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1st Battalion, Sherwood Foresters
1st Battalion, Sherwood Foresters (Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire Regiment) were in Bombay, India when war broke out in August 1914. They returned to England, landing at Plymouth on the 2nd of October 1914 and joined 24th Brigade, 8th Division at Hursley Park, Winchester. They proceeded to France, landing at Le Havre on the 5th of November a much needed reinforcement to the BEF and remained on the Western Front throughout the war. In 1915 they were in action at The Battle of Neuve Chapelle, The Battle of Aubers and The action of Bois Grenier. On the 18th of October 1915 24th Brigade transferred to 23rd Division to instruct the inexperienced troops. In March 1916 23rd Division took over the front line between Boyau de l'Ersatz and the Souchez River in the Carency sector from the French 17th Division, an area exposed to heavy shelling. In mid April they withdrew to Bruay returning to the Carency sector in mid May just before the German attack on Vimy Ridge, in the sector to their right. On the 15th of June 1916 24th Brigade returned to 8th Division. In 1916 They were in action at the Battle of The Somme. In 1917 they fought in The German retreat to the Hindenburg Line and then moved to Flanders and were in action in The Battle of Pilkem and The Battle of Langemarck. In 1918 they saw action during The Battle of St Quentin, The actions at the Somme crossings, The Battle of Rosieres, The actions of Villers-Bretonneux, The Battle of the Aisne, The Battle of the Scarpe and The Final Advance in Artois including the capture of Douai.
19th Sep 1914 Divisional HQ Opens
2nd Oct 1914 Concentration
27th Oct 1914 Exercise
29th Oct 1914 Route March
30th Oct 1914 Concentration Complete
31st Oct 1914 Mud
4th Nov 1914 On the Move
5th Nov 1914 On the Move
6th Nov 1914 Delays
7th Nov 1914 Delays
8th Nov 1914 On the Move 
9th Nov 1914 Into Billets
30th Dec 1914 Message
12th Mar 1915 Helping the Wounded
13th Mar 1915 Lucky Escape
24th Mar 1915 Five Hospitals
9th May 1915 The Battle of Aubers Ridge: The Northern pincer 2.30am: all units in the North report that they are in position, having assembled at night.
4.06am: sunrise and all very quiet on this front.
5.00am: British bombardment opens with field guns firing shrapnel at the German wire and howitzers firing High Explosive shells onto front line. Many reports are received that British 4.7-inch shells are falling short, and even on and behind the British front line (Later it is agreed that this is due to faulty ammunition, as well as excessive wear to gun barrels).
5.30am: British bombardment intensifies, field guns switch to HE and also fire at breastworks. Two guns of 104th Battery, XXII Brigade RFA had been brought up into the 24th Brigade front and they now opened fire at point blank range against the enemy breastworks; they blow several gaps, although one of the guns is inaccurate due to the unstable ground on which it is located. The lead battalions of the two assaulting Brigades of 8th Division (24th Brigade has 2/Northants and 2/East Lancashire in front; 25th Brigade has 2/Rifle Brigade, 1/Royal Irish Rifles and 1/13 London Regiment (Kensingtons)) move out into the narrow No Man's Land (in this area it is only 100-200 yards across). German bayonets can be seen behind their parapet.
5.40am: On the further advance the 2nd East Lancs are hit by heavy machine-gun and rifle fire by the time they had progressed thirty yards from their own trench; the 2nd Northants, coming up ten minutes later, were similarly hit, but a party got through one of the gaps blown by the field guns, and into the German front trench. The attack of 25th Brigade is much more successful: the wire on the left had been well-cut and the infantry poured through, crossing the almost-undamaged breastworks and into the German fire trenches. They moved onto the first objective (a bend
in the Fromelles road), and the Rifle Brigade bombers extended the trench system they occupied to 250 yards broad. On the blowing of the two mines at 5.40am, the lead companies of the Kensingtons rushed to occupy the
craters, moved forward to capture Delangre Farm, and then formed a defensive flank as ordered.
6.10am: Brig.Gen. Oxley (24th Brigade) orders the support battalion, 1st Notts & Derbys, to support the attack of the Lancashires, but they are also held up with high losses, at almost unbroken wire. The front and communication trenches are by now very crowded and chaotic; German shelling adds to confusion. By now, the fire across No Man's Land was so intense that forward movement was all but impossible. The support battalion of the 25th Brigade, the 2nd Lincolns, was ordered forward, to cross by the craters; they did so, despite losing many men on the way. Men of the Brigade were at this time seen to be retiring to their front line, having apparently received a shouted order. German prisoners, making their way to the British lines, were mistaken for a counterattack and there was a great deal of confusion. Brig.Gen Lowry Cole, CO 25th Brigade, was mortally wounded when standing on the British parapet in an attempt to restore order.
8.30am: the attack had established three small lodgements in the enemy positions, but they were not in contact with each other and were under tremendous pressure. Otherwise the attack had come to a standstill and all movement into or out of the trench system had become impossible. The men in the German positions were cut off.
8.45am and again at 11.45am: Haig orders Rawlinson (CO, IV Corps) to vigorously press home the attack.
1.30pm: A renewed attack with 2nd Queens of 22nd Brigade in support, did not take place as the troops were heavily shelled in the assembly areas and many casualties were suffered even before the original support lines had been reached. Major-General Gough (CO, 7th Division, whose 21st Brigade had now also been ordered forward by Haig) reported that after a personal reconnaissance he was certain that forward movement was at the present time impossible.
5.00pm: General Haig, hearing of the continued failure of the Southern attack and the hold-up after initial success of the Northern attack, orders a bayonet attack at dusk, 8.00pm.
2nd Battalion Queens (Royal West Surrey Regiment)
9th May 1915 The Battle of Aubers Ridge: Evening and Night 2nd Battalion Queens (Royal West Surrey Regiment)
6.00pm: such chaos in the trench system and on the roads and tracks leading to it that it becomes clear that fresh units will not be ready for the 8pm attack. Haig cancels the attack and rides to Indian Corps HQ at Lestrem, to meet with all Corps commanders to consider the next moves.
7.30pm: the meeting breaks up having decided to renew the attack next day, taking advantage of night to reorganise. Efforts were made throughout the evening to reinforce the small garrisons of the lodgements in the enemy trenches. 26 men of the 2/Northants, of which 10 were wounded, returned to the British front.
2.30am 10 May: the 200 or so surviving Rifle Brigade and Royal Irish Rifles were withdrawn from their position, all efforts to reinforce them having been repulsed.
3.00am 10 May: the last few Kensingtons also returned from their position; all British troops were now out of the German lines. Around this time, First Army HQ, having by now got a good picture of the losses, failures and general conditions, called a Commanders conference for 9.00am, to take place at I Corps HQ on the Locon road, some 1.5 miles from Bethune.
9.00am 10 May: the Army and Corps commanders and staffs in attendance learned that there was insufficient artillery ammunition to continue two attacks. (The Secretary of State for War, Kitchener, had also just ordered a considerable portion of existing stocks to be sent to the Dardanelles); for example there were only some 3,000 18-lbr rounds left, and some of that was way behind the firing positions. They also heard that the 4.7-inch ammunition that had caused problems on IV Corps front was too defective for further use and that the fuzes on 15-inch heavy rounds were also defective and the shells simply did not burst on hitting the wet ground. All further orders for renewing the attack were cancelled at 1.20pm; the views of the conference were transmitted to GHQ. 7th
Division was ordered to move from it's position north of Neuve Chapelle to the south of it, with a view to strengthening a future offensive there.
British casualties from the 9 May attacks continued to move through the Field Ambulances for at least three days after the attack.
More than 11,000 British casualties were sustained on 9 May 1915, the vast majority within yards of their own front-line trench. Mile for mile, Division for Division, this was one of the highest rates of loss during the entire war.
There is no memorial to the attack at Aubers Ridge.
15th May 1915 Relief
15th of September 1915 Reliefs
2nd Feb 1916 Instruction
23rd Apr 1916 Reliefs
11th May 1916 Boiling Blood
5th Aug 1916 Reliefs
29th Oct 1917 Reliefs
14th Feb 1918 Reliefs
26th Feb 1918 Reliefs
27th Mar 1918 Pushed Back
11th May 1918 Reliefs
12th May 1918 Wet Day
13th May 1918 Heavy Shelling
14th May 1918 Reliefs
15th May 1918 Hot Day
16th May 1918 Recce
17th May 1918 Reliefs
18th May 1918 Quiet
19th May 1918 Visit
20th May 1918 Hot Day
21st May 1918 Quiet
22nd May 1918 Artillery Active
23rd May 1918 Orders
24th May 1918 Reliefs
25th May 1918 In Reserve
26th May 1918 Church Parade
27th May 1918 In Action
28th May 1918 Hard Fighting
If you can provide any additional information, please add it here.
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These include information on officers, regimental histories, letters, diary entries, personal accounts and information about actions during the Great War.
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Those known to have served with1st Battalion, Sherwood Foresters during the Great War 1914-1918. - Barnett Henry. Pte. (d.31st Jul 1917)
- Baron Brian Percival. 2nd Lt. (d.5th Jul 1916)
- Blake John Horace. L/Sgt. (d.19th September 1915)
- Buckthorp Arthur Willie. Pte.
- Clewley Tom. Pte. (d.5th Jul 1916)
- Cooper Ernest. Pte. (d.26th December 1917)
- Elcock Francis Willie. Pte. (d.9th Jun 1917)
- Fentem Frederick Samuel. L/Cpl. (d.19th Jun 1919)
- Fentem Frederick Samuel. L/Cpl. (d.19th June 1915)
- Harvey DCM. John Henry. Pte. (d.17th Nov 1918)
- Jeavons William Henry. Sgt.
- Limb MM Fred. Pte.
- Limerick John F. Pte. (d.27th Apr 1915)
- Meadows Ernest. Pte. (d.31st July 1917)
- Nixon Leonard. Pte. (d.3rd Jun 1918)
- O'Neill Frank. Pte. (d.16th May 1918)
- Pollard MSM. William Henry. C.Q.M.S.
- Richardson Alexander John. Cpl.
- Rivers VC Jacob. Pte. (d.12th March 1915)
- Simcock John William. Pte (d.27th May 1918)
- Smith MM. Arthur. Pte.
- Thomas White. Pte. (d.13th Mar 1915)
- Truman MM. Thomas Ralph. Pte.
- Tyre Archibald Campbell. Pte (d.27th May 1918)
- Ward Charles Francis. T/WO
- Wesson Alfred. Cpl. (d.12th May 1915)
- Wesson George Henry. Sgt. (d.9th May 1915)
- Whittaker John. Pte. (d.22nd Jul 1916)
All names on this list have been submitted by relatives, friends, neighbours and others who wish to remember them, if you have any names to add or any recollections or photos of those listed,
please Add a Name to this List
Records of 1st Battalion, Sherwood Foresters from other sources.
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Pte. Jacob Rivers VC 1st Btn. Sherwood Foresters (Notts and Derby Regiment) (d.12th March 1915) Jacob Rivers was killed in action on the 12th of March 1915, aged 32 and is commemorated on The Le Touret Memorial in France.
He was the son of Mrs. Adeline Rivers, of 4 House, Wide Yard, Bridge Gate, Derby
An extract from the London Gazette, dated 27th April, 1915, records the following:- "For most conspicuous bravery at Neuve-Chapelle on 12th March, 1915, when he, on his own initiative, crept to within a few yards of a very large number of the enemy who were massed on the flank of an advanced company of his battalion, and hurled bombs on them. His action caused the enemy to retire, and so relieved the situation. Pte. Rivers performed a second act of great bravery on the same day, similar to the first mentioned, again causing the enemy to retire. He was killed on this occasion."
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2nd Lt. Brian Percival Baron 1st Btn. Sherwood Foresters (d.5th Jul 1916) Sydney Baron was my great uncle.
He was born in 1889.
He was killed in action at the Battle of the Somme during the attack on La Boisselle on the 5th of July 1916.
His name is found on the Thiepval Memorial.
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Pte. Francis Willie Elcock 11th Btn. Sherwood Foresters (d.9th Jun 1917) Francis was born in 1896 in Eckington, Derbyshire.
He died from his wounds, aged 21 and is buried at Etaples Military Cemetery. The headstone carries the inscription "Forever in our Thoughts".
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Cpl. Alfred Wesson 1st Battalion Sherwood Foresters (d.12th May 1915) Alfred Wesson arrived in France on 4th November 1914 as part of the 1st Battalion, Sherwood Foresters. He died of wounds on 12th of May 1915, we presume these were incurred at the Battle of Neuve Chapelle on 9th May. He was taken to Wimereux Hospital where he died, his grave can be found in Wimereux Communal Cemetery.
Alfred arrived in France on 4th November 1914 with his brother Harry Wesson. Harry was killed in action on 9th May 1915. Alfred was awarded the Victory Medal and British Medal. All this information was gleaned from British Medal Roll 1914-1920 and the CWGC website. I have a very grainy photograph of Alfred in his uniform but when this was taken I do not know.
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Sgt. George Henry Wesson 1st Battalion Sherwood Foresters (d.9th May 1915) Harry Wesson arrived in France on 4thof November 1914. He was killed in action on 9th of May 1915, we presume at the battle of Neuve Chapelle. He has no known grave but is mentioned on the Ploegsteert Memorial.
He is included on Roll F/1/1/91 as a Corporal. At the time of his death he was a Sergeant and was awarded the Victory Medal and British Medal. This information was gleaned from British Army WWI Medal Rolls Index Cards, 1914-1920.
In August 1914 his sister Nelly was widowed when her husband was sadly killed in an accident at a mine in Wales. Nelly was expecting a baby due in October of that year. The shock of the accident caused Nelly to go into early labour and her daughter (also named Nelly) was born two days later. The baby weighed less than a bag of sugar and no-one expected her to survive, but she went on to celebrate her 100th birthday in August 2014. Baby Nelly was orphaned in 1917 and brought up by her paternal grandmother.
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Pte. Thomas Ralph Truman MM. 1st Battalion Sherwood Foresters Thomas Truman was awarded the Military Medal for gallantry on 10th of November 1916.
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Pte. Tom Clewley 1st Btn. Sherwood Foresters (d.5th Jul 1916) Tom Clewley was my Great Uncle. He was from New Whittington, Chesterfield.
He joined with his friends the local unit and died with them in the second offensive on the Somme. He worked down the local pit looking after the ponies. He is remembered on the Thiepval Memorial. He was sent to the Dardanelles but contracted dysentery and returned home to convaless before his posting to the Somme. His parents continued to live in New Whittington until their deaths in 1929 and 1930. His nephew Tom named in his memory was killed in 1944 in Anzio. Both are honoured on the war memorial at St Barnabas Church New Whittington.
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L/Sgt. John Horace Blake 1st Btn Sherwood Foresters (d.19th September 1915) Jack Blake served with the 1st Battalion, Sherwood Foresters.
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Pte John William "Jack" Simcock 1st Btn. Sherwood Foresters (d.27th May 1918) John Simcock was originally a member of 3rd Battalion, North Staffordshire Regiment whom he joined on 25th June 1916. He was transferred to the 1st Sherwood Foresters. He was killed in action on 27th of May 1918.
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Pte. John Henry Harvey DCM. 1st Btn. Sherwood Foresters (d.17th Nov 1918) John Harvey is remembered on the Basra Memorial. He was serving attached to the 1st Oxford and Bucks Light Infantry when he was killed. He was the son of Allen Harvey of 43, Oxford Street, Highbury Vale, Bulwell, Nottingham and husband of A. R. Harvey of Bhoiguda, Secunderabad, India.
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Pte. Ernest Cooper 1st Battalion Sherwood Foresters (d.26th December 1917) Ernest Cooper was wounded at Pilkem Ridge in July 1917 and came home with a Blighty wound.
He returned to the front in October 1917. On Boxing Day 1917 his section were in support trenches supporting soldiers of the Rifle Brigade in the front line.
He volunteered to collect water from a dixi-cart and was killed by a German sniper.
He was initially buried but subsequent bombardment pulverised hid grave.
His name is on the memorial wall at Tyne Cot Cemetery near Ypres.
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Sgt. William Henry Jeavons 1st Btn. Sherwood Foresters William Jeavons enlisted 13.5.1914 Lichfield, South Staffordshire Regiment, number 9548.
He later rransferred to 1st Bn Notts and Derbys number 67098.
William served in France from 19.1.1915 to 19.7.1916.
At Home 20.7.1916 to 7.11.1916.
Then returned to France 8.11.1016 to 20.3.1920.
He was held as a Prisoner of War from 21.2.1918 to 10.12.1918.
After being discharged to the B Reserve on the 7.6.1921 he was re-engaged Sec D Reserve for 4 yrs 13.5.1928 and was discharged 12.5.1930.
He also served 4th South Staffordshire Regiment Special Reserve with number 4758.
He died 23rd February 1964.
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Pte. Arthur Willie Buckthorp 9th Btns. Sherwood Foresters Arthur Willie Buckthorp enlisted in February 1900 in Lincoln where he lived.
He requested to join a Derby Regiment and this was granted. He served in South Africa, China, France and the Mediterranean with the 1st, 3rd and 9th Btns.
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L/Cpl. Frederick Samuel Fentem 1st Btn. Sherwood Foresters (d.19th June 1915) Derbyshire Courier, 3 July 1915
Another Matlock Loss.
Lance-Corporal Fentem Killed.
Mr. and Mrs. T. Fentem, of Matlock, were notified on Tuesday that their son, Lance-Corporal F. S. Fentem, had been killed in action. Deceased, who was 27 years of age, joined the Ist Sherwood Foresters seven years ago last October. He had been at the front virtually since the beginning of the war. He spent five day's leave at home last summer.
The intimation was in the form of a letter from Lance-Corporal Lee, which reads as follows: "I sadly write to inform you of the death of your son, who was killed outright by a shell, along with two more poor souls. It happened at about 5p.m. on 19 June. The whole company send you their deepest sympathy on the loss of your beloved one, for he was liked by all".
(Lance Corporal Fentem, Service No. 10227, died on 19th June 1915. He was buried at Neuve-Chapelle British Cemetery, Pas de Calais. His parents lived on Underwood Terrace, Smedley Street. His name is shown on Darley Dale's War Memorial.)
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T/WO Charles Francis Ward 1st Btn. Notts and Derby Regiment (Sherwood Foresters) My grandad, Charles Ward was in the Sherwood Foresters and the Royal Scots Fusiliers. He had previously served in India and had his family there. His wife was Mary O'Leary.
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C.Q.M.S. William Henry Pollard MSM. 1st Btn. Sherwood Forresters My Grandad, William Pollard was a Company Quarter Master Sergeant with the Foresters. He served in WW1 from February 1915 till the end of the war.
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Pte. Frank O'Neill 1st Btn. Sherwood Foresters (d.16th May 1918) Frank O'Neill served with the Sherwood Foresters1st Battalion. He was executed for desertion on 16th May 1918 and is buried in Hermonville Military Cemetery, Hermonville, France.
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Pte. Henry Barnett 1st Btn. Sherwood Foresters (d.31st Jul 1917) Henry Batnett was born in Larne, Co. Antrim, lived in Dublin and enlisted in Derby. He served with the Sherwood Foresters (Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire) 1st Battalion and was killed in action in Flanders aged 27 in July 1917. He is commemorated on the Ypres (Menin Gate) Memorial.
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Pte. Leonard Nixon 8th Battalion Sherwood Foresters (Notts and Derby Regiment) (d.3rd Jun 1918) Leonard Nixon was born 20th Nov 1899 at Kirby-in-Ashfield, Nottinghamshire and enlisted at Mansfield, Nottinghamshire, he resided in Kirby-in-Ashfield. He joined the 1st Bn. Sherwood Foresters (Nottinghamshire & Derbys Regt) as Private, 97920. Leonard died from wounds on the 3rd of June 1918 whilst serving with 8th Sherwood Foresters (Nottinghamshire and Derby Rgt) He is buried in the Allied Section of Guise (La Desolation) French National Cemetery, at Flavigny-Le-Petit.
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Cpl. Alexander John Richardson 1st Battalion, D Company Notts & Derby Regiment  Alexander, originally from Paddington, England, was employed as a motor driver at Welbeck for at least a year before the outbreak of the first World War. At 18 yrs old, he enlisted at Worksop on Sept. 2, 1914 and was posted to the 4th Battalion Notts & Derby for his basic training, which I believe was at Sunderland. Alec landed in France on Jan 4th, 1915 and was posted to the 1st Battalion Notts & Derby, joining the battalion on Jan. 22, 1915. He was wounded in the abdomen by shrapnel on Feb 25, 1915 while in the line, but stayed in France and returned to the battalion. It is unknown how long he was recovering, but I assume he luckily missed the Battle of Neuve Chapelle.
Alexander joined the Tank Corps on Dec. 28, 1916 because of his mechanical abilities, originally with "A" battalion, 77047. He was a driver in action during the June 7th, 1917 Battle of Messines. Shortly after, he became part of the "Hush Operation", a plan to land on the Belgium coast with troops and tanks. According to my grandfather's notes this plan was "duly washed out" and his group returned to England to become the core of the 16th battalion, Tank Corps. He was an instructor (including bayonet and physical training) during The Tank Corps build up in the first half of 1918.
The 16th battalion, Tank Corps landed in Sept. 1918 and took part in the Battle of the Selle, driving the Germans back. Alexander was wounded when his tank was hit by a shell on October 5/6, 1918 in the Ramicourt valley during the Battle of Montbrehain. He stayed in France and rejoined his battalion after recovering, promoted to Sgt. on Nov. 30, 1918. He survived the flu in late Dec. 1918 and was sent to the UK on Jan 30, 1919 for demobilization.
His notes state the he worked with the Air Ministry, assisting in the return of parts to Leyland motors for a year. Alexander sailed to Canada in April 1920, started a family, and lived until 1981.
I remember him talking about his war experiences around the dinner table only when asked. He remembered mostly being "cold and wet". My father told me he saw many horrible things, lost close friends and would wake up at night screaming.
I ask my teenage children, who watch their TV's, chat and text on their phones, listening to the Ipod's and wear the name brand clothing, "can you imagine going to war at 18 years old, living in water filled trenches all year round with lice and rats, always hungry, being shot at, shelled, bombed, watching your comrades be blown apart or shot, dieing in front of you for almost 5 years".
They can't.
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