A 1916 recruit who served in France with the 1/6th and 17th Battalions

James Nye enlisted into the 3/6th Sherwoods Foresters at Chesterfield in April 1916. James was a 36 year old farm labourer from Arlington near Guildford. His enrolment was approved by Captain Swann.

Following training with the 6th Reserve Battalion James was transferred to the 1/6th Battalion and proceeded overseas to the 8th Entrenching Battalion in France. James was later posted to the 17th Battalion (The Wellbeck Rangers) on the 9th September 1916 with approximately 100 other men who were all renumbered from 70211 to 70312. This reinforcement was to make up for losses suffered by the 17th Battalion during their attack on Beaumont Hamel.

[Regimental numbers 70001 to ~71177 was a numbering systems employed by the Sherwood Foresters to move men from the Territorial Battalions to the Regular and Service Battalion between September and November 1916]

James served in France with the 17th Battalion until he was posted home on the 22nd February 1917 suffering from rheumatism. After time spent at the Command Depot (possibly at Ballyvonare, County Cork) he was posted to the 3rd Battalion and then discharged in October 1917.