14.5.18 VAUDRICOURT: The Battalion relieved the 1/6th North Saffs Regt in Brigade Support of the ESSARS SECTOR.
2/Lieut GW BUCKLOW proceeded to England to join RAF.
1/6th Battalion War Diary [WO/95/2694]
On 14th May 1918
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On 11th May 1918 – 242537 Pte Oliver Hardy died of wounds aged 21
Son of Mr. and Mrs. W. Hardy, of Stapleford in Nottinghamshire
On these days 11th – 14th May 1918
Brigade in Divisional Reserve. Training was hampered owing to the Brigade being ordered to be ready to move at very short notice. 139th Infantry Brigade relieved 137th Infantry Brigade in the ESSARS SECTION on night 14/15 May.
139 Infantry Brigade: Headquarters War Diary [WO95/2692]
On this day 10th May 1918
10.5.18: Relieved by the 1/4th Leicester’s and took over bivouacs in VAUDRICOURT PARK.
Casualties during the tour:-
1/6th Battalion War Diary [WO/95/2694]
10/5/18: Quite day. 139th Infantry Brigade relieved by 138th Infantry Brigade during the night 10th/11th
139 Infantry Brigade: Headquarters War Diary [WO95/2692]
On this day 9th May 1918
9/5/18: A patrol reported the CENSE DU RAUX being used as a HQ or a cookhouse. We attempted to destroy bridges at X23a.20.25. and at X23a.4.2. but only succeeded in partially destroying them owing to faulty charges.
139 Infantry Brigade: Headquarters War Diary [WO95/2692]
139th Trench Mortar Battery casualties on this day
John Lakeman Percival MC
The following men were wounded:-
- 2351/240538 Sgt Harry Wilshaw DCM
- 4250/241415 L/C Percy Thomas Dudley
- 1877/240310 L/Cpl Albert Henry Wyche
- 2151/240439 Pte William Wheatley
- 3348/242631 Pte Robert Hall
- 3158/265847 Pte Arthur Woods
- 1954/328036 Pte George Spencer
- 2554/200584 Pte George Edward Sanders
- 5836/267110 Pte Frederick Longhurst Frampton
- 5221/269815 Pte Joseph Thomas Harris
Note: all the men have 4-digit Territorial Force numbers which means that they arrived in France during 1915-16.
On this day 8th May 1918 suffered several casualties
8.5.18 GORRE: 2/Lieut SG Johns wounded in action
Medical Board held for Sydney Gordon Johns in July 1917
1/6th Battalion War Diary recording the casualties for this Trench Duty
Also killed on this day was 97948 Pte Arthur Samuel Line aged 19 and a stockman from Ellington in Huntingdonshire. Arthur attested in November 1916 and was mobilised in June 1917. Following training he arrived in France in January 1918 and was posted to the 1/6th Battalion with the 43rd Reinforcement. He had served for 113 days on the Western Front before he was killed.
Memorial to Arthur in All Saints Churchyard in Ellington
Mortally wounded on this day was 2111/265329 Pte Walter Alford aged 28 and Son of Edward and Emma Alford of Nottingham; husband of Elizabeth Alford of Gregory’s Row, Woolinkin, Langley Mill, Nottingham. 
Walter had arrived in France with the Robin Hood Rifles in February 1915 before transferring the the 1/6th Battalion (in January 1918). Note incorrect date on MIC.
1/6th Battalion War Diary [WO/95/2694]
8/5/18: Hostile artillery quiet with the exception of some shelling of GORRE BRIDGE at intervals throughout the day. Many low flying enemy aircraft were over the sector during the day.
139 Infantry Brigade: Headquarters War Diary [WO95/2692]
On this day 7th May 1918 – hostile sniping
7/5/18: Quite day. Some hostile sniping was noticeable at targets near LOISNE CENTRAL KEEP.
139 Infantry Brigade: Headquarters War Diary [WO95/2692]
203563 Pte Leslie Arthur Waite died of wounds aged 21 and was the Son of Lucy Waite of 29 Ponsonby Terrace in Derby.
Leslie was a moulder’s assistant and enlisted under the Derby Scheme in November 1915 and was mobilised in March 1917. After 3 months training with the 5th Reserve Battalion he was posted to the 14 IBD in Calais (June 1917) and taken on strength of 2/6th Battalion. He was subsequently transferred to the 1/5th Battalion a month later and joined them in the field on the 29th July 1917.
At some point he was renumbered 203653 to reflect his service with the Territorial Force
Three days later, whilst cleaning his rifle, he accidentally wounded himself and four of his comrades (see below). Following a field court martial he was sentenced to 56 days of field punishment.
67th Trench Duty 6th-10th May 1918
6.5.18 LE QUESNOY: Battalion relieved the 1/5th Sherwood Foresters in the left subsection of the GORRE SECTION.
1/6th Battalion War Diary [WO/95/2694]
6/5/18: Quite day. Considerable movement of horse transport was seen on ESTAIRES-LA-BASSEE Road. Many civilian carts were also seen on this road.
139 Infantry Brigade: Headquarters War Diary [WO95/2692]
On this day 5th May 1918 – an enemy aircraft was brought down in flames
Hostile artillery quite. An enemy aircraft was brought down by machine gun fire and fell in flames in X22b.
Our line was advanced during the night an average distance of 150 yards on whole front. Posts were established and no enemy were encountered. This was not conducted as an offensive operation as it simply intended to make a better outpost line.
139 Infantry Brigade: Headquarters War Diary [WO95/2692]
92827 Pte Albert Henry Wheway from Derby was killed in action but his body was not recovered and he is Commemorated on the Loos Memorial. 
Albert was conscripted into the Sherwood Foresters in the Summer of 1917 and initialed served in France with the 1/7th Battalion before transferring to the 1/8th Battalion in January 1918 when the Robin Hoods disbanded.
Derbyshire Territorials in the Great War 