The Bedfordshire Regiment in the Great War

The sinking of the S.S. Aragon, 30th December 1917

The S.S. Aragon goes down

1917 was a dreadful year for the Allied powers, despite the gains made both on the Western Front and in the Eastern Mediterranean theatre. The Arras offensives in April were deemed a success despite the highest daily casualty rate suffered in a battle by British forces during the war, with the years big push (the "Third Ypres" or "Passchendaele") achieving it's objective but at a horrendous cost in life. The Russian Army had left the field after their famous revolution and the French Army all but mutinied, refusing to go on the offensive due to their heavy losses in attack after attack. Offensive operations were, therefore, left to the British and Empire forces, who reached a very low ebb and almost broke their own morale in the mud around Passchendaele. As the years carnage settled into the usual winter routines of simply holding the lines, further losses awaited the British forces at the very end of 1917.

On the 30th December 1917, the Troopship S.S. Aragon arrived at Alexandria Harbour, having sailed from Marseilles on the 17th December. She was laden with around 2,700 troops bound for the conflicts in Palestine.

As she arrived in a convoy bound for the port, the rest of the ships sailed onwards to Alexandria and she lay up ten miles off shore, awaiting her escort. The 9588 tons of ocean liner drifted gently as she waited within sight of land but was torpedoed by the German Submarine and minelayer the UC-34.

The destroyer HMS Attack dashed to her rescue as she sunk quickly, as well as every available ship within reach. Many of the men rescued and taken onto the HMS Attack had just stripped their oil drenched clothes from their bodies and laid on the deck when she too was torpedoed by the same submarine, almost blowing her in two.

The following day - New Years Eve - just as the rescue was called off, fleet auxiliary craft HMS Osmanieh also hit a mine in the area, taking another 197 soldiers and nurses down with her.

610 of the 2,700 passengers on board the HMS Aragon were lost at sea, including 25 of the new draft bound for the 5th Battalion of the Bedfordshire regiment.

Roll of Honour; men of the 5th Battalion who drowned at sea on the 30th December 1917.

Private 49065 Frank Francis ALLAWAY

Born in Oxford, enlisted Bedford, resident of Northchurch in Herts, Drowned on the 30th December 1917 and remembered on the Chatby Memorial to the missing.

Private 21776 Herbert BEAMISS

Born Ely in Cambs, enlisted from Bury St. Edmunds, resident of Ely. Drowned on the 30th December 1917 and remembered on the Chatby Memorial to the missing.

Private 23397 Edward George BEESLEY

Born in Stamford, Northants, enlisted from Bedford, resident of Ramsey in Hunts. Edward was the son of Mr and Mrs Joseph Beesley of 4 Palmers Yard, Great Whyte, Ramsey, Hunts Drowned on the 30th December 1917 aged 21 and remembered on the Chatby Memorial to the missing and the Ramsey War Memorial in Huntingdonshire (below).

Private 203274 Joseph Samuel CAVES [CAYES]

Born at Elstow in Beds, enlisted from Bedford, resident of Elstow. Drowned on the 30th December 1917 and remembered on the Chatby Memorial to the missing.

Private 21788 Charles Edward EASTLAND

Born at Woodmanstern in Surrey, enlisted from Kingston-on- Thames, resident of Little Banstead in Surrey Charles was the son of George John and Clara Eastland of 9 Kingscroft Road, Woodmansterne, Banstead, Surrey. Drowned on the 30th December 1917 aged 19 and remembered on the Chatby Memorial to the missing.

Private 21759 Cyril Frederick ELSY

Born in Sheffield, enlisted from Chiswick in Middx, resident at Ripon in Yorkshire, Cyril was the son of William F. and Annie Elsy of 3 Littlethorpe Terrace, Ripon and formerly served as M/299955 in the ASC.. Drowned on the 30th December 1917 aged 19 and remembered on the Chatby Memorial to the missing.

Private 28868 Leonard Charles ENGLISH

Born in King's Langley, Herts, enlisted fromNorwich, a resident of Gorleston-on-Sea Drowned on the 30th December 1917 and remembered on the Chatby Memorial to the missing.

Private 200190 Alfred GEORGE

Born in Kempston, Beds, enlisted from Bedford, resident of Bedford Drowned on the 30th December 1917 and remembered on the Chatby Memorial to the missing.

Private 39234 Charles Robert GREGORY

Born at Camberwell in Surrey, enlisted from Camberwell, resident of Peckham in Surrey Charles was the husband of Edith M. C. Gregory and served in F [C] Company. Drowned on the 30th December 1917 and remembered on the Chatby Memorial to the missing.

Private 31908 Walter HODSON

Born Sawtry in Hunts, enlisted from Bedford, resident of Sawtry. Drowned on the 30th December 1917 and remembered on the Chatby Memorial to the missing.

Private 27798 William JINKS

Born at Eye in Northants, enlisted from Bedford, resident of Orton Longueville in Hunts William was the son of the late Henry and Kizziah Jinks Drowned on the 30th December 1917 aged 39 and remembered on the Chatby Memorial to the missing.

Private 43368 Frederick JOYCE

Born at Northampton, enlisted from Rugby, resident of Bugbrooke in Northants Frederick was the son of T. James and Joanna E.M.M. Joyce of 54 Ruskin Rd., Kingsthorpe in Northampton and formerly served as Private 20323 in the Northamptonshire Regiment. Drowned on the 30th December 1917 aged 23 and remembered on the Chatby Memorial to the missing.

Private 48057 George Stephen MACMILLAN

Born at Islington in Middlesex, enlisted from Bedford, resident of Bushey in Herts. George was the husband of Mabel Macmillan of 42 London Road in Clapton, London. Drowned on the 30th December 1917 aged 35 and remembered on the Chatby Memorial to the missing.

Private 21810 James Samuel MARKHAM

Born at lken in Suffolk, enlisted from Woolwich in Kent, resident of Melton in Suffolk. James formerly served as 211102 in the Bedfordshire Territorial RFA Drowned on the 30th December 1917 and remembered on the Chatby Memorial to the missing.

C.Q.M.S. 45202 Donald MCDONALD

Born at Ardgour in Argyll, enlisted from Ardgour, resident of Cardington in Bedfordshire. Donald was the son of John and Jean McDonald of Ardgour in Argyllshire and the husband of Cora E. Brooks (formerly McDonald) of Berrington Lane, Cardington in Bedfordshire. CQMS McDonald served initially as Sergeant 942 in the Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders He drowned on the 30th December 1917 aged 26 but his body was the only Bedford to be recovered. He is buried at the Hadra Military Cemetery in Alexandria

Private 266567 James Edward MEALING

Born at Sandridge in Herts, enlisted from Hertford, resident of St. Albans. Drowned on the 30th December 1917 and remembered on the Chatby Memorial to the missing.

Private 21638 James William MILLS

Born at Sparshott in Hunts, enlisted from Canterbury in Kent, resident of Folkestone in Kent Drowned on the 30th December 1917 and remembered on the Chatby Memorial to the missing.

Private 30901 Arthur William MINNIS

Born at Hitchin, enlisted from Bedford, resident of Hitchin. Drowned on the 30th December 1917 and remembered on the Chatby Memorial to the missing.

Private 31780 William Ewart PERRY

Born, enlisted from and a resident of Bedford William was the son of Joseph and Elizabeth Perry of 81, Hassett Street in Bedford Drowned on the 30th December 1917 aged 19 and remembered on the Chatby Memorial to the missing.

Private 21757 Samuel Thomas SIMPSON

Born at Charles in Devon, enlisted from and a resident of Plymouth. Samuel was the son of Samuel and Ellen Simpson of 31, Grenville Road in St. Judas, Plymouth and formerly M/300962 in the ASC. Drowned on the 30th December 1917 aged 19 and remembered on the Chatby Memorial to the missing.

Private 21806 Cecil Aubrey WEARNE

Born at Truro in Cornwall, enlisted from Colchester, resident of Clacton-on-Sea. Drowned on the 30th December 1917 and remembered on the Chatby Memorial to the missing.

Private 31896 Frederick Cyril WESTWOOD

Cyril, as he was known locally, was born around 1897 in Stevenage in Herts. Gaining an entrance scholarship, he was educated at Alleyne's Grammar School between 1910 and 1913.

Still a resident of Stevenage at the time, Cyril enlisted from Hitchin in Herts and after training joined the Bedfords in France in October 1916, possibly the 8th Battalion. After recovering from wounds to both legs sustained at Loos, he was among a draft sent to the 5th Battalion in the Middle East, boarding the SS Aragon which was bound for 'somewhere out east'.

Cyril was among those who drowned on 30 December 1917, aged 20. He was the son of Mr. E. and Mrs. A. Westwood of 26, High Street, Stevenage and is remembered on the Chatby Memorial to the missing, in addition to his fathers gravestone in St. Nicholas churchyard, Stevenage, shown below.

[With thanks to Eirwen Palmer who is researching the Alleyne School 'Old Boys' and will be producing a book / booklet on the subject]

Private 14536 Walter WHITE

Born at Marden Bradley in Wiltshire, enlisted from Watford in Herts, resident of Tyttenhanger Green in Herts Walter was the son of Robert J. and Lucy White of 33 Stourton Lane, Stourton, Wilts Drowned on the 30th December 1917 aged 25 and remembered on the Chatby Memorial to the missing.

Private 271173 Douglas Ernest WILLIAMS

Born at New Cross in Kent, enlisted from Clerkenwell in Middx., resident of New Cross Douglas was the son of Mrs. K. Williams of 10A Ruddigore Road, New Cross, London. He was previously wounded as he served as private 3413 in the London Regiment in France and drowned on the 30th December 1917 aged 16 (sixteen). He is remembered on the Chatby Memorial to the missing.

Private 21798 James William WRIGHT

Born Great Snoring in Norfolk, enlisted from Cromer, resident of Walsingham. Drowned on the 30th December 1917 and remembered on the Chatby Memorial to the missing.

May you all rest in peace, knowing that your efforts are still remembered and your sacrifice honoured.

Although the Regiment's name is, unusually, incorrectly spelt, this is the panel devoted to those from the Regiment who drowned during the war.