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12th (Pioneer) Battalion, Sherwood Foresters
12th Battalion, Sherwood Foresters (Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire Regiment) was raised at Derby on the 1st of October 1914 as part of Kitchener's Third New Army and joined 24th Division as army troops. They trained at Shoreham though the division suffered from a lack of equipment and a lack of trained officers and NCOs to command the volunteers. In April 1915 the 12th Sherwoods converted to be a Pioneer Battalion for same Division. In late June 1915 they moved to Aldershot for final training and they proceeded to France on the 29th of August. The Division concentrated in the area between Etaples and St Pol on the 4th September and a few days later marched across France into the reserve for the British assault at Loos, going into action on the 26th of September and suffering heavy losses. The Battalion became famous for the production of the trench newspaper "Wipers Times" which it first began to print when in the town of Ypres in Belgium in 1916.
In 1916 they suffered in the German gas attack at Wulverghem and then moved to The Somme seeing action in The Battle of Delville Wood and The Battle of Guillemont. In 1917 they were in action at The Battle of Vimy Ridge in the Spring, The Battle of Messines in June and Third Battle of Ypres in October before moving south where they were in action during The Cambrai Operations when the Germans counter attacked. In 1918 they were in action on the Somme and The Battle of Cambrai and the Final Advance in Picardy. At the Armistice the Division were in the line 1.5 miles east of the Maubeuge-Mons road. They moved back to the area between Denain and Douai at the end of November moved to St Amand-Orchies, then on the 18th of December the Division moved to Tournai for demobilisation, which was completed by 26 March 1919.
Jan 1915 Specialist Training
26th Sep 1915 Pioneers Attack
15th Oct 1915 Trenches Require Work
5th Dec 1915 Football
22nd Mar 1916 The Wipers Times
26th Mar 1916 Dinning Arrangements
1st May 1916 Measles 
5th Jul 1916 Cricket
6th Jul 1916 Sport
1st Sep 1916 Attacks Made
2nd Sep 1916 Line Held
3rd Sep 1916 Attacks Made
4th Sep 1916 Reliefs
5th Sep 1916 Relief Complete
6th Sep 1916 Reliefs
27th Sep 1916 Papers in the Trenches
3rd October 1916 0900 hours we moved up in to Reserve and took over from 12th Notts & Derby Regt.
10th Mar 1917 Pioneers at Work
8th Aug 1917 Reliefs
27th Mar 1918 Pushed Back
13th Jun 1918 Harbouring a Deserter
13th Jun 1918 Aeroplane Shoot
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 with12th (Pioneer) Battalion, Sherwood Foresters during the Great War 1914-1918. - Bently Lionel Charles.
- Blythe F.. Sgt.
- Bolton Reginald John. Pte. (d.14th Aug 1917)
- Brads William Ernest. Pte.
- Clarke Daniel. Pte. (d.25th May 1918)
- Henson Albert. Pte.
- Kinsey William. Pte. (d.25th Apr 1917)
- Lindsell Harold Frederick. Pte. (d.25th Jun 1917)
- Mabbott CdeG. William. Sgt.
- Miller Charles Fitzhardinge. Pte. (d.18th August 1916)
- Millward John.
- Quigley MM. George Arthur. 2nd Lt.
- Reading Edward. Cpl. (d.10th Aug 1916)
- Stacey Joseph Henry. Pte. (d.17th June 1916)
- Whittaker MM & Bar. William Rostron. Pte
- Whittaker MM & Bar. William Rostron. Pte.
- Whittaker MM & Bar. William Rostron. Pte.
- Yates Edward John Cresswell. Pte. (d.23rd Jun 1917)
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 12th (Pioneer) Battalion, Sherwood Foresters from other sources.
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Pte. William Kinsey 12th Battalion Sherwood Foresters (d.25th Apr 1917) William Kinsey was a fireman of the kiln for J. Knowles and Company, Woodville. He was the son of Francis and Rebecca (nee Moody) Kinsey. William joined the 12th Battalion of the local Sherwood Foresters Regiment in August 1916 and proceeded to France at Christmas 1916. He was wounded by a shell which burst near him on Good Friday 1917 and he was stuck in the thigh. William died of wounds on 26th April 1917 aged 32 years and is buried in Etaples Military Cemetery.
William is remembered on the main war memorial in High Street Woodville not far from his home and also on the wall of the local Methodist Church.
He was survived by his father Francis, his brother James and his sisters Ada and Rebecca. William and my grandfather were first cousins and grew up together in Woodville.
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Pte. William Rostron Whittaker MM & Bar. 2/5th Btn. Sherwood Foresters William Whittaker originally enlisted into 12th (Pioneer) Battalion in December 1914, and was later transferred to the 2/5th Battalion after being hospitalised.
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Pte. William Rostron Whittaker MM & Bar. 12th (Pioneer) Btn. Sherwood Foresters William Whittaker joined the Sherwood Foresters Notts & Derby Regiment in 1915.
He arrived in France 29th Aug 1915 with the 12th (Pioneers) Battalion.
He was awarded the Military Medal in June/July 1918, Gazetted 13 Sept 1918, Later he transferred to 1/24th Battalion, Queens Royal West Surrey Regiment in August 1918.
He was awarded Bar to the MM in Sept 1918, Gazetted 23 July 1919.
William was a very quiet, gentle person who never mentioned the war but clearly had suffered and seen some unspeakable horrors.
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2nd Lt. George Arthur Quigley MM. 12th Btn. Sherwood Foresters George Quigley was from Bradford, Yorkshire. He served with the West Yorkshire Regiment, then the 3rd Manchesters and finally with the 12th Sherwood Foresters. He gained a Military Medal.
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Pte. Albert Henson 12th (Pioneer) Btn. Sherwood Foresters Albert Henson was born 1876 in Kimberley, Notts. At the time of his enlistment he was a miner in Nottinghamshire. He lied about his birthdate, putting down 1881 as his birth year, making him 5 years younger than what he really was. Such was his determination to fight for his country, his patriotism took precedence over his young wife and child, who were left alone for the duration of his service overseas.
Albert enlisted on the 14th of November 1914, he joined the 12th Pioneer Battalion of the Sherwood Foresters' Nottinghamshire & Derbyshire, part of 24th Division and by 1915 was with the British Expeditionary Forces in the Ypres Salient.
During August 1916 he was wounded by shrapnel and subsequently sent back to Britain where he was treated at the Reading War Hospital. He was discharged on 9th Feb 1917 no longer fit for war service.
He was awarded all 3 medals, Victory, British and 15 star and acquired his Silver War Badge certificate no. 1599.
Albert return to mining and then in later years became a forest ranger for the forestry commission, residing at Deerdale, Ollerton. He died of pneumonia in 1947 during thebig freeze of that year,
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Pte. Joseph Henry Stacey 12th Battalion, C Coy Sherwood Foresters (d.17th June 1916) Joseph Stacey is buried in Dranoutre Military Cemetery.
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Pte William Rostron Whittaker MM & Bar. 1/24th Btn. London Regiment William Whittaker enlisted in the 12th Battalion, Notts & Derbyshire Regiment (Sherwood Foresters) on the 8th of Dec 1914, he was aged 20. On the
29th of Aug 1915 he was posted to France. On the 26th of Aug 1918 William transferred to 1/24th Battalion London Regiment and during the
action at St Pierre Vaast Wood on 1st to 3rd of Sept 1918, he was awarded a bard to his Military Medal which had been awarded in May or Jun 1918.
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Sgt. F. Blythe 12th Btn. Sherwood Foresters Sgt Blythe suffered a bullet wound on the 28th of March 1918 during the 12th Sherwood's withdrawal as the enemy advanced. He was treated at the Tranmere Auxiliary Military Hospital in Birkenhead.
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Sgt. William Mabbott CdeG. 12th Btn. Sherwood Foresters Will Mabbott joined the Army in 1900, 2nd Battalion North Staffordshire, aged 18. He was drafted to South Africa a year later, and from there he was transferred to India. He served in India for approximately 10 years with the 1st Battalion North Staffordshire. He was discharged in 1912.
At the start of the Great War he re-enlisted as part of Kitchener's third army. In 1914 he was promoted to Sergeant in the 12th Battalion Sherwood Foresters. William fought at Loos, Ypres, Messines, Somme and Cambrai. He was awarded the Croix De Guerre (Belgium).
In 1918 he was badly wounded and discharged from the Army. Due to the severity of his injury he lost his right leg. He returned to Mansfield Woodhouse and died there in 1928.
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Pte. Daniel Clarke 12th (Pioneers) Battalion Sherwood Foresters (d.25th May 1918) Daniel Clarke was born on July 30th, 1896 in Duffield, Derbyshire, the second son of Dan and Sarah Elizabeth Clarke. In the 1911 census of Little Bridge street, Derby, Daniel is listed as aged 14 years and working in a factory as a Gimper.
Daniel died on the 25th of May 1918 from wounds incurred on the battlefield and is buried in the Commonwealth war graves Aix-Noulette Communal Cemetery, Pas de Calais, France.
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Pte. Edward John Cresswell Yates 12th (Service) Battalion Nottinghamshire & Derbyshire Regiment (d.23rd Jun 1917) Edward Yates served with the 12th Battalion, Pioneers in the Nottinghamshire & Derbyshire Regiment.
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Pte. Reginald John Bolton 12th Battalion Sherwood Foresters (d.14th Aug 1917) Reginald Bolton was born in Dublin and Enlisted Chesterfield, Derbyshire.
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Pte. Harold Frederick Lindsell 12th Battalion Notts and Derby Regiment (d.25th Jun 1917)  Harold Frederick Lindsell was my Great Uncle born in Nottingham on the 4 February 1896 and dying in the field at Ouderdom, Belgium on the 25th June 1917.
He enlisted on 6 October 1915 with the 12th (Pioneer) Battalion ‘The Sherwood Foresters’ Private number 22614. Formed at Derby on 1 October 1914 as part of Kitcheners Third Army and attached as Army Troops to 24th Division. Moved to Shoreham in April 1915 and converted into Pioneer Battalion for the same Division. On the 29 August 1915 landed in France.
In June 1917, he was based at Sherwood Park Camp near Ouderdom in Belgium where they were used to repair roads and railways and dig trenches mainly at night to avoid snipers. On the 25th June “B†Company were digging a new trench in the early hours of the morning when Harold was killed along with his officer by a direct shell hit. Four other men were wounded. Harold has no grave as he was rent asunder by the blast but is remembered on the Menin Gate, Ypres Panel 39 to 41 and at The Castle in Nottingham.
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