PRIVATE THOMAS CARRUTHERS – WWI
BEDFORDSHIRE REGIMENT WWI
Pte Thomas Carruthers, 30635, 2nd Battalion Bedfordshire Regiment, died of wounds in France on March 29th, 1918. It was not until the following December that news reached his widowed mother Julia that her son had died of wounds two days after being captured as a prisoner of war.
His Red Cross report said his death followed the shattering of his left upper arm. He was buried in the cemetery at Terlincthun British Cemetery Wimille, Damery in France.
Thomas had joined the Colours in June 1916 and trained with the county regiment at Felixstowe. Born in 1880. he was the son of Julie and George Carruthers, who established a bleaching, dyeing and felt hat business at the old brewery in Park Street. George, his wife Julia and family moved from 15 King Street, Luton, to live at Streatley House in Streatley, but following George’s death on March 3rd, 1903, most of the family moved back to Luton.
Thomas’s interests, however, seem to have turned to London, where he married Lottie Isabel May Lewis, of Acton, at St Mary’s Church, Acton, on January 31st, 1907. He was listed as visiting his wife’s parents at the time of the 1911 Census.
In 1911 his mother, Julia, was living at 78 Dunstable Road, Luton, but by the outbreak of war had moved to ‘Peverill,’ 10 Cardiff Road, Luton, where she died on March 19th, 1919, at the age of 65.
Thomas’s brother Andrew had taken over his father’s business, which became known as Carruthers Bros.
He received both the British War Medal and the Victory Medal.
The 2nd Battalion’s service in the Great War
The 2nd Battalion were at Roberts Heights near Pretoria (South Africa) at the outbreak of war and were immediately recalled to England, landing at Southampton on 19 September 1914 and forming part of the ‘Immortal’ 7th Division. Having refitted for European warfare, the division left Southampton at 8 a.m. on 5 October 1914, on board the S.S. Winifredian and after a brief stop at Dover for supplies, landed in Zeebrugge at 6.30 a.m. on 7 October 1914.
The division moved almost 40 miles south to meet the rest of the army and on 18 October 1914, around the 10km marker stone on the Ypres-Menin road, they met the German Army for the first time in a brief skirmish. The following day saw the division attack Menin and the battalion were joined in a European battle for the first time. Their involvement in the Great War would last for another forty-nine months, with their last action being fought at Preux-au-Bois on 4 November 1918, 8 km north east of Le Cateau and not far from their first engagement four years earlier.
The 2nd Battalion were in the 21st Brigade of the 7th Division between September 1914 and December 1915, which was made up as follows:
- 2nd Battalion, the Bedfordshire Regiment
- 2nd Battalion, the Yorkshire Regiment
- 2nd Battalion, the Royal Scots Fusiliers
- 2nd Battalion, the Wiltshire Regiment
- 1st/4th Battalion, the Cameron Highlanders
With the arrival of the New Armies during 1915, the British army on the Western Front was reorganised and many of the regular battalions of the army were dispersed amongst the New Army units to provide a ‘professional’ contingent to the brigades in which they served. On 20 December 1915, the entire 21st Brigade left for the 30th Division and the Bedfordshires were moved into the 89th Brigade of that division. During their service with that brigade, it was comprised:
- 2nd Battalion, the Bedfordshire Regiment
- 17th Battalion, the King’s (Liverpool) Regiment
- 19th Battalion, the King’s (Liverpool) Regiment
- 20th Battalion, the King’s (Liverpool) Regiment
Following the reorganisation of the depleted British Army in February 1918, the 2nd battalion became a part of the 90th Brigade, still within the 30th Division. Many of the men from the disbanded 8th Battalion were absorbed into their ranks, in line with the sweeping changes. Between February and May 1918, their brigade comprised:
- 2nd Battalion, the Bedfordshire Regiment
- 2nd Battalion, the Royal Scots Fusiliers (until April 1918)
- 16th (1st City) Battalion, the Manchester Regiment (from April 1918)
- 14th Battalion, the Argyll & Sutherland Highlanders (until June 1918)
A further reorganisation was called for in May 1918, as a result of the huge losses suffered by the Fifth Army in March and April. The 7th Battalion of the Bedfordshire Regiment was disbanded and their rank and file folded into the 2nd Battalion, with the resulting unit joining the 54th Brigade of the 18th (Eastern) Division, where they remained for the duration. The 54th Brigade was made up as follows:
- 2nd Battalion, the Bedfordshire Regiment
- 11th Battalion, the Royal Fusiliers
- 6th Battalion, the Northamptonshire Regiment
The men of the 2nd Battalion served with distinction throughout the Great War, earning hundreds of gallantry medals including a prestigious Victoria Cross. Around 1,540 officers and men gave their lives for King and country serving in the battalion, and around 6,500 were wounded in combat. *
*According to the “Official History of the Great War, medical services, casualties and medical statistics” by Major T.J. Mitchell and Miss G.M. Smith (1931) there were 2,977,801 British Army casualties, including 704,803 deaths (23.67%). This factor (4.22) is used in the approximation of regimental casualties.
Major Battles
The battalion were engaged in the following major battles throughout the war:
In 1914 they were at the Battle of Ypres 1914 (also known as the First Battle of Ypres) during October and November.
In 1915 they were engaged during The Battle of Neuve Chapelle in March, the Battle of Festubert in May, the Second Action at Givenchy in June and the Battle of Loos in September
In 1916 they were engaged in several phases of The Battle of the Somme, namely the Battle of Albert (including during the opening day when their division broke the German lines, and their assault on Trônes Wood on 11 July) and the Battle of Delville Wood in July, as well as the Battle of Le Transloy in October.
In 1917 they were involved in the German retreat to the Hindenburg Line in March, the Battle of Arras (specifically in the First Battle of the Scarpe) in April. During the Battles of Ypres 1917 (known as the Third Battle of Ypres or Passchendaele), the battalion were engaged in the Battle of Pilkem in July and August but were spared direct assaults for the rest of the year, being confined to aggressive patrolling an raiding instead.
In 1918 the battalion were heavily engaged in the First Battles of the Somme 1918 (also called the German Spring Offensives, Operation Michael or Kaiserschlacht), specifically the Battle of St Quentin, the actions at the Somme crossings and the Battle of Rosieres in March. During the Battle of the Lys, they were also engaged in the First Battle of Kemmel and the Battle of Scherpenberg in April. Once the Allied army went on the final offensives that would become loosely known as the “100 days” they were engaged in several actions – The Battle of Amiens in August, the Second Battles of the Somme 1918, specifically during the Battle of Albert in August and the Second Battle of Bapaume in September. During the Battles of the Hindenburg Line they were involved in the Battle of Epehy and the Battle of the St Quentin Canal in September. Their last major battle was to be the Final Advance in Picardy, when they were engaged during the Battle of the Selle later in October and the Battle of the Sambre on 4 November.
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