Regimental Depot
Kempston Barracks, Bedford
Battalions of the Regular Army
1st Battalion
August 1914 : in Mullingar in Ireland. Part of 15th Brigade, 5th Division.
Landed in France on 15 August 1914.
2nd Battalion
August 1914 : in Pretoria in South Africa.
Returned to England and landed at Southampton 19 September 1914.
19 September 1914 : came under orders of 21st Brigade, 7th Division.
19 December 1915 : moved with the Brigade to 30th Division and then transferred to 89th Brigade.
11 February 1918 : transferred to 90th Brigade, in same Division.
22 May 1918 : transferred to 54th Brigade, 18th (Eastern) Division.
3rd (Reserve) Battalion
August 1914 : in Bedford. A training unit, it remained in UK throughout the war. Moved within a few days of declaration of war to Felixstowe for duty with the Harwich Garrison. Was at nearby Landguard by November 1918 and may have moved to Brocton in Staffordshire by April 1919.
4th (Extra Reserve) Battalion
August 1914 : in Bedford. A training unit, it moved within a few days of declaration of war to Felixstowe, for duty with the Harwich Garrison.
25 July 1916: having been converted for war service the battalion landed at Le Havre and came under orders of 190th Brigade in 63rd (Royal Naval) Division.
The regimental badge, cut into a CWGC war grave headstone. Image courtesy of the PaulHP collection at flickr.com, with thanks. Note how the cross, which is usually separate, is incorporated with the badge on Bedfordshire Regiment stones.
Battalions of the Territorial Force
1/5th Battalion
August 1914 : in Gwyn Street, Bedford. Part of East Midland Brigade, East Anglian Division. Moved in August 1914 to Romford and thence to Bury St Edmunds. In May 1915 moved to St Albans.
May 1915 : formation became 162nd Brigade, 54th (East Anglian) Division.
Landed at Mudros on 10 August 1915 and at Suvla Bay, Gallipoli, on 11 August.
Moved to Egypt in December 1915.
2/5th Battalion
Formed at Bedford in September 1914 as a second line battalion.
Moved to Newmarket and came under orders of 207th Brigade, 69th Division in January 1915. Remained in UK until disbanded on 18 March 1918. Moved to Harrogate in June 1916 and Darlington in October 1916. In May 1917 went to Carburton Camp in the Dukeries, Nottinghamshire and in October 1917 to nearby Clipstone Camp.
3/5th Battalion
Formed at Bedford in June 1915 but soon moved to Windsor Great Park.
In October 1915 moved to Halton Park near Tring.
8 April 1916 : became 5th Reserve Battalion.
Merged with with 1st Reserve Bn, the Hertfordshire Regiment on 11 July 1917.
Moved to Crowborough in Autumn 1917 and by August 1918 was at Hastings.
11th Battalion
Formed on 1 January 1917 from what had previously been the 68th Provisional Battalion of the TF. It had been formed at Southwold in June 1915 from “Home Service only” personnel. Was based at Pakefield near Lowestoft from January 1917 until the end of the war.
Battalions of the New Armies
6th (Service) Battalion
Formed at Bedford in August 1914 as part of K1 and attached as Divisional Troops to 9th (Scottish) Division.
March 1915 : transferred to 112th Brigade, 37th Division.
30 July 1915: departed from Ludgershall and embarked onto the ship “Empress Queen” at Southampton. Landed at Le Havre in France next day.
20 May 1918 : reduced to cadre, 700 men transferring to 1/1st Bn, Hertfordshire Regiment.
20 May 1918 : cadre transferred to 39th Division.
4 August 1918 : disbanded in France.
7th (Service) Battalion
Formed at Bedford in September 1914 as part of K2 and attached as Divisional Troops to 15th (Scottish) Division.
25 February 1915 : transferred to 54th Brigade, 18th (Eastern) Division.
25 May 1918 : reduced to cadre, men transferring to 2nd Bn.
25 May 1918 :cadre transferred to 89th Brigade, 30th Division.
19 June 1918 :transferred to 197th Brigade, 66th (2nd East Lancashire) Division.
31 July 1918 : cadre absorbed by 2nd Bn.
![A platoon of 'D' Company of the 7th (Service) Battalion, Bedfordshire Regiment passing through a French village on its way to the line, shortly before the start of the offensive [Battle of the Somme 1916]. The officer at the head of his platoon is Lieutenant Douglas Keep, who was killed in 1917. Imperial War Museum image Q79478](http://www.longlongtrail.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/Q79748.jpg)
8th (Service) Battalion
Formed at Bedford in October 1914 as part of K3 and came under orders of 71st Brigade, 24th Division.
11 October 1915 : transferred with Brigade to 6th Division.
17 November 1915 : transferred to 16th Brigade in same Division.
16 February 1918 : disbanded in France.
9th (Reserve) Battalion
Formed in Felixstowe in October 1914 as a Service battalion, part of K4, coming under orders of 94th Brigade, original 31st Division. Moved to Mill Hill in February 1915.
10 April 1915 : converted into a Reserve battalion and Brigade became 6th Reserve Brigade. Moved to Colchester in May 1915.
1 September 1916 : absorbed into other battalions of 6th Reserve Brigade of Training Reserve.
10th (Reserve) Battalion
Formed at Dovercourt in November 1914 as a Service battalion for K4 and attached to 106th Brigade, original 35th Division. Moved to White City in January 1915.
10 April 1915 : converted into a Reserve Battalion. Moved to Colchester in May 1915 and joined 6th Reserve Brigade. Moved to Dovercourt in March 1916.
1 September 1916 : converted into 27th Training Reserve Battalion in 6th Reserve Brigade. See 52nd (Young Soldier) Battalion, below.
Other Battalions
12th and 13th (Transport Workers) Battalions
Formed at Croydon in December 1916 and March 1917. Essentially training and administration units, providing men for work at ports and docks.
1st Garrison Battalion
Formed in Bedford in December 1915. Moved to India in February 1916.Came under command of the Dehra Dun Brigade in the 7th (Meerut) Divisional Area. Moved in March 1918 to the Delhi Brigade in the same area.
2nd Garrison Battalion
Formed in Bedford in December 1916. Moved to India in February 1917.Came under command of the Karachi Brigade in the 4th (Quetta) Division.
3rd Garrison Battalion
Formed in Bedford in January 1917. Moved to India and thence to Burma. Came under command of the Burma Division and under the Rangoon Brigade of the same Division in November 1917.
51st (Graduated) Battalion
Up to 26 October 1917, this was known as 249th Graduated Battalion and had no regimental affiliation. Before that it had been 25th Battalion of the Training Reserve and up to September 1916 had been the 10th (Reserve) Battalion of the Norfolk Regiment. A training unit based at Colchester, it was part of 212th Brigade in 71st Division. In February 1918 it went to 193rd Brigade of 64th (2nd Highland) Division: some sources suggest that it moved to Norfolk at this point but details from men’s service records show Brocton Camp in Staffordshire.
52nd (Graduated) Battalion
Up to 27 October 1917, this was known as 252nd Graduated Battalion and had no regimental affiliation. Before that it had been 26th Battalion of the Training Reserve and up to September 1916 had been the 10th (Reserve) Battalion of the Suffolk Regiment. A training unit based at Colchester, it was part of 213th Brigade in 71st Division. In February 1918 it went to 193rd Brigade of 64th (2nd Highland) Division: some sources suggest that it moved to Norfolk at this point but details from men’s service records show Brocton Camp in Staffordshire.
53rd (Young Soldier) Battalion
Up to 27 October 1917, this was known as 27th Young Soldier Battalion and had no regimental affiliation. Before that it had been 10th (Reserve) Battalion of the Bedfordshire Regiment. A basic recruit training unit based at Clipstone Camp, it was part of 2nd Reserve Brigade. In early 1918 it moved to Cannock Chase.
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66th (2nd East Lancashire) Division