LEATHERHEAD WAR MEMORIALS - WWI
Second Lieutenant Cedric Stewart Howard
F Coy 7th Bn Bedfordshire Regiment
Town Memorial P4.R2.C3
Taken, Not Given, Liam Sumption, L&DLHS
2nd LtCedric S Howard
7th Bedfordshire Regt
Thiepval
Sept 28 1916
Quite a few Leatherhead men served, and died, in the ranks of the Bedfordshires.
One was Cedric Howard, and both the Parish magazine of the Church of St Mary and St Nicholas (May 1915 and subsequent issues) and a memorial within that parish church identify him as previously serving with the Bedfordshire Yeomanry, prior to being commissioned.
Before his untimely death, he saw two days bitter of fighting at Thiepval, which are described in the Bedfords' War Diary. (1)
On 27 September, the Brigade of which the 7th. Bedfordshires formed part, attacked Thiepval and the Schwaben Redoubt. The Battalion received its orders at 2 a.m., and 'zero hour', when it went 'over the top', was fixed at 5.30 a.m.
As usual when crossing 'No Mans Land', the attackers were exposed to heavy rifle and machine-gun fire. However, they managed to get into the enemy trenches where one Subaltern organised bombing parties, for which he was recommended for the Victoria Cross. The testimonials of a Lance Corporal and a Private are attached to the Diary. It must have been savage, as 100 Germans were killed by "rifle fire and bayonet". Only 36 of the enemy surrendered.
The Bedfordshires had forfeited 2 Officers and 110 ORs as casualties. Next day (28th), that of Cedric Howard's death, the Diary says "from early morning until noon everyone going at high-pressure". Eventually the Schwaben Redout fell.
However, as usual, success on the Western Front had been dearly bought. The casualties, including Cedric Howard, who, as invariably is the case of an officer, was individually named, were:
Wounded: Officers 10 - Other Ranks 139
Missing (believed killed): Officers nil - Other Ranks 2
Missing: Officers nil - Other Ranks 26
Total: Officers 15 - Other Ranks 226
241 casualties in total.
All the officers killed wwere Subalterns and one of the wounded officers was subsequently to die of his wounds.
Unusually, a list of the Other Rank casualties by name rank and numbers is attached to the War Diary entry.
Unconnected with Cedric Howard's death, is an unusual entry in the War Diary. On 5th June, it notes the return from leave of Captain Clegg, and says "having been a spectator aboard HMS Revenge at Jutland", Captain Clegg was himself "wounded within three weeks of returning from leave". He must have been the only man to witness both the Battles of the Somme and Jutland (see Victor Barnard and Douglas Edser, lost at Jutland, 31 May 1916).
Sources
1. File WO95-2043 War Diary of 7th Bn Bedfordshire Regiment, Public Record Office, Kew, Richmond
Further research
Second
Lieutenant
HOWARD, CEDRIC STEWART
Died 28/09/1916
Aged 22
"F" Coy. 7th Bn. Bedfordshire Regiment
Son of Albert and Helen Alice Howard, of 10, Cutcliff Place. Bedford.
INSCRIPTION
HE HATH DELIVERED MY SOUL IN PEACE FROM BATTLE
Buried at MILL
ROAD CEMETERY, THIEPVAL
Location: Somme, France
Cemetery/memorial reference: I. B. 1.
He was listed in the July 1915 and January and March Leatherhead Parish Magazines as being among those in the Territorial Battalions, or New Army, his case in the Bedfordshire Yeomanry but there was no report of his death.
In the Bedford Yeomanry he was a Private, service number 808. On 27 June 1916 he was transferred to the Bedfordshire Regiment and made a Temporary 2nd Lieutenant (source IWM, with headstone photo).
Dorking and Leatherhead Advertiser
Saturday 14 October 1916