wandered round the docks with Finley and inspected a Cardiff ship that was in the dry dock for repairs, having had a big hole made forward by a mine or torpedo. Quite cheering. Detachments from various other units of the South Midland Division arrived during the day and at 4 o'clock we were allowed on board.
The ships load then comprised, in addition to ourselves portions of the R.A.M.C. (1st field Ambulance) R.E., A.S.C. and Divisional Train; all South Midland Division. Ropes cast off at about 6.30 pm at 7 0'clock, I was summoned to a meeting of O/C's units in my capacity of O/C Royal Artillery on board. Instructions as to discipline etc, on board given, and, of course returns asked for of men, horses and vehicles.
Outside the dock, our escort of 2 x Destroyers joined us, one on either side about five or six hundred yards away. It was a Beautiful night, calm with a moon almost full. And so to bed about half past ten.
Tuesday March 30 1915
Up at 3 am. Approaching Havre, and dropped anchor to wait for daylight, the destroyers now left us. I Was surprised to find the Havre street lamps all lit, and that vessels were carrying lights- quite strange after the darkness to which we have become accustomed in England.
Anchor weighed at 7.30a.m, and 8.15 berth ship. Horses and vehicles disembarked under the direction of an extremely fussy little fellow, the A.M.L.O. (Assistant Military Landing Officer) who apparently marked me down as the most harmless O.C. on board and followed me everywhere repeating his instructions four or five times and varying the detail on each occasion. He told us he was formerly a rear admiral on the retired list, and on the outbreak of war, applied for a job in the navy. This was refused him (and no wonder) so he went to the war office and sat on the doorstep until they gave his present job with the rank of Lieut Col, from his entire ignorance of military Matters, I can quite believe that his tale is correct.
He sent me off in his car to try and find the 1st Bty whom I discovered about a mile away. On my return, he told me that he had instructions to send us off at the first possible opportunity, and that accordingly, we were to entrain with the whole of 1st Bty at 5.30 that evening.
The horses having been disposed of and the vehicles parked by the quayside, we lunched in a large shed now occupied by the A.O.C. as stores. Here the interpreter, a Subaltern from the 7th Regt of siege artillery, Yclept Migno, joined us. A very decent fellow who speaks English excellently. At 5 o'clock, we moved off from the quay en route for the station, Gare des Marchandises, Point 3.
Here we found the train divided into three parts at different sidings-horse trucks, vehicle trucks and carriages, The horse trucks are much sounder then ours, taking the same number of horses [8] but the animals are entrained four at each end of the truck facing the centre where there is sufficient space for the harness to be stacked.
A couple of men were told off for each truck to act as picquet, and the remainder were put in 7 trucks - seventeen to each. This sounds rather close packing, but as a matter of fact they had ample room, the carriages being intended to take 36/40 men. There was a plentiful supply of straw in each carriage and I rather fancy that the men slept a great deal better then we did in our first class coach.
The entraining was a very lengthy job and when it was finished there was still further delay while the various parts of the train were joined up. At last, about half eight, we started.
Were all pretty well done up, and after a little grub from our travelling luncheon baskets, we made our self's as comfortable as possible and were asleep within a minute.
Weds 31st March 1915
Woke up at 2 a.m. to find the train halted and a French soldier handing out cups of cafe au cognac, this was not too good, but warm and wet and better then nothing. So to sleep again.
Awake again at 6 o'clock. Bright sunshine and rather pretty country, through which we crawl along at a pace that could not have exceeded 15 miles per hour at any time.
Presently another stop at a small town or large village called Eu. (I think this is still sufficiently far from our final destination to permit of the name being mentioned) we get out to stretch our legs and the variety of costumes seems worthy of a photograph.
The next stop is Abbeville, there we water and feed the horses and drink much coffee at the Buvette.
Lane and Fullerton were nearly left behind here, as they had been left in charge of the train, while we went across to the Buvette, and only had a couple of minutes to get their refreshments. They naturally lingered over this, and had to sprint across several lines of railway, one platform and between two or three trains. However, they easily caught up our old tortoise, Lane sustaining a bruised knee as a result of a fall.
This, with the exception of a five minutes halt at -------- was our last stop before reaching our destination station -------. The first sound, which reached us there was a chorus from a number of gamins of "Tipperary" and from a distance, the English pronunciation appeared quite good.
A march of about 4 miles brought us to our H.Q. billet for the night, a farmhouse with two capacious barns half full of straw, the larger I allotted to the men and in the other Finley, Mingo and I spread our valises, and I slept in comfort for the fist time since leaving Roselawn.
Thursday 1st April 1915
Glorious day, warm enough for mid summer, rose quite early [7 o'clock] and had a cold splash in my canvas bath, which I had pegged down outside the barn. To the great delight and amazement of the local inhabitants.
Breakfasted at the farm and demand an omelette, apparently one is expected to specify the number of eggs to go into the making of it, but finding this beyond my powers I leave it to the good people of the farm to exercise their own discretion - "pourvu que I'omelette soit grande" this it certainly was and I learned subsequently that it was all outsize in omelette's, "au cinq odufs". The booming of guns can be plainly heard in the distance and one can occasionally see the smoke of an exploded shrapnel shell apparently in the direction of ----------- [erased but looks like Estaires]
At 1o'clock the Brigade Major (Murray Smith) arrives to tell us that 3 officers from H.Q. and 3 from each battery together with certain N.C.O's and signallers are to leave at 2 o'clock by motorbus as an advance party for the brigade.
Lunch is accordingly hurried and we have only just time to complete arrangements before our bus (a converted General) arrives.
An hours journey brings us to our first stop, the headquarters R.A. of the division to which we are temporarily attached. Thence we proceed to the H.Q. of the Brigade whom we are to relive It seems a strange enough thing to drive almost up to one's position by daylight and in a bus.
As we descended from our vehicle we are greeted with a salvo from a howitzer battery just behind us, which makes the windows rattle. I meet the orderly officer, who is to show me the telephone system and after a cup of tea we start out on a tour of inspection.
The number of wires is terrifying; from one cottage alone there are no fewer then 12 wires of our own, together with half a dozen or more belonging to other units.
I begin to feel sorry for the signallers who endeavour to locate a fault on any particular wire. We go to bed early as I undress to the unusual accompaniment of rifle fire, which, in spite being over 2 miles away, sounds quite close at hand.
Friday April 2nd 1915
Spent the day in going round the wires, At night Kaye, the Co and I go out to the forward observation position along a road that at one time was heavily shelled. The Germans seem to have left it alone recently, but there are great pits in the road, which bear witness to the attention that has been paid to it. This part of the wire can only be patrolled at night, as the road is exposed for quite half a mile and is within rifle range, although I suppose even here one is 800 yards from the German trench's if not more.
The observing position itself appears to be in the corner of the salient, as hostile flares are visible on both sides of the road, and one has the uncomfortable feeling of being surrounded. However, we get back safely, tired and hungry.
Sunday 4th April 1915
EASTER SUNDAY - I ring up Lane to know if he would rather be at BOURNMOUTH where we were last year, there is no hesitation in his reply.
The first of our batteries arrives to take over positions the 2nd battery having the honour of being the first on the scene. The guns are moved into previously prepared positions after dark.
A number of distinguished visitors inspect the battery positions during the afternoon and then honour us with there presence at tea.
It has seldom been my privilege to see such a blaze of scarlet and gold braid as was shed by 1x Major General, 2 x Brigaders,3 x Colonels [in addition to our own two], 2 x Majors and a few staff Captains as A.D.C.'s
If only our friends the Bosche's had suspected, our cottage might have been rather unwholesome for a while. I was sorry, not to see Smith-Dorian, who had intended to coming, but was prevented. [General Sir Horace Lockwood Smith-Dorien]
Monday 5th April 1915
1st and 3rd batteries, and H.Q. staff arrive to day. Endeavour to find billets for No 1 in the afternoon and get wet through.
We had to turn the 1/6th Staffs out of a farm in our area, which they were occupying and on the strength of this they stand us tea.
On my way home, I unfortunately run into a Brigade H.Q. wagon, stuck in a ditch with mud well over the axletrees. Apparently the vet who was in charge, thought the track he was following was becoming impassable and tried to turn the vehicle round by putting it in a ditch.
This it refused to take and sank well into the plough, after an hour's pulling and striving in a downpour, we borrowed a wagon from the N.M. field ambulance and transferred all the portable stuff into this and abandon our own cart until the morning.
We had to go via the village, which has become much too unhealthy to live in and it was rather a weird sensation marching through this deserted spot, dodging shell holes in the road.
The church, which appears from the distance, to be unharmed has a big smash in the side, and the moon, breaking through the clouds, made rather an impressive picture of the deserted square with the damaged church in the centre.
I was wet to the skin and very glad to find my valise, with a change of clothing, had come up safely. Quite the strangest Bank holiday I have spent!
Wednesday April 7th 1915
The last two guns of the regular brigade are withdrawn to night, and the 1st S.M. Brigade is in action.
Thursday April 8th 1915
At last! The first mail arrives, bringing me two letters and a bill. I expect we shall get our post regularly now that they have found out where we are.
Sources and Resources
Derek Driscoll's original pages
Overseas by Lieutenant E. L. Gedye
Overseas by Lieutenant E. L. Gedye