Category Archives: Casualties

On this day 4th October 1917 – ‘Nothing of importance happened’….but!

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“Nothing of importance happened”

1/8th Battalion War Diary [WO/95/2694]

But…..

‘Our most unpleasant experience undoubtedly was on October 4th when we got caught in the bombardment connected with an attempted Boche raid on the 7th Battalion whom we were relieving … B Company unfortunately got mixed up with some of the shelling and lost several men, including Sergt. Drabble, who was killed.

[1/8th Battalion History]

philosophe-oct-1917

305127 Sergeant William Henry Drabble aged 22 and Son of William and Alice Drabble of Easthorpe, Southwell in Nottinghamshire.
305127-drabble

306365 Pte George Henry West from Mansfield. His wife Clara died in 1918 leaving four orphaned children all under the age of 8 years.

307608 Pte Archibald Lovegrove aged 21 and Son of George Lovegrove of 43 Arundel St., Derby.

1/8th Battalion casualties for September 1917

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t8-ndBlackwall JE portrait

John Eaton Blackwall, Commanding 1/8th Sherwood Foresters18th-casualties-september-1917

Killed in action or died of wounds

  • 325007 Pte A Robertson aged 27
  • 307669 Pte William Arthur Beckett
  • 305322 Pte William Smith Bell
  • 305636 Pte George Oswald Darwin
  • 306883 Pte L Lilley
  • 305476 Pte Cyril White Parkin
  • 21805 Pte Tom Gilbert from Brampton in Chesterfield
  • 36333 Pte Harry Cornelius Smedley

Missing believed killed during a trench raid

  • 305673 Lance Sergeant Josiah Blythe aged 28 and from Sutton in Ashfield
  • 306353 L/Cpl Herbert Charles Key aged 22 and from Newark
  • 305324 Pte Walter Cecil Randall aged 20 and from Retford
  • 325025 Pte Eugene Stewart aged 35 from Pothmahomack
  • 325044 Pte Stanley Thorne

 

On this day 29th August 1917

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71133 Pte George Hawkins was killed in action

Husband of Emma 159 Sutherland Road, Longton. Aged 40 and buried at Philosophe British Cemetery Mazingarbe in France.

Hawkins

Although the Commonwealth War Graves Commision and Soldiers Died in the Great War record George as serving with the 1/6th Sherwood Foresters, it seems more likely that he was serving with the 1/6th North Staffordshire Regiment, which suffered a number of casualties on that day as recorded on the Grave Registration Report (which includes Hawkins recorded as 1/6 North Staffs).

Hawkins medal rollHawkins effects

The Notts & Derby Medal Roll record’s George moving from the North Staffs to the 16/Sherwoods and being renumbered. He was then posted to the 1/6th Sherwoods (top). The register of his effects, however, record’s his attachment to the 1/6th North Staff (bottom).

On this day 26th August 1917

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267466 Cpl Alfred Brown from Retford was killed in action267466 Brown

A well known and highly esteemed member of the Retford Territorial Company was killed in action last month in the person of Sergt Alfred Brown, 31, Diamond Jubilee Terrace, Ordsall who had only been in France nine weeks. He was 35 years of age.

He joined the Volunteer Company in 1898 and in 1911 rose to the rank of Sergeant. He was mobilised at the outbreak of the war with the 8th Sherwood Foresters and trained recruits of the Regiment at Newark. He was musketry instructor at Belton Park, Grantham and was instructing snipers on Cannock Chase during the whole of 1916 when the school broke up. Then Sergt Brown went to train recruits at Saltfleet until going to France on June 26th last as instructor of sniping and was later transferred to another Regiment.

Great sympathy is felt for the widow who is left with three children. Captain K Hills Bond wrote as under to Mrs Brown:-

“It is with the very deepest regret that I have to inform you of your husband’s death for I know of the grief that this letter will bring to you. I feel so helpless to do anything even to console you in your great sorrow…..he was killed quite instantaneously by a shell striking the side of the trench where he was standing and I am sure that he felt no pain at all”.

[Retford Times 14 Sept 1917]

See here for full biography

On this day 9th August 1917

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2/Lt Richard Evans was mortally wounded in action aged 20Evans

The son of the Rev. Arthur Evans and Margaret Emma Evans of 11 Marlborough Lane in Bath. He was a native of Snelston near Ashbourne. Richard is buried in BETHUNE TOWN CEMETERY, which was the location of the 33 Casualty Clearing Station.

On this day 7th August 1917

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4307/241442 Pte Isaiah Bonner from Clay Cross was killed in action aged 26

Isaiah Bonner enlisted in June 1915 and arrived in France in 1916. He was killed during a German gas bombardment of the trenches held by the 1/6th Battalion in the evening of the 7/8th August.

Bonner

Isaiah is buried with a number of other North Midland Territorials who were killed in the trenches during August 19174307 I Bonner Plaque

Isaiah Bonner

7.8.1017 St Elie Sector: 

  • 2/Lt W JACKSON joined Battn from England.
  • Capt (T Maj) R Evans (6th South Staffs) posted to Battalion (and transfered to 1/4th Leicestershire Regiment in May 1918).
Authors note: Both W Jackson and R Evans are difficult men to identify, but possibilities are:- 

Captain Robert Evans WO374/23140

1/6th Battalion War Diary [WO/95/2694]

6/7 Aug: Quiet days – weather gradually improving.

7/8 Aug: Our right sub sector heavily bombed by gas from trench mortars during the night. Our casualties very slight.

139 Infantry Brigade: Headquarters War Diary [WO95/2692]

On this day 4th August 1917

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No record in the 1/6th Battalion War Diary [WO/95/2694]

3/4 Aug: Heavy artillery and trench mortar barrage put down on our posts in the right sub sector during the night.

4/5 Aug: 8th Sherwood Foresters carried out a raid on enemy trenches in G5C.

139 Infantry Brigade: Headquarters War Diary [WO95/2692]

241346 Pte Jim Ramskill and 241239 Pte Richard Walters died on this day

Poppy

Although there is no record in the 1/6th Battalion War Diary two men of the Battalion were killed in action on this day in 1917.

4075/241346 Pte Jim Ramskill aged 36 and husband of Margaret Ramskill of 22 Aucklands Place off Beetwell St. in Chesterfield. Jim was an original rifle volunteer (Time Expired) who enlisted in September 1914 and was posted to the 11th (Service) Battalion Sherwood Foresters. He was discharged in February 1915 as medically unfit, but re-enlisted into the 3/6th Battalion in March 1915 and arrived in France in 1916. He served as a signaller with “A” Company and had previously been wounded on the 3rd June.4075 Ramskill

3829/241239 Pte Richard Walters enlisted in February 1915 and arrived in France in 1916 and was wounded on the 1st July 1916. His brother Walter, who served with the 1st Battalion, was also killed in action on the 21st July 1915. Richard Walters was the husband of Sarah Walters of 3 South Place off Barker Lane in Brampton Chesterfield. See here

Mazingarbe 1917Ramskill Walters

Jim Ramskill and Richard Walters are buried next to each other in Philosophe British Cemetery. They are amongst a number of North Midland Territorials who were killed in August 1917.

On this day 26th July 1917

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26.7.1917 LABOURE: Lieut & QM WD JAMIESON proceeded on leave.

Jamieson WD

William Duncan Jamieson

1/6th Battalion War Diary [WO/95/2694]

26th July: Gas successfully projected in right sub sector from projectors and 4″ Stokes, with slight reply from the enemy

139 Infantry Brigade: Headquarters War Diary [WO95/2692]

3129/240913 Pte Thomas James Neep of “A” Company was wounded on this day

Thomas was from Bolsolver and enlisted in October 1914 aged 21 and arrived in France in August 1918 with the 18th Reinforcement. He was admitted to the North Midland Field Ambulance in December 1916 and April 1917 with scabies. On the 26th July 1917 he was admitted to the 1/3rd North Midland Field Ambulance with a GSW in the forehead. He was later killed in action on the 6th August 1918.