17/11/1917 NOYELLES: Battalion moved to FOUQUIRES (Divisional Reserve).
1/6th Battalion War Diary [WO/95/2694]
17/XI/17 ST ELIE SECTOR: Right subsection was heavily shelled with all calibre’s from 2.50pm to 3.50pm Trench mortar activity confined to wing bombs.
139 Infantry Brigade: Headquarters War Diary [WO95/2692]
16/11/1917 SUPPORT: Battalion moved to NOYELLES.
1/6th Battalion War Diary [WO/95/2694]
16/XI/17: GOCs 138 Infantry Brigade and 139 Infantry Brigade exchange Command of sections at 10am.
Lt.-Col. JE BLACKWALL DSO assumes Temporary Command of 139th Infantry Brigade as Brig.-General GGS CAREY proceeds on leave to England.
John Eaton Blackwall (1873-1953)
ST ELIE SECTOR appears very quite.
139 Infantry Brigade: Headquarters War Diary [WO95/2692]
15/11/1917 HILL 70: Battalion relieved by 4th Lincolnshire Regiment and moved into Support (2 Companies in O.G. 2, 1 Company in O.B. 1- HQ – Tosh Alley)
1/6th Battalion War Diary [WO/95/2694]
15/XI/17: Hostile artillery rather lively during the day. Relief of the Battalions in the line at night.
139 Infantry Brigade: Headquarters War Diary [WO95/2692]
No record in the 1/6th Battalion War Diary [WO/95/2694]
13/XI/17: Artillery activity below normal. Detailed orders issued for relief by 138th Infantry Brigade.
14/XI/17: Our snipers claim two kills. Quite day. Relief by 138th Infantry Brigade commenced at dusk.
15/XI/17: Hostile artillery rather lively during the day. Relief of the Battalions in the one at night.
139 Infantry Brigade: Headquarters War Diary [WO95/2692]
Son of John Lovatt Knight and Alice Knight of 48 Hanbury St., Miles Platting, Manchester. Native of Openshaw, Manchester.
Previously wounded in November 1915
No record in the 1/6th Battalion War Diary [WO/95/2694]
12/XI/17: Heavy shelling on left subsection at 9.15am. This ceased at 9.25am. A good daylight patrol was done by 2/Lt FAIRBROTHER 8th SF. He proceeded North from our lines up an old trench across NO MANS LAND in H25d and encountered and shot a German with his revolver. He was unable to obtain identification as patrol was bombed by an enemy post in the vicinity.
Orders issued for exchange with 138 Inf Bde from HILL70 to ST ELIE sector.
Allen Cameron Fairbrother was awarded the Military Cross
139 Infantry Brigade: Headquarters War Diary [WO95/2692]
Son of Mr T Shepherd of 20 Applegrove, High Tranmere in Birkenhead
No record in the 1/6th Battalion War Diary [WO/95/2694]
10/XI/17: An organised shoot by hostile artillery and TM’s on whole sector between 3.30am and 4.30am. Much movement was reported about midnight in hostile trenches in H25d, This appeared to be a relief.
11/XI/17: Normal artillery and TM activity. Nothing else to report.
139 Infantry Brigade: Headquarters War Diary [WO95/2692]
9.11.1917 HILL 70: Battalion relieve 5th Battalion in the line (H.32.a.6.4. to H.32.d.4.4.)
1/6th Battalion War Diary [WO/95/2694]
9/IX/17: Heavy shelling of whole sector between 9.15am and 10am. This was owing to a raid carried out at the time by the Brigade on our right.
139 Infantry Brigade: Headquarters War Diary [WO95/2692]
No record in the 1/6th Battalion War Diary [WO/95/2694]
6/XI.17: Normal artillery activity, TMs inactive. A hostile wiring party in H26 was fired on by LG at close range and dispersed by one of our patrols.
7/XI/17: Wire patrols were out during the night. One of these dispersed hostile wiring party with LG fire.
8/XI/17: Quite day. Considerable movement seen behind enemy’s lines. Inter-Battalion reliefs took place during the evening.
139 Infantry Brigade: Headquarters War Diary [WO95/2692]
No record in the 1/6th Battalion War Diary [WO/95/2694]
5/XI/17: Normal activity of hostile artillery. Our snipers obtained three hits. Three American Officers were attached to Battalions in the Brigade for three days.
139 Infantry Brigade: Headquarters War Diary [WO95/2692]
4/5.11.1917 HILL 70: Four Officers and 125 Other Ranks raided the enemy trenches capturing 3 prisoners and inflicting severe casualties in the enemy.
Military Medals to CPL SIMMONS, SGT HELLIWELL and PTE NADIN in connection with the operation.
1/6th Battalion War Diary [WO/95/2694]
4/XI/17: Raid carried out by “B” and “C” Companies 6th Sherwood Foresters at 8.40 PM under Capt GKK MAUGHAN. The detail of this is fully dealt with in the attached report (Appendix II). The extreme darkness of the night was found to be a serious hinderance to the operation, but not withstanding this, 3 prisoners were brought back to our lines. The enemy, when encountered at close quarters, surrendered without fighting. Hostile barrage was heavy, but came down very late and was chiefly behind our front line.
139 Infantry Brigade: Headquarters War Diary [WO95/2692]
2496/240604 L/Sergeant John Edward Stevenson aged 31 and son of Edward and Mary Stevenson of 6 Smiths Yard, Union St., Ashbourne in Derbyshire.
2238/242626 Pte Royal Murray aged 36 and the adopted son of the late Mrs A Lineker. Previously served with the 1/8th Battalion.
242507 L/Cpl Harrop Wycliffe Bingham from Tibshelf and buried in Lapugnoy Military Cemetery.
3797/241224 Pte George Harry Barber Simpson aged 26 and the son of George Goddard Simpson and Annie Simpson, of “Stoneleigh,” Hayfield Rd. in Chapel-en-Le-Frith. George was wounded during the raid and died of his wounds in a German Field Hospital; He was a Postman from Chapel.
3074/240880 Pte William Henry Brailsford was born in 1892 and was a resident of Clay Cross. He was a collier by trade and enlisted into the 2/6th Battalion in October 1914. He arrived in France on the 11th June 1916 as part of the 11th Reinforcement to the 1/6th Battalion.
2106/240416 Pte Charles Louis Metcalfe aged 20 and the son of Mrs A Metcalfe of 3 Werneth Avenue, Hyde, Cheshire.
1832/240291 Sergeant Moses Salt aged 20 and the son of Mr and Mrs Daniel Salt of Spring Bank, Peakdale, Derbyshire.
4499/241542 Pte Charles Albert Ormerod from Macclesfield.
George Simpson’s body was later recovered from a grave behind the German front line along with the bodies of three other British Soldiers. The Germans initial mis-recored him as serving with the 5th Reserve Battalion of the Sherwood Foresters (which he may have done whilst in England).
Derbyshire Territorials in the Great War 