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Cpl. Frank Cecil Gardiner
British Army 2nd Bn Bedfordshire Regiment
from:Wickham Hall, Bishops Stortford, Herts
(d.28th Mar 1918)
Frank Gardiner was my wife's grandfather who never got to see his son. He was the son of James and Laura Gardiner of Wickham Hall, Bishops Stortford, Herts; husband of Mabel Gardiner, of 20, Holmwood Grove, Harrowgate Hill, Darlington.
He served with the 2nd Bn., Bedfordshire Regiment and was killed age 22 on 28 March 1918, remembered with honour on the Pozieres Memorial, Commemorated in perpetuity by the Commonwealth War Graves Commission.
My records show that Frank was born in Harleston, Norfolk but lived in Middleton St George in Durham when he enlisted, which he did from Bedford. His service number is one that was changed in March 1917 from a 4 digit one to a 6 digit one. Originally, it would have been around 3200, which makes it issued in April 1914, suggesting he was a Territorial Army soldier before the war broke out. Normally, I expect to see chaps like him in the 5th Battalion, landing on Gallipoli in August 1915, etc. In his case, though he seems to have been trained in that battalion, but been held back. Why I cannot say for sure as it could have been down to several factors. Does not appear to have been his age so have to assume it was something else? He still had his Territorial Army number when he fell, which tells me he was not in the 2nd Btn for long, otherwise his number would have been changed. That seems to fit in with his marriage too; so Mabel was only married 6 months before becoming a widow? How horrible! I think the 3rd/5th Btn were up Durham way training & guarding the coastline but there is so little recorded about them I have no definite dates etc. Just articles from newspapers telling of letters home from that part of the country.
When he went abroad into the 2nd Btn he spent a week from 21/3/1918 until his death in a horrific battle. On the opening day of battle they were in the 2nd lines behind a Btn of Manchesters who were wiped out during an incredible stand to the last during which their CO won a VC. The 2nd Btn got hit hard & repeatedly but only retired when it transpired the Germans were behind them and on both open flanks as the Btns all around them had been forced back. They spent a week fighting hard, constantly retiring at the last moment when capture was imminent, then turning round again and stopping the attacking Germans in their tracks before repeating the retirement. Their battle started near St Quentin and after 4 days of constant fighting and marching, they found themselves many miles further back lining the Canal du Nord, with their lines straddling the Biverchy Bridge, as the remnants of the British Fifth Army passed through them.
By the morning of the 25th March the Germans massed for another attack on the opposite side of the Canal du Nord, where the 90th Brigade held the line. Heavy shelling from both British and German artillery preceded the attack, causing many casualties. Despite their best attempts and sustaining serious levels of casualties, the Germans could not break the will of the British defenders, many of whom had been in continuous fighting since the 21st. However, at 5pm, the French to the south fell back, forcing a domino effect on the British lines and at 6pm, the Battalion were ordered to withdraw once again.
By route marches and bus rides, the Bedfords were transported some 25km due west to Arvillers, where they billeted for the night – the first night they had spent under cover since the 20th. Following Gough’s famous order that the “Fifth Army must hold at all costsâ€, they did just that and stemmed the German advance again. The Bedford’s spent the 26th and 27th holding the enemy back around Le Quesnoy (6km north west of Roye) with great success, as the remnants of the Fifth Army stood fast. The Third Army to the north and French Army to the south fell back some six miles, yet the Fifth held. The 26th was a quiet day and that night patrols were sent towards the German lines. They ran into nothing until just outside the village of Le Quesnoy itself and the front line listened to German artillery rolling into and through the village all night. The following morning saw the artillery open up along their frontage and several infantry assaults were brought to a bloody halt before they came close to the British lines. Noon on the 27th saw the Germans get through to the south of the battalion on the right of the Bedfords, forcing them to withdraw to a new line along the Arviller-Folies road, 4km west, and once they had dug into their new positions they laid low. Other than heavy shelling which further reduced the size of the battalion, no more infantry attacks developed that day.
That night the planned French relief did not happen and no food or rations were brought up, but they were used to that by now, having survived on very little for the last week. So, they settled down for what turned out to be a quiet night out under the stars once more. The following morning (the 28th) saw them repel yet another determined attack that took the Germans to within 100 yards of their positions but no nearer. However, the enemy had got into the villages on both flanks (Arvillers and Folie) and by 2.30pm, they were ordered to withdraw under heavy Machine Gun and shell fire, 9km along the Amiens road to Mezieres, where they were finally fed. From this point, the 2nd Battalion of the Bedfordshire Regiment were moved into reserve (battalion Shot Cup winner)
