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1st Battalion, Worcestershire Regiment
1st Battalion, Worcestershire Regiment were in Cairo whe war broke out in August 1914. They returned to England, landing at Liverpool on the 16th of October 1914, they joined 24th Brigade, 8th Division at Hursley Park, Winchester. They proceeded to France, landing at Le Havre on the 6th of November 1914, a much needed reinforcement to the BEF and remained on the Western Front throughout the war. In 1915 they were in action at The Battle of Neuve Chapelle, The Battle of Aubers and The action of Bois Grenier. They transferred to 23rd Division on the 18th of October 1915 transferred returning to 8th Division on the 15th of July 1916. In 1916 they were in action at the Battle of The Somme. In 1917 they fought in The German retreat to the Hindenburg Line and then moved to Flanders and were in action in The Battle of Pilkem and The Battle of Langemarck. In 1918 they saw action during The Battle of St Quentin, The actions at the Somme crossings, The Battle of Rosieres, The actions of Villers-Bretonneux, The Battle of the Aisne, The Battle of the Scarpe and The Final Advance in Artois including the capture of Douai.
19th Sep 1914 Divisional HQ Opens
2nd Oct 1914 Concentration
27th Oct 1914 Exercise
29th Oct 1914 Route March
30th Oct 1914 Concentration Complete
31st Oct 1914 Mud
2nd Nov 1914 Reliefs Complete 
4th Nov 1914 On the Move
5th Nov 1914 On the Move
6th Nov 1914 Delays
7th Nov 1914 Delays
8th Nov 1914 On the Move
9th Nov 1914 Into Billets
14th November 1914 Constant shelling
19th Nov 1914 Reliefs
28th Nov 1914 Reliefs
29th of November 1914 Infantry Distribution
19th Dec 1914 Reliefs
30th Dec 1914 Message
3rd Jan 1915 Trench Raid
11th Mar 1915 Taking a Message
13th Mar 1915 Tough Work
22nd of March 1915 Relief Completed
26th Apr 1915 Reliefs
4th Feb 1916 Instruction
20th Mar 1916 Shelling
21st Mar 1916 Reliefs
10th May 1916 Reliefs Complete
14th Jun 1917 Reliefs
5th Jul 1917 Reliefs
1st Jan 1918 Training
2nd Jan 1918 Enemy Aircraft
3rd Jan 1918 In Camp
4th Jan 1918 Working Parties
5th Jan 1918 Working Parties
7th Jan 1918 Reliefs
8th Jan 1918 Snow
9th Jan 1918 In the Trenches
11th Jan 1918 Reliefs
12th Jan 1918 Very Cold
13th Jan 1918 Very Cold
15th Jan 1918 Change of Billets
16th Jan 1918 Working Parties
17th Jan 1918 On the Move
18th Jan 1918 In Billets
19th Jan 1918 Working Parties
22nd Jan 1918 Working Parties
25th Jan 1918 Working Parties
26th Jan 1918 On the Move
27th Jan 1918 Refitting
28th Jan 1918 Refitting
31st Jan 1918 Inspection
1st Feb 1918 In Billets
2nd Feb 1918 Working Parties
3rd Feb 1918 Cleaning up
4th Feb 1918 Inspection
5th Feb 1918 Baths
6th Feb 1918 Training
7th Feb 1918 Musketry
8th Feb 1918 Preparations
9th Feb 1918 On the Move
10th Feb 1918 Reliefs
11th Feb 1918 Quiet
12th Feb 1918 Quiet
13th Feb 1918 Trench Raid
14th Feb 1918 Reliefs
15th Feb 1918 Working Parties
16th Feb 1918 Shelling
18th Feb 1918 Reinforcements
22nd Feb 1918 Reliefs
23rd Feb 1918 Patrol
25th Feb 1918 Trench Raid
26th Feb 1918 Reliefs
27th Feb 1918 Baths
28th Feb 1918 Working Parties
1st Mar 1918 Working Parties
2nd Mar 1918 Working Parties
3rd Mar 1918 Working Parties
4th Mar 1918 Working Parties
6th Mar 1918 On the Move
6th Mar 1918 Training
12th Mar 1918 Training
13th Mar 1918 On the Move
14th Mar 1918 In Reserve
15th Mar 1918 In Reserve
21st Mar 1918 In Reserve
22nd Mar 1918 On the Move
23rd Mar 1918 In Action
24th Mar 1918 Enemy Push
25th Mar 1918 Hard Fighting
26th Mar 1918 Withdrawal
27th Mar 1918 Counter Attack
28th Mar 1918 Enemy Advance
29th Mar 1918 On the Move
30th Mar 1918 Reliefs
31st Mar 1918 Defence
9th Apr 1918 Working Parties
10th Apr 1918 Reliefs
11th Apr 1918 Reliefs
12th Apr 1918 Attack Made
13th of April 1918 Under Heavy Attack
13th Apr 1918 Reliefs
14th Apr 1918 Shells
15th Apr 1918 Reliefs
16th Apr 1918 In Billets
17th Apr 1918 Working Parties
18th Apr 1918 Change of Billets
19th Apr 1918 Working Parties
20th Apr 1918 Awards
21st Apr 1918 Working Parties
22nd Apr 1918 Working Parties
23rd Apr 1918 Reliefs
24th Apr 1918 Shelling
26th Apr 1918 New Posts
27th Apr 1918 Reliefs
28th Apr 1918 Defence Work
29th Apr 1918 Defence Work
30th Apr 1918 Working Parties
11th May 1918 Reliefs
14th May 1918 Reliefs
17th May 1918 Reliefs
28th May 1918 Hard Fighting
If you can provide any additional information, please add it here.
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| Want to know more about 1st Battalion, Worcestershire Regiment? There are:5352 items tagged 1st Battalion, Worcestershire Regiment available in our Library
These include information on officers, regimental histories, letters, diary entries, personal accounts and information about actions during the Great War.
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Those known to have served with1st Battalion, Worcestershire Regiment during the Great War 1914-1918. - Beale Harry. Pte. (d.12th Mar 1915)
- Beedham Arthur Leonard. Pte. (d.27th May 1918)
- Beedham Arthur Leonard. Pte. (d.6th Jun 1918)
- Blakeman DCM. Richard Leonard. L/Cpl.
- Bullen Francis William. Pte. (d.17th July 1915)
- Burt Francis. Pte.
- Edwards Sidney. Pte.
- Hackett David. Pte. (d.19th Jun 1915)
- Hadley Thomas. L/Cpl. (d.13th March 1915)
- Harrell Albert Reginald. Cpl. (d.27th May 1918)
- Hendy Arthur. Pte.
- Hodgetts Oliver W.. Pte. (d.4th Jun 1915)
- Meecham Frank. Pte. (d.18th July 1916)
- Osben Henry. L/Cpl. (d.16th November 1914)
- Taylor Harold George. Pte. (d.27th May 1918)
- Wise Stanley. Pte. (d.23rd March 1918)
All names on this list have been submitted by relatives, friends, neighbours and others who wish to remember them, if you have any names to add or any recollections or photos of those listed,
please Add a Name to this List
Records of 1st Battalion, Worcestershire Regiment from other sources.
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Pte. Sidney Edwards 1st Btn. Worcestershire Regiment I know little about my grandfather, Sidney Edwards' war other than that found online. He served with the 1st Battalion, Worcestershire Regiment and the Royal Flying Corps in WW1.
He miraculously survived the horrors of the trenches but was documented as having been seen at Barlin casualty clearing station on 29th of December 1916 and diagnosed with influenza.
He remained with his battalion and transferred to the Royal Flying Corps in 1918.
Having been gassed in the trenches towards the end of the war he was able to return to his family safely but suffered breathing problems thereafter due to the effects of the mustard gas.
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Pte. Stanley Wise 1st Btn. Worcestershire Regiment (d.23rd March 1918) The photo includes Stanely Wise from Longleavens in Gloucester, who died in Flanders in 1918 age 21. It's not certain which soldier is Stan.
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Pte. Arthur Leonard Beedham 1st Btn. Worcestershire Regiment (d.6th Jun 1918) Arthur Beedham served with the 1st Btn. Worcestershire Regiment.
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Pte. David Hackett 1st Btn. Worcestershire Regiment (d.19th Jun 1915) The 1911 census shows David Hackett serving with 1st Battalion, Worcestershire Regiment at Carisbrooke Castle, Isle of Wight aged 20
He had enlisted in Birmingham. When war broke out he was
in Egypt with the battalion, and returned home then arrived in France with the British Expeditionary Force on the 5th of November 1914
He was wounded in the area of Aubers in France in June 1915.
David is buried in Boulogne Eastern Cemetery, France. He was one of five sons of Arthur & Alice (née Trickett) Hackett of Shenstone, Staffordshire.
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Pte. Francis Burt 1st Btn. Worcestershire Regiment Frank Burt was my great grand uncle. He was the son of Joseph and Amelia Burt from Bristol.
Frank was captured in 1918 and was a German POW from about July 1918 until the end of the war.
He survived the war and moved to Canada where he was a career miner in Tinmmins, Ontario, Canada. He married Violet Slucutt in 1921. He had two sons, Frank Jr. and Raymond.
He died in Toronto, Ontario, Canada in 1960.
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Pte. Frank Meecham 1st Battalion Worcestershire Regiment (d.18th July 1916) Frank Meecham was my husband's great uncle, very sad for his Grandmother who was Frank's sister. She also lost her other brother, Frederick, the same year in 1916 he served as leading stoker on HMS Invincible which went down in the Battle of Jutland on the 31st May 1916, but they are both named and remembered on a memorial at the top of Binstead Hill on the outskirts of Ryde, Isle of Wight. Lest We Forget.
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Pte. Harry Beale 1st Btn. Worcestershire Regiment (d.12th Mar 1915) Harry Beale is my great uncle. We found a postcard addressed to his brother in Birmingham when he was travelling on the train from Liverpool to Winchester in October 1914. He went to France shortly after and he died from wounds at the battle of Neuve Chappell.
He served with the 1st Battalion, Worcestershire Regiment and died age 23 on the 12th March 1915. He is buried in Estaires Communal Cemetery Extension.
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Pte. Oliver W. Hodgetts 1st Btn. Worcestershire Regiment (d.4th Jun 1915) Pte. O. W. Hodgettswas executed for cowardice 04/06/1915 and buried in The Royal Irish Rifles Graveyard, Laventie, France. He served with the Worcestershire Regiment. He was serving with the 1st Battalion when they arrived on the Western Front on the 8th November 1914 fresh from Egypt.
Some 5 days later the Battalion took up a defensive position in trenches facing Neuve Chapelle and came under heavy bombardment from the enemy during which seven men were killed and 25 wounded.
During the next three days (16th to 19th November 1914) a further 13 men were killed and 27 wounded.
During this period Private Hodgetts went missing but on this occasion no action was taken against him.
On the 19th November 1914 the men of the 1st Battalion exhausted climbed out of the trenches frozen and in heavy snow fall made their way back to billets at La Gorgue, six miles away.
Next day one man in four suffered with frost-bitten hands or feet and in many cases feet or toes had to be amputated. On the 9th May 1915 just prior to the attack on Festubert, Hodgetts went missing yet again just as the Battalion prepared to go into action.
On the 12th May Hodgetts reported to a nearby unit and claimed he had sprained his ankle, but when he was examined by the medical officer no injury was discovered. On 22nd May 1915 he was brought to trial where he was undefended.
Hodgetts conduct sheet showed that he had been sentenced to 90 days field punishment on the 1st March 1915.
His commanding officer Major George W. St. G. Grogan at the trial described Hodgetts as a worthless fighting soldier who was only intent on saving his own skin.
At his court martial Private Hodgetts was found guilty of cowardice.
Field Marshal Sir John French confirmed the sentence and Pte. Hodgetts was shot by firing squad on 4th June 1915.
He was only 20 years of age.
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Pte. Francis William Bullen 1st Btn. Worcester Regiment (d.17th July 1915) Francis William Bullen (18193). A young gardener and son of Benjamin Bullen, he lived at The Shah Pub on the corner of what is now Picknage Road. Enlisting in Royston he was transferred to Worcester where he was a Private in the 1st Battalion, The Worcester Regiment. Killed in action in the Somme area 17th July 1915, he was aged just 18.
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Pte. Arthur Leonard Beedham 1st Btn. Worcestershire Regiment (d.27th May 1918)  Len Beedham, could have missed the war and lived a life. He was a farm hand at a farm near were he lived
at a small village in the Isle of Axholme of Westwoodside.
But he enlisted in the army at Retford & did his training at Cannock then moved to Ashford, Kent were he was stationed till sent to France in May 1918?.
Len, was a skinny 9 stone something, after his army training he had put a few pounds on and filled out and became a handsome young man. After his training at Cannock he went to Ashford in Kent, were he had the photo taken. He was on ten shillings a week he was doing some sort of extra duty that gave him a few bob more in his army pay. Len and thousands like him were not sent to France, Lloyd George kept the troops in the UK but when the German spring offensive 1918, took place he was sent to France.
Unfortunately for him he was sent to the 1st Battalion the Worcesters,
who were reforming and resting after the attack by the Germans in April around the Somme area as reinforcements. As things turned out this area, under French military along the Chemin des Dames, was the next area attacked by the Germans the Worcesters were sent up the line in defence. When the Germans attacked on the 27th May the battalion was decimated.
Len was one of many killed on this day reported as missing. He and many others who were sent to the Regiment as reinforcement never stood a chance, by Bruchmullers bombardment. They did not get to learn any thing of trench war. Talk about being thrown in at the deep end! He was in France a matter of days then dead. His brothers, sisters, mum and his dad only got to know he was killed reported missing near Riems the largest town near to the action. He is named on a memorial in Soissons. Over the years my mums cousin, Ron Shipley, [great aunt Mabels lad] did extensive research and found out more which Len's parents, brothers and sisters never had any idea of.
Its thanks to Ron that we have more on poor Len Beedham 42285 1st Worcesters. He received a soft victory medal for his endeavours, it was in my grandads [Lens youngest brother Alf] wardrobe for many a year, bent and a little battered, now gone! Grandad sat me on his kneed and told me all he knew about Len as told to him by his mum and sisters & brothers
Mabel, Blanche & Horace.
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L/Cpl. Richard Leonard Blakeman DCM. 1st Battalion Worcestershire Regiment Richard Blakeman was my Grandfather and served during The Great War from 5th November 1914, when he would have been just 19 Years old and was discharged injured on 8th June 1917. According to information I have from my Aunt he rescued two comrades at The Battle of Neuve Chappell. I have very little other information of my Grandfather but do have his DCM which bears his rank name and Service Number, it seems for his bravery he was promoted to Lance Corporal.
I have searched Ancestry.co.uk
 records but only have basic information and cannot find any record of his DCM award other than the fact I have the medal in my possession. It would be lovely to find out more.
Editors Note: Medal awards are listed in the London Gazette, which will give you the date of the action.
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