5341, Private Eugene Richard BIDMEAD 1896-1917 (General)

by Jefff , West London, Middlesex, Saturday, April 23, 2016, 19:16 (3129 days ago) @ dink999

Thanks Dink, however that link isn't working for me, so maybe too late ?. I do hope not as always good for such items to be reunited with family wherever possible.

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From this site's Records;

Record_ID: 132860
Entry_Number:
Year: 1896
Month: Jun
Day: 24
Parents_Surname: BIDMEAD
Child_Forenames: Eugene Richard
Fathers_Forenames: Rich[ar]d
Mothers_Forenames: Fanny
Mothers_Surname:
Residence: Church St[reet] Newent
Occupation:
Officiating_Minister: W H Dash
Event: Baptism
Memoranda: Born June 4 [18]96
Notes: Christened Wed[nesday]
Register_Reference: D6026/8/1&2
Page_Number: 35
Parish_Chapel: Newent Congregational
Soundex: B353

1901 Church Street, Newent
Name Relation to Head Age Estimated Birth Year Gender Birth Place
Richard Bidmead Head 31 1870 Male Newent, Gloucestershire, England
Fanny Bidmead Wife 36 1865 Female Newent, Gloucestershire, England
John Bidmead Son 9 1892 Male USA
Arthur Bidmead Son 7 1894 Male USA
Bertha Bidmead Daughter 6 1895 Female USA
Eugene Bidmead Son 4 1897 Male Newent, Gloucestershire, England
Cecil Bidmead Son 3 1898 Male Newent, Gloucestershire, England
Marian Bidmead Daughter 1 1900 Female Newent, Gloucestershire, England

1911 Riverlea, Walham Nr Gloucester.
Name Relation to Head Birth Date Age Gender Marital Status Years Married Occupation Birth Place Address
James Watts Head 1865 46 Male Married Foreman Of Brickworks Longford, Gloucestershire
Emma Jane Watts Wife 1862 49 Female Married 5 yrs Sandhurst, Gloucestershire
Horace Smith Boarder 1884 27 Male Single Tin smith Longford, Gloucestershire
Eugene Bidmead Visitor 1897 14 Male Single Painter Newent, Gloucestershire

I cannot find any record of a marriage.

Record_ID: 463
Year: _
Surname: BIDMEAD
Forename: Eugene Richard
Rank: Private
Regiment: 2nd/4th City of Bristol Battalion Territorial Gloucestershire Regiment ex number 5341
Service_Number: 201812
Residence: Newent
Notes_1: KIA 20_January_1917 Remembered or Buried in St Server Cemetery Extension Rouen O IV Q 3
Notes_2: _
Newspaper: _
Date_Published: _
Image: _
Soundex: B353

CWGC site http://www.cwgc.org/find-war-dead/casualty/516012/BIDMEAD,%20E%20R

I've looked-up Pte Bidmead in the old newspapers, and so far have found just this one mention in the Gloucester Journal. I've included the complete article in my next post, as this long list of casualties is such a shocking reminder of that terrible war. What makes it seem even worse is that this weekly list was a "routine" one, and during what was considered a "quiet" period of the War with no major offences so higher casualties !

The Glosters website states;
"In March 1917 the Gloucesters still had twelve battalions on the Western Front, several of which, in various Divisions, were to be involved in the fighting that took place during the cautious pursuit of the German Army as it withdrew back towards the heavily fortified Hindenburg Line.

61st Division (mockingly referred to as the "Sixty-Worst" by some) included 2/4th, 2/5th and 2/6th Gloucesters. Second-Lieutenant W.G. Shipway enlisted as a private soldier with 4th Battalion in 1914, and after his commission in 1916 was posted to 2/4th Battalion, as he explained in his memoir:

"I was posted to the 2/4th Battalion Gloucesters (Territorials) part of the 61st Division (we called it the sixty-worst). This was a second line division which got very few replacements for casualties or wastage. It was not used in main attacks usually but for holding line after attacks and in quiet sectors."
http://www.glosters.org.uk/textonly_timeline/5

Pte Bidmead was also in the 2nd/4th Glosters, his death shows that even life in this so-called "second line" Division was still very dangerous.

The Glosters museum and website have a letter home from the Front dated 24th February 1917 which mentions the death of Eugene Bidmead. It was written by 20314 Private Thomas Charles Stanley Beard, also of 2/4th Battalion Glosters.
http://www.glosters.org.uk/collectionitem.php?id=3876&from=&to=&category=&a...

Sadly the Army Records show that Thomas Beard, who also enlisted in Newent, would die at the Front just a few months later.

(continued next post).