The ‘Camp Diary’ provides an insight into the Bedfordshire Training Depot (1914-16) and No.9 Command Depot (1916-1919) that followed. Based on newspaper reports of the time.

March 1917

News of Ampthill Park recruits at the Front

This month we have lost another 8 Ampthill Recruits. Seven of these died of their wounds, four of them on home soil after being repatriated.

• Casualties
  23460 Private Alexander DRYSDALE of Biggleswade Died at home of Wounds on March 1
  23299 Private Charles BIGGERSTAFF  (21) of Chipperfield Died on March 2
  B/200443 Acting Corporal Arthur R. GROOM (25) of Raunds Died of Wounds on March 9 at the 22nd Casualty Clearing Station in France
  23406 Private Albert E. BIRCH (30) of Hockliffe Died of Wounds on March 11
  31171 Private Arthur H. SMITH of Lavenham Killed in Action on March 13
  29518 Private John B. HIGBY (26) of Raunds Died of Wounds on March 15 at No.45 Casualty Clearing Station
  20861 Private Herbert SAUNDERSON (34) of Stotfold Died of Wounds on March 18 at No.33 Casualty Clearing Station
  40469 Private William HUCKLE of Pavenham Died of Wounds on March 26 at the VAD Hospital in Exeter

Source:

The Bedfordshire Times. The original broadsheet is part of the Bedfordshire & Luton Archive.

Next installment to be published on 30 April 2017….

Text and images copyright S.Hartley (2015-)

Care is taken to ensure accuracy – please accept my apologies if the content contains any errors.

BUY: Stencilling Tommy’s Footprints

This 48 page book tells the story of how Tommy’s Footprints came about and notes the many people who have contributed and connected. There are just 150 individually numbered books. A unique gift.

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Proceeds will help to fund a book about the Ampthill Camp ~ profits to benefit the charity Combat Stress which was founded in 1919 to help WWI veterans deal with shell shock.

£6 (inc p&p). Please email hartleyhare135@gmail.com to order by PayPal or BACS transfer. The book is also available from Ampthill Town Council, The Hub and The Stationery Boutique in Ampthill while stocks last.