The 2/6th Battalion Sherwood Foresters (Nottinghamshire & Derbyshire Regiment)…..my new project

Over the last few years I have concentrated on telling the story (the best that I can) of the men that served with the 1/6th Battalion.

In the process I have somewhat neglected the men that served with the 2/6th Battalion, and of course their story is just as important.

Fortunately, over the years I have collected post cards and other ephemera that are related to the 2/6th – the ‘Green Triangle’ – so I have now decided that the time is right to tell their story; either on-line or by print.

Interestingly, the 2/6th Battalion were engaged in a limited number of historically important actions; these being:-

  • The 1916 Easter Rising in Dublin
  • The German retreat to the Hindenburg Line on 27th April 1917
  • The Battle of Passchendale on 26th-29th September 1917
  • The Battle of Cambria on the 1st-2nd December 1917
  • The ‘Kaiserchlacht’ Spring offensive on 21st March 1918
  • The defence of Kemmel on 14th-18th April 1918

In those later five engagements the 2/6th suffered horrendous casualties and the Battalion was reinforced on many occasions; however, in the end the ‘2/6th’ were reduced to Cadre on the 7th May 1918.

The 2/6th Sherwood Foresters at Buxton in 1914

The reunion of the 2/6th Sherwood Foresters at Bakewell in 1935

12 thoughts on “The 2/6th Battalion Sherwood Foresters (Nottinghamshire & Derbyshire Regiment)…..my new project

  1. Andrew Wood's avatarAndrew Wood

    Hi Mike I will be very interested in this as my grandfather Frederick William Wood was in the 2/6th Sherwoods.

    ________________________________

    Reply
  2. David's avatarDavid

    Surely 141 men of the original complement were KIA out of an estimated original strength of 800 so 18% were killed leaving 82 % as survivors not 17%?

    Reply
  3. David's avatarDavid

    Mike,
    On the table of the numbers of 2/6th Battalion men KIA from the original renumbered contingent you mention 33 + 45 + 17 +38 + 8 = 141 KIA in the various actions.
    The Battalion strength of about 800 men allowing for non combatants gives a percentage killed or missing of 141 /800 = approx 18%
    Maybe I have misread your table

    Reply
    1. mikebriggs1910's avatarmikebriggs1910 Post author

      Morning David
      I see what you mean know and you are quite right that 141 men of the original contingent were killed. What I was trying to do with the table was show that was a decreasing proportion of ‘original’ men as time went by, but the table was a bit misleading, so I have now revised it. Many thanks for pointing this out, cheers mike

      Reply
  4. Geoff Fallowfield's avatarGeoff Fallowfield

    Hi, just discovered this, I’ve just found out that my Grandad Anthony Fallowfield, was with the 2/6 C coy, in France, his service number was 12901. The record I have is a casualty evacuation train on the 3 Dec 1917, with shrapnel and penetration wounds to torso and neck, he also lost a kneecap. Could anyone shed light into the action he was involved in with C coy, using the evacuation date. Thanks in advance, any small thread is gold.

    Reply
    1. mikebriggs1910's avatarmikebriggs1910 Post author

      Hello Geoff
      Thanks for your message. It would have been the Battle of Cambria. If you let me have an email I can send you the records that are on Ancestry – he first served with 9th Battalion at Gallipoli, cheers Mike

      Reply
      1. supernaturallycowboya33c770d67's avatarsupernaturallycowboya33c770d67

        Hi, thanks Mike,

        I have discovered a lot about his war, I have his service numbers for each of the units he served with. Reading your comments, I thought it might be Cambrai, but I would like to find out how long he was with this unit, and any operations he would’ve been involved with.

        my email if Geoff-fallowfield@hotmail.co.uk

        regards Geoff.

  5. delicatelytree526d65fe65's avatardelicatelytree526d65fe65

    Hi, just found this site. I had a relative who I believe was a territorial before the serving 1/5 btn.

    Name William Egbert Dumelow service number 200079 and 1435. The later is possibly his territorial number. I have the original photo, framed and given to his parents by his shop mates after his death 1st July 1916. I would love to know more of his military history, territorial and regular. I know he is on the Theipval memorial to the lost of Somme

    thanks Craig

    c_warbuton@hotmail.com

    Reply

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