Current Information:

Age-18

Born-Brixton

Haute-Avesnes British Cemetery, France

The exact circumstances of the death of Joseph Bidgood, who was killed on 3rd October, 1916, are not known but artillery men faced many dangers and during the course of the war nearly 50,000 of them were killed. Their gun batteries were targeted by the enemy’s guns which accounted for many of their casualties. Others were sent forward to act as ‘spotters’ which meant going forward to the front line and signalling back to the guns necessary changes in target and other vital information. Keeping the batteries supplied with ammunition was a dangerous task as the enemy guns would target the known supply routes, especially at night. Brigade Diaries rarely shine any light on casualties sustained, unless of course they were officers and even then information is sparse.

301 Brigade, originally the 2/6th London Brigade, of the Royal Field Artillery was part of 60th Division which arrived in France in June, 1916 before moving to Salonika in November of that year. During their five months on the Western Front during the second half of 1916, they were in the line in the Ecoivres sector just to the north of Arras.