William Bastard

"The battle that ensued raged almost continuously from early October, while the British and French were still attempting to push forward around what they thought was the German flank, until late November, when both sides accepted the onset of winter and their own exhaustion. Geographically it divided into four:

• a renewed offensive by [the Germans] against the Belgian Army on the coast, nullified by [the Belgians opening long disused lock-gates so as to flood the country]
• an attempt by [the French] to drive north of Ypres toward Ghent ... checked by the German offensive
•  the battle of Ypres itself, between the BEF and the [German army, newly reinforced by German volunteers]
• to the south, a defensive battle conducted by the right wing of the BEF against the regular divisions of the German Sixth Army

Fighting on the three latter sectors merged effectively into one battle, so confused was combat and so unrelenting the German effort".

The War Diary of the 2^nd Battalion records that they reached Ypres a week after their arrival in Belgium, and on 16^th and 17^th October were in Gheluvelt, ten kilometres from Menin.  The objective then given to the 7^th Division was to attack Menin - opposition was expected to be very light and easily dealt with. The Battalion very soon found out that this expectation was quite wrong. Over the next few days they sustained many casualties. The British, at first seeking to take the offensive, found themselves facing an extremely strong attack, but managed to hold the line - just.

On Sunday 18^th October, as part of an overall Divisional manoeuvre to face south-east, the Battalion formed up on the road leading from Poezelhoek, just to the north of Gheluvelt, to Becelaire, and advanced towards the Ypres-Menin road. However, as they came over a rise and neared the road, they came under rifle fire, and as they attempted to move on to the road, they came under shrapnel fire, and suffered their first casualties - one officer killed and three wounded, one sergeant and one other ranks killed, 21 other ranks wounded, 2 missing. The Battalion therefore retreated slightly.

The following day, 19^th October (which is now generally seen as the first day of the first Battle of Ypres) the attack on Menin was taken forward by the 22^nd Brigade, which met with stiff opposition, and had to withdraw. The 21^st Brigade covered their withdrawal, and the Battalion was in reserve. They left their trenches and returned to Gheluvelt, being billeted in the village. In front of them (in a position roughly north-east of Gheluvelt) the line was held by the Yorkshire Regiment on their right, the Royal Scots Fusiliers in the centre and the Wiltshire Regiment on the left.

On 20^th October, the Battalion was moved up to hold the trenches of the Royal Scots Fusiliers and the Wiltshire Regiment, while they in turn were supporting a reconnaissance movement by 20^th Brigade. The Battalion then returned to the reserve position.

The following afternoon, 21^st October, they were ordered to move north to Zonnebeke to reinforce 22^nd Brigade which was under attack, and while doing so were heavily shelled. A platoon of D Coy which had reinforced the Royal Scots Fusiliers returned during the night to the Battalion and were shelled. One officer was killed. Later on 22^nd October they reached Zonnebeke, and began to reinforce 22^nd Brigade, but then once again were ordered back to the reserve trenches in their previous position near Gheluvelt.

On 23^rd October C Coy was tasked to go forward to fill a gap between the Yorkshire Regiment and the Royal Scots Fusiliers, but came under heavy rifle and machine gun fire and so could not hold the position. One officer was killed and there were "heavy casualties" amongst the men. B Coy was then given the job and also came under heavy rifle and machine gun fire but was nonetheless able to hold the position. Two officers were wounded, but B Coy succeeding in consolidating the position during the night.

On 24^th October the Battalion, nothwithstanding "desultory" enemy rifle fire, dug in and improved the trenches, holding the position. C Coy was next to the Royal Scots Fusiliers, D Coy was in the middle with A Coy behind them, and B Coy was next to the Yorkshire Regiment.

On 25^th October, the Battalion was ordered to support an attack on Becelaire, north-east of Gheluvelt, and held by the Germans. The attack took place late in the afternoon and practically in the dark. According to the Battalion War Diary, the attack required "practically a wheel to the right" and orders had been given that on no account was touch to be lost.  In the effort to stay in line with the Royal Scots Fusiliers, C and D Coys of the Battalion lost touch with each other; so the CO ordered B Coy on the other side to halt out of the trenches while touch was re-established. They were subjected to heavy enemy fire, and there were several casualties. But orders were then received that the attack was suspended, so all Companies reoccupied their trenches. The Battalion HQ had been shelled during the day and set alight. By this time, William had been in action eight days.

Death

The Battalion thus began the morning of October 26^th in the trenches. During the morning, instructions were received that the Guards Brigade were to attack Becelaire, through the Battalion's line, after which the Battalion were to advance on the Guards right flank. The Guards advanced under heavy shell fire and did not get beyond the Bedfordshire trenches; and during the day the order came that the 1^st Scots Guards were to relieve the Battalion, which relief was completed early in the morning of 27^th October.

Unfortunately this relief was too late for William. The War Diary states: "10.30am Captain A G Hall was shot by a sniper. Captain W E Wetherall took command of D Coy. Lieut W Bastard was also shot in the same way on this day".

However, according to William's entry in "The Bond of Sacrifice", his death occurred in a slightly different way: "On 26^th October he was in the trenches directing the fire of his platoon to help the advance of another battalion, when a German machine gun opened fire and killed him instantly".

Whether by sniper or by machine gun, he was the fifth officer of the Battalion to die since the Battalion had gone into action.

According to information provided to his mother, William was buried by a fellow officer, Captain Thom, at the edge of the wood south of the junction of the road from Gheluvelt with the road to Becelaire. However, as with several of his fellow officers killed at this time, his grave must later have been lost, as he is now remembered on the Menin Gate Memorial, for those with no known grave.

The regiment's Commanding Officer, Colonel Coates, who had been left in England due to illness, wrote to William's mother, Helen, as the Dartmouth Chronicle noted, describing him in the highest terms:

"From the day he joined I recognised that your son was one of the best types of officers - very keen on his work, thoroughly sensible, and willing to take responsibility. I always had him in my eye as being well fitted for the Adjutancy later on. He was very popular with both officers and men, and I can assure you his loss to the Battalion is very, very great."

The entry in "The Bond of Sacrifice" states also that: "his Company Sergeant Major and Quarter-Master Sergeant also wrote expressing the regard which not only his platoon, but the whole of his Company had for this young Officer, who died gallantly, rifle in hand, and who was always solicitous for the welfare of his men, whom he led in battle without fear".

Subsequently, together with many others who had fought at First Ypres, William was mentioned in despatches (Sir John French's despatch of 14^th January 1915, published in the London Gazette on 17^th February 1915). William's name was misspelt, and a correction was published in the Gazette on Wednesday 7^th April 1915.

Aftermath

The Battalion's relief on the day of William's death was short. By the evening of 27^th October they were back on the front line, this time south of Gheluvelt, on the road to Zandvoorde. On 29^th and 30^th October the Germans mounted a major attack on this section of the British line under General von Fabeck, with the express intention of breaking it. Zandvoorde was taken, exposing the 2^nd Bedfordshires to very heavy fire, so that they sustained many casualties. During the fighting, in the early hours of 31^st October, the Battalion was ordered to hold a "small fir wood" which had been subjected to heavy shell fire the previous day. The War Diary states: "it soon became evident that the enemy were advancing in force on the left of the wood ... and also on the right". The order was given to retire fighting, which was accomplished, but with "very severe" losses, including the acting Commanding Officer, Major J M Traill, and his second in command Major R P Stares. Four other officers were killed and four were wounded.

(The War Diary does not give numbers of other ranks killed or wounded. Soldiers Died in the Great War gives 66 deaths during October 1914 for the 2^nd Battalion Bedfordshire Regiment, 35 of which were recorded on 31st October).

However, the Battalion was able to retire to a line which it was able to hold for the next five days, until finally relieved on the evening of 5^th November.

31^st October 1914 was a day of extremely heavy fighting all along the front and subsequently the date became known as Ypres Day. After the war, blue cornflowers were worn in remembrance of those who had fought and died there.

Memorials

The Dartmouth Chronicle first reported William's death on 6^th November, and then three weeks or so later, on 20^th November, reported the Memorial Service held for him in Slapton Church, concluding "His death is deeply regretted in the locality".

In addition to the Menin Gate Memorial at Ypres, William is commemorated on the Slapton War Memorial, which is in the churchyard of St James, Slapton, where many of his family were baptised, married, or buried.

He is also commemorated on the War Memorial in Exmouth, possibly because this was where his mother was living at the end of the war (she died there in 1919). His uncle, George Adkins, also lived in Exmouth after the war.

In addition, he is commemorated on the First World War Memorial at Blundells School, and on the First World War Memorial Panels in the Ante-Chapel of Exeter College Oxford. During the course of the war, 771 Exeter men saw active service, of  whom 141 were killed - about 18% of all those serving. Those who had come up in the years immediately preceding the war, like William, were the most vulnerable. The worst hit cohorts were those of 1911 and 1912 - in the first case, 23 out of 59 were killed, and in the second, 18 out of 53. In William's year, 1910, 32 served, and nine died (both figures include William).

Note

William's death is recorded both on Commonwealth War Graves Commision records and Soldiers Died in the Great War as 27^th October 1914. However, the Battalion War Diary clearly records the date of death as 26^th October 1914 and this date is reflected in contemporary newspaper reports and biographical records. Our database therefore records his death on that date.

Sources

The War Diary of 2^nd Battalion Bedfordshire Regiment October 1914-December 1915 may be downloaded from the National Archives reference WO 95/1658/2 (fee payable)

The Bedfordshire Regiment in the Great War: excellent website about the Bedfordshire Regiment, includes biographies of officers who died

The Bond of Sacrifice: A Biographical Record of all British Officers who fell in the Great War, Volume 1, August - December 1914.  William Bastard's entry is on page 22 and includes a photograph.

Information on Slapton and Exmouth War Memorials at the Devon Heritage website

Exeter College Oxford Roll of Honour  This includes an article entitled "An Infinitesimal Part in Armageddon": Exeter College and the First World War, reprinted from The Exeter College Association Register 1998

Oxford University Roll of Service, published Clarendon Press, Oxford, 1920

John Keegan, The First World War, publ Hutchinson, 1998

Websites quoted above accessed on 21^st October 2014.