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World War 1 One ww1 wwII greatwar great 1914 1918 first battalion regiment
Pte. Thomas Radford
British Army 11th Btn. Sherwood Foresters (Notts and Derby Regiment)
from:Buxton, Derbyshire
(d.1st Jul 1916)
Thomas Radford came from a large family and lived on New High Street, in Buxton, Derbyshire. He went to enrol in Derby with his brother and brother in law. His brother Samuel survived as did John Clearly who was gassed and brought back to England. Uncle Tommy unfortunately died on the 1st day of the Somme, aged just 28.
Additional Information:
Thomas' division was attached to III Corps on the 5th September 1915 and moved to the Merris-Vieux Berquin area, where trench familiarisation began. Just 9 days later, on the14th, they took over a front line sector between Ferme Grande Flamengrie to the Armentieres-Wez Macquart road, where they remained for about five months, not being relieved until the end January / early February 1916. A month later, on the 3rd March 1916 orders were received to relieve the French in the Carency sector. The front to be held was between the Boyau de l'Ersatz and the Souchez River. This location included the posts on the Notre Dame de Lorette Hill, a very exposed position, subject to intense shelling.
Thomas' battalion took part in the opening day of the Somme offensive on 1st July 1916 and suffered such grievous losses it was relieved that night. After the first wave of the 8th Battalion York and Lancaster Regiment and 8th Battalion Kings Own Yorkshire Light Infantry had been beaten back, with heavy losses, the 11th Battalion were ordered forward but came up against withering German machine gun fire as soon as they left their own trenches. Their C.O. (Lt. Col. Watson) was wounded while trying to rally his men and push forward the attack. The second wave, led by Major Bernal, met the same fate as the leading waves and men were cut down in their dozens, but the companies continued to crawl forward using what little cover there was.
A final attack was attempted by Captain Hudson with 50 men using a sunken road on the right flank, which ran from the British front line towards the German lines on top of 'The Nab'. Although this attack proved more successful and the attacking troops managed to advance within 80 yards of the German second line, they were eventually halted as a result of heavy enemy machine gun fire, some of which was coming from Thiepval spur to the North.
'The Buxton Advertiser' reported that Thomas was "... reported missing since the first big battle of July. News has just been received that he was killed in action." The strength of the Battalion on the 26th June had been 27 Officers and 710 other ranks. At the end 1st July the number of Officers was 6 and the men were 202.
Harry Hulmes
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