Joseph samuel Favell MM
Private 14237 Joseph of the 7th Battalion Bedfordshire Regiment was awarded the Military Medal in August 1917 when he was just nineteen years old. Joseph was born in Bedfordshire on the 3rd of December 1897 to Joseph Favell and his wife Alice. In 1901 the family were living in Clapham, Bedfordshire, where his father worked from home as a Bootmaker. 3 year old Joseph, had older siblings Allan, Frank and George, (9,7 and 5 years old) and a younger infant brother John. By 1911, 13 year old Joseph was working as an errand boy for a Baker. His mother had died and there were now a total of nine children in all, some of whom had already left home. His older brother George was for a Butcher, while another was at school. There were younger sisters, nine year old Rosemary and four year old Ivy. Also, listed as living with them as ‘house keeper’ is Marther Chamberlain, a 59-year-old married woman. Shortly, Joseph’s older brother George, aged just 16, headed to Canada. He landed at Quebec with a 6 year old younger sister Mary and was headed for Ottowa, to stay with an older sister.
In late 1914 war broke out with Germany. Like many young men, Joseph may have jumped at the opportunity to join the army, believing that the war would be short lived, and not wanting to miss the opportunity of some excitement and travel. Maybe he was also attracted by the possibility of being housed, clothed, paid and well fed. Joseph would have been 16 years old in September 1914 so would not have been able to sign up unless it was to become a bugler or act in some similar boy soldier role. He should have been 18 years old to sign up and 19 before he could fight. Like many others, he most probably lied about his age and an unscrupulous recruiting sergeant turned a blind eye or failed to ask any searching questions.
His brother George, only recently arrived in Canada and now a carpenter, was doing the very same thing. On the 12th November, George signed up in Kingston, Ontario, for the duration of the war at the age of 19 years and 1 month and was assigned to the 17th Battery, 6th Brigade Canadian Field Artillery, Expeditionary Force.
Joseph joined the 7th Battalion Bedfordshire Regiment that was formed at in September 1914, as part of Lord Kitchener’s second call to arms for another 100,000 men to enlist into the rapidly expanding British Army. The newly formed Battalion became part of the Second New Army and were attached to the 15th (Scottish) Division whilst training. On 25th February 1915, the Battalion were moved into the 54th Brigade of the 18th (Eastern) Division.
The 18th Division was formed from the 53rd, 54th and 55th Infantry Brigades, who were all formed from battalions drawn from East Anglia, the Home Counties, south-east and south-central England. The following battalions formed the 54th Brigade and served together as a tactical unit:
- 7th Battalion, the Bedfordshire Regiment.
- 6th Battalion, the Northamptonshire Regiment.
- 11th Battalion, the Royal Fusiliers.
- 12th Battalion, Middlesex Regiment (until disbanded in February 1918).
The 7th battalion served entirely in France and Flanders between their arrival in July 1915 and their disbandment in May 1918. The battalion won a well deserved reputation and served with distinction, winning numerous gallantry medals – including two Victoria Crosses – and were involved in major battles every year of their service. There are few examples of them not taking a position when attacking, or allowing enemy attacks to beat them back, as the entire Division won a reputation as one of the British Army’s best units.
In 1916, the 7th battalion were heavily engaged during the battles of the Somme 1916, specifically at the Battle of Albert (including the storming of the Pommiers Redoubt on the 1st July 1916), the Battle of Bazentin (when the Division captured Trones Wood 14th July 1916), the Battle of Thiepval in September (including the storming of the northern section of Thiepval village and the front face of the Schwaben Redoubt on the 28th and 29th September 1916). The battalion were also involved during the Battle of the Ancre in November, albeit in a supporting role.
In 1917 they were again heavily engaged all year. The first operations were during the Operations on the Ancre, including the Actions of Miraumont in February and the Capture or Irles (on the Loupart Line) in March. Next, they were engaged in following up the German retreat to the Hindenburg Line in March, including the storming of Achiet-le-Grand between the 15th and 20th March 1917. In May they were also engaged in the Battle of Arras, namely at the Third Battle of the Scarpe. The final battle of 1917 was to be the Battles of Ypres 1917 (also called the Third Battle of Ypres, or Passchendaele), specifically in the Capture of Westhoek in August, the First Battle of Passchendaele in October.
The battalion war diary states that on the 17-9-17 the battalion received 30 Military Medal awards for good work on 9th / 16th August.
The Battles of Ypres 1917 – the capture of Westhoek. At 3.30 AM all companies were formed up for the attack timed for 4.35 AM. The forming up was carried out in an exceedingly steady manner under considerable enemy artillery and M/G fire and great credit is due to the company commanders for the cool and deliberate manner in which they handled their companies. At zero hour 4.35 an intense British barrage opened and the battalion moved forward close under its protection. The battalion famous for its fighting spirit in the past eclipsed all former deeds of gallantry, when heavy wire held up the foremost men, those behind stood on lumps of earth and rubbish and fired over the heads of those cutting the wire, seldom have any troops shown such brilliant dash and utter contempt for the Bosch.
The citation for the bravery award appeared in the London Gazette in November 1917.
In 1918 the battalion were heavily engaged yet again, in the First Battles of the Somme 1918 (also called the German Spring Offensives, “Operation Michael” or Kaiserschlacht), namely in the Battle of St Quentin and the actions on the Somme crossings in March, the Battle of the Avre in April, and the action at Villers-Bretonneux on the 24th April 1918.
A battalion would usually have comprised of around 1,000 men. During the war, the 7th battalion lost around 830 men killed in action, and around 3,500 additional casualties. Joseph landed in France on the 26th July 1915 and remained in France and Belgium until 1918 making him one of few in that battalion to survive the entire war.
In 1918 Joseph was transferred to the 11th battalion of the Royal Fusiliers and allocated a new service number 95450. He was awarded the 1915 Star, the British War Medal and the Victory Medal in addition to his Military Medal. He suffered the same problems as many of us do today, as although the 1914 star is to Favell, the MM is to Favel and the Victory to Fravell. All carry the same service number and Bedfordshire Regiment designation where his service gained the entitlement. His British War Medal is currently missing.
After the war Joseph did not return to Bedfordshire, but chose to live in Middlesborough, North Yorkshire. Around 1915 his father had secured a position as Master Shoe Maker at the Holgate Institution in Middlesborough and the younger Joseph followed him there, as did his brother Allan. Joseph met his wife Catherine while in Middlesbrough where their marriage was registered. Quite possibly they both worked at the Institution along with Joseph’s father. The Institution was the municipal workhouse but in 1930 became the municipal hospital, coinciding with the return to Joseph senior to Bedfordshire.
By 1939 Joseph and Catherine were to be found in Epsom, surrey, both working as Porters in the Epsom County Institution Hospital.
Joseph Samuel Favell died in Surrey in 1970.