The 16th (Bedfordshire Regiment)
The 16th Foot was raised in 1688 as Colonel James Douglas' Regiment of Foot. In 1751 it became the 16th Regiment of Foot and in 1782 it was given the county association with Buckinghamshire. In 1809, the county title was exchanged with the 14th at the request of the colonel of that regiment, to become the 16th (Bedfordshire) Regiment of Foot.
On 1 July 1881 the 16th Foot became The 1st Battalion The Bedfordshire Regiment. The Hart, the badge of the Hertford Militia, was incorporated into the badge in 1881, when the Hertford Militia became a battalion of the Bedfordshire.
In 1919, the name Hertfordshire was incorporated into the title under Army Order 269. This was in recognition of the men from Hertfordshire who served with the Bedfordshire Regiment during the Great War.
In 1958 the Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire Regiment amalgamated with the Essex Regiment to become the 3rd/East Anglian Regiment.
The 1st/Bedfordshire Regiment
On 1 July 1881 the 16th Foot became The 1st Battalion of the Bedfordshire Regiment.
1890 1st/Bedfordshire
12 Feb 1890 The 1st/Bedfordshire embarked at Portsmouth from Aldershot. It disembarked at Malta on 21 Feb 1890 and replaced the 2nd/Border Regiment which left for India.
It had an average strength of 582 men with 468 admissions (804.1/1000 mean strength) into hospital and 9 deaths (15.46/1000 mean strength). 10 invalids returned to England.
Its average constantly sick was 29.13 (50.05/1000 mean strength). The average sick time to each soldier was 18.27 days. The average duration of cases of sickness was 22.72 days.
The 1st/Bedfordshire Regiment was quartered at Verdala Barracks on the Cottonera side of the Grand Harbour for 11 months with detachments at Pembroke Camp for 4 months.
20 Dec 1890 The Bedfordshire Regiment embarked for Bombay.
It was relieved in Malta by the 2nd/Royal Scots Regiment.
Baptisms in 1890:
- 18 May Frederick Edward Grosvenor born 21 Jan 1890, son of Eliza and Cpl Frederick Grosvenor.
- 21 Sep Alice May Bloomfield born 2 Sep 1890, daughter of Mary Ann and Sgt George Henry Bloomfield.
- 7 Dec Percy Charles Shrives born 21 Nov 1890, son of Florence and CSgt John Shrives.
Burials in Rinella Military Cemetery in 1890:
- 29 Mar L W Burr aged 20 years, died at Cottonera Hospital.
- 6 Apr George Ball aged 19 years 9 months, died at Cottonera Hospital.
- 12 May J Sheppard aged 24 years, died at Cottonera Hospital.
- 30 May Child of CSgt Farr stillborn died at Verdala Barracks.
- 2 July Frederick Tayler aged 2 years, died at Verdala Barracks.
- 5 July Joseph Taylor aged 8 months, died at Verdala Barracks.
- 21 July E Greggs aged 1 year 1 month, died at Verdala Barracks.
- 26 July Emily Brooks aged 1 year 3 months, died at Verdala Barracks.
- 30 July Sgt J Ward aged 26 years, died at Cottonera Hospital.
- 11 Aug Mabel M Mole aged 9 months, died at Verdala Barracks.
- 17 Aug Florence King aged 10 months, died at Verdala Barracks.
- 13 Sep Henry Hooton aged 26 years, died at Cottonera Hospital.
- 24 Sep S Jeffrey aged 20 years, died at Cottonera Hospital.
- 24 Sep H Wainwright aged 21 years, died at Cottonera Hospital.
- 21 Oct F Clarke aged 19 years, died at Cottonera Hospital.
- 5 Nov Alfred Reeves aged 23 years, died at Cottonera Hospital.
1891 1st/Bedfordshire
9 May 1891 The 1st/Bedfordshire Regiment disembarked at Bombay on 7 Jan 1891. A detachment remained in Malta until May 1891. It had an average strength of 4 men with 3 admissions and 2 deaths and 4 invalids returned home.
Baptisms in 1891:
- 6 Jan Ewart William Brown born 15 Dec 1890, son of Elizabeth and Sgt William Brown.
- 6 Jan Ernest William Smith born 17 Dec 1890, son of Sarah Anna and Sgt Robert Henly Smith.
- 21 Jan Benjamin Percival Foster born 11 Oct 1890, son of Alice and Sgt Bendigo Foster.
- 21 Jan Albert Edward McCaffrey born 5 Jan 1891, son of Harriett and Sgt William John McCaffrey.
- 21 Jan Leonard Arthur Victor Staker born 24 Dec 1890, son of Isabella Annie and Sgt William Staker.
Burials in Rinella Military Cemetery in 1891:
- 10 May William Manson aged 23 years, died at Cottonera Hospital.
The 1st/5th Bedfordshire Regiment
1915 – 5th Bedfordshire
The 1st/5th Bedfordshire Regiment embarked at Devonport on 26 July 1915. It disembarked on the Gallipoli Peninsula on 10 August.
Burials in Pietà Military Cemetery in 1915:
- 20 Aug Cpl Jarvis W, aged 33 years.
- 24 Sep Pte Moore H, aged 28 years.
- 12 Oct Pte Creek W, aged 19 years.
The 1st/Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire Regiment
1925 1st/Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire
Nov 1925 Arrived from Aldershot.
1926 1st/Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire
1 Jan 1926 Strength: 26 officers and 598 men.
1 Oct Strength: 27 officers and 797 rank and file.
1927 1st/Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire
1 Jan 1927 Strength: 28 officers and 828 men.
Feb Left for Shanghai as part of the International Defence Force during China's Civil War between nationalists and communists. The regiment was tasked to protect the port and the European population in Shanghai.
1 Apr 1927 Strength: 0 officers and 39 men.
1928 1st/Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire
1 Jan 1928 Strength: 0 officers and 38 men.
1929 1st/Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire
1 Jan 1929 Strength: 0 officers and 37 men.
Bibliography
- Farmer J. S., 1984. The regimental records of the British Army Reprint Edition, Trowbridge, Wiltshire: Crecy Books.
- Edwards T. J., 1980. Regimental Badges First Edition, Tonbridge, Kent: Ernest Benn Ltd.
- Famous Units. The National Army Museum. Available from http://www.nam.ac.uk/research/famous-units.
- TNA:WO 379/11. Stations of Regiments 1859–1900.
- TNA:WO 156/115. Register of burials in the military cemetery Rinella from January 1890 to January 1908.