In the Tunisian campaign, Bidwell commanded a battery of the 74th Medium Regiment (Surrey and Sussex Yeomanry), for which he was mentioned in despatches. In June 1943 he became the brigade major (Royal Artillery) of the 2nd Army Group Royal Artillery, with which he participated in the landings at Salerno. He was a student at Staff College, Haifa, from March to May 1944, and then returned to Italy, where he served on the Royal Artillery staff of the 6th Armoured Division. In October 1944 he returned to Haifa as a member of the instructional staff there. In 1945 he was appointed second in command of the 1st Regiment Royal Horse Artillery, and transferred to the Royal Horse Artillery.