Many thanks indeed to Shane Harper for kindly providing these images
The next series of posts will be of the medals awarded to men of the 1/6th or 2/6th (Derbyshire) Battalions
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Author Archives: mikebriggs1910
The short lived Hunmanby Camp
August 1914
2190 Pte Walter Edward Lamb from Chapel-en-le-Frith
A pre-War Territorial who originally served with ‘H’ (Whaley Bridge, New Mills and Hayfield) Company and arrived in France in February 1915 with ‘B’ (Whaley and Chapel) Company. Wounded by a shell explosion in Ypres on 4th July 1915. Discharged due to wounds in May 1916.
On 4th July a routine fatigue party 200 strong and under the command of Captain Edgar Heathcote marched to the front line, but came under heavy shellfire on the return journey:-
“On the Saturday night we went up to the lines on fatigue, and travelled up a long way in motor lorries; it was quite an exciting journey for us after we left the lorries to march through Ypres, especially as for many of us it was the first experience of the war. Fritz was sending over a few gas shells and we were all sneezing and rubbing our eyes. We drew spades and set off after a short rest, landed at the work, finished off fairly quickly and started for home – home consisting of bivvies made from water-proof sheets, and some of us hadn’t even got those. We had a pretty rough journey coming through Ypres, had just downed tools and started the march towards the houses, when Fritz began shelling; of course he managed to get a lucky shot right in the middle of us, killing and wounding about half the party, many of whom had not yet even seen the trenches”.
[Battalion History]
See here https://derbyshireterritorials.uk/the-great-war-1914-1918/1915-2/ypres/
The 2/6th Battalion and their embarkation to Dublin in April 1916
The 59th (2nd North Midland Division) travelled to Dublin on the RMS Munster and RMS Ulster.
1719/265172 Pte Fred Pilgrim from Nottingham
A Pre-War Territorial who enlisted in February 1913. Arrived in France with the 46th Division in February 1915. Transferred to the 1/6th Battalion – probably in January 1917. Disembodied in March 1919.
Fred was admitted with influenza to No2 General Hospital at Havre on the 25th June 1916 (?) suggesting that he missed the debacle that was the ‘1st day of the Somme’.
Fred was still serving with the 1/7th Battalion at the time of the Territorial Force renumbering and was issued with the Regimental number 265172, which was with the block assigned to the 7th Battalion Sherwood Foresters (265001-305000).
It is highly likely that Fred was to the 1/6th Battalion when the 1/7th Battalion was disbanded in January 1917.
2142 Drummer Frank Hallam from Fairfield in Buxton
Killed in action on 22nd July and buried in Maple Copse
Maple Copse 22.7.1915: CAPTS F. M. DICK, E. B. JOHNSON and LIEUTS J. S. SAMPSON and J. L. PERCIVAL joined from England having joined bivouac day before.
Casualties – wounded Officers nil – O.R. killed 3 wounded 19.
War Diary [WO/95/2694]
Dublin April 1916 vs July 2022
The Easter Rising; then and now
“It is artic up here………”
Posted from Scarborough Camp in 1909 by Will who was in “D” Company, the Robin Hood Rifles.
Mon July 26/09
D Co RHR
Scarboro
“Hope you had a good day to day. I would sooner have been at home. It is artic up here. No catch at all. Will”
The post card was posted to:-
F R Gibbs Esq, Castledene, Alexandra Park, Nottingham
Frederick Richard Gibbs was a well know Nottingham clock and watch maker – see here. By 1911 the Gibbs Family had moved to ‘Castledene’. He and his wife a son called Frederick William, who was born in 1909, so he is not the ‘Will’ that sent the postcard.
4471/241528 Frederick George Hall
Enlisted in August 1915 and served with the 1/6th and 1st Battalions
Frederick enlisted into the 3/6th (or 2/6th) Battalion in August 1915 and was subsequently posted to the 1/6th Battalion. He was not awarded a 14-15 Star so probably arrived in France in 1916. He was still serving with the 1/6th Battalion at the time of the Territorial Force renumbering in spring 1917. At some time (and for reasons unknown) he was transferred to the 1st Battalion. He survived the War.
Transfer of men from the 2/6th Battalion to the 22nd Battalion, The London Regiment
The 68**** and 69**** number series
After the 2/6th Battalion had been reduced to Cadre on 7th May 1918, 16 Officers and 665 other ranks were transferred to “K” Infantry Base Depot (IBD) at Calais. At the same time 15 Officers and 560 other ranks of the 2/5th Battalion were also posted to the IBD at Calais following the disbanding of that Battalion.
Transfer to the Queens (1/22nd and 1/24th Battalions) in August 1918
Following the disbandment of the 2/5th and 2/6th Battalions some of the men were compulsory transferred to the Royal West Surrey (Queen’s) Regiment and posted to either the 1/22nd or 1/24th (County of London) Battalions (The Queen’s) in August 1918 and allotted new regimental numbers.
A very interesting picture showing a mixed group of Sherwood Foresters and the County of London (The Queen’s) Regiment. It is interesting to speculate that this picture might represent the transfers of August 1918.
Transfer to the 1/22nd Battalion London Regiment 25th-26th August 1918
The names of 80 men who transferred from the 2/6th Battalion, Sherwood Foresters to the 1/22nd Battalion, London Regiment can be identified.
Of these:
12 (15%) were men from the original deployment of the 2/6th Battalion in February 1917.
The remaining 68 (85%) had been posted to the 2/6th Battalion after January 1918; the majority of these in March and April 1918 to make up for losses on the 21st March and the later Battle at Kemmel Hill.
These 80 men were issued numbers between 686195 and 693555.
Derbyshire Territorials in the Great War 