The 59th (2nd North Midland Division) travelled to Dublin on the RMS Munster and RMS Ulster.
The 2/6th Battalion and their embarkation to Dublin in April 1916
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Category Archives: On this day
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]
“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.
Some great news: thanks to a great pal of the Sherwood Foresters – (Shane H) – Lancelot’s Medal Pair was kept together.
There is every chance he served in Ireland with the 2/6th…..
Shane also kindly sent a picture of Lancelot.
OTD 16th October 1915; 3/6th Battalion at Bolton Park near Grantham
“Capt. R Saxby and Second-Lieut. A. H. Goodall, both of whom were wounded while serving with the 1 6 Battalion in Flanders, have joined the unit this week. The post of Regimental-Sergt.-Major has not yet been filled, and the duties are temporarily being carried out by Company-Sergt.-Major J. Platts.”
The tragic suicide of 3828 Company Sergeant Major Thomas Wood from Sheffield
On the 4th October 1915 at Belton Camp near to Grantham
Thomas was a 38 year old clerk when he enlisted into the 6th Reserve Battalion, the Sherwood Foresters in Chesterfield on the 2nd May 1915. Thomas had previously served over 18 years with the 2nd Battalion Kings Own Yorkshire Light Infantry and rising to the rank of Colour Sergeant.
Captain William Seaton, who had known him for a month, described Thomas as a very good man indeed and an excellent sergeant-major. Thomas left a wife and four sons who received a pension.
It would appear from Captain Seaton’s testimony and Thomas’s final letter that he was under considerable pressure “Try and think as well as you can of me. I have tried to do my best, but when there is only man, what are you to do? I cannot bear the strain any longer”
Thomas wrote to Major Towler stringing that “my accounts are in an awful muddle”, but on examination “so far as he knew the accounts were alright”.
The History of the 3/7th Reserve (Robin Hood) Battalion Sherwood Foresters, written in 1921, records that there were a shortage of Officers and NCOs in these early days of the Reserve Battalions.
Thomas’s widow Catherine and their four young sons were awarded a pension.
4478/241531 Pte Francis Yates
1/6th Battalion and Labour Corps; arrived in France in 1916 and wounded on 1st July 1916
Unfortunately very little is known about Francis Yates, but it would appear that he arrived in France in 1916, served with “B” Company and was wounded on the 1st July 1916 [Information from 1/6th Battalion casualty book formerly kept in Officers Mess at Chesterfield Drill Hall].
Interestingly his medal index card does not record his 4-digit Regimental number (4478), whilst the 6-digit number (241531) would suggest that he was ‘still with’ the Sherwood Foresters in Spring 1917. His 4-digit number indicates that he enlisted in early August 1915.
Indeed, there is a reference in the Grantham Journal on Saturday October 16 1915, that Privates Philip Larkin, Frederick Watts and Francis Yates of the 3/6th Battalion where brought before Chesterfield Borough Bench for being ‘absent without leave’. At the time the 3/6th Battalion were camped at Belton Park with the rest of the 3rd North Midland Division.
At some point Francis was posted to the Labour Corps and given the regimental number 601701. From a search of the Army Service Records of 601763 Pte Eli Rushton, 601795 Pte Wilkinson Haworth and 601798 Pte Edward Rumbol (who all have similar 6017** regimental numbers) it would appear that this transfer happened in June-July 1918.
Another great purchase……..
Pictures of the very short Summer Camp of 1914 in Hunmanby are hard to find and this is only my second……….
The reason being – War was declared and the men of the Sherwood Foresters quickly returned to their home station for mobilisation.
This is epitomised by the entry in Sergeant Percy Walker’s diary…
The picture shows men of the 5th or 6th Battalions cooking by the roadside…
And just for comparison – here is the Robin Hood Rifles…..same photographer……just taken later
9/5673/241979 Percy Walker………an update
Many thanks to Pery’s great grandson son Granville, who has very kindly sent me copies of family photos and Percy’s diary, we can now fill in Percy’s service with the Sherwood Foresters.
Born in 1882 in Wirksworth, Percy was a painter by trade, and by 1911 was living at 10 Chapel Lane with his new bride Florence.
Service with ‘E’ (Wirksworth) Company, the 2nd Volunteer Battalion of the Nottinghamshire & Derbyshire Regiment: 1902-1914
Percy enlisted into the 2VB on the 9th of February 1901 aged 19, and served with them until their disbandment on the 31st March 1908, during which time he rose to the rank of Corporal.
Pre-War Service with ‘E’ (Wirksworth) Company, the 6th Battalion of the Nottinghamshire & Derbyshire Regiment: 1908-1914
Percy enlisted into the 6th Battalion on its formation on 1st April 1908 and was given the early regimental number of 9. He was assigned to No. 3 Section of the Left Half Company Commanded by 2/Lt Francis Edward Wintle. E Company was Commanded by Captain Joseph Albert Wheatcroft.
War Service with ‘E’ (Wirksworth) Company, the 6th Battalion of the Nottinghamshire & Derbyshire Regiment: 1914
On the outbreak of the War Percy started to keep a diary, which now throws light on those early days of the War and the training undertaken by the North Midland Division in the Harpenden and Luton areas.
Percy’s diary records the training that they undertook, such as route marches, outpost work and Company/Battalion Drill. During this time Percy and the other men of the Division were billeted in private residences and the diary provides the names and addresses of these houses.
War Service with the 2/6th Battalion of the Nottinghamshire & Derbyshire Regiment: 1914-1916
Overseas Service with the 1/6th Battalion of the Nottinghamshire & Derbyshire Regiment: 1916-17
In April 1916 Percy would have served for 8 years in the Territorial Force, which meant that he was ‘time expired’. It appears from his Medal Index Card, Medal Roll and Silver War Badge Role that this was the case and he re-enlisted (or was conscripted) into the Sherwood Foresters and was posted to the 1/6th Battalion and given the new regimental number of 5672. He arrived in France on the 12th August 1916 and it appears that he was still with the 1/6th Battalion at time of the Territorial Force renumbering in spring of 1917 (new number of 241979).
At some point, and for some reason (possibly through wounding), Percy was transferred to the 15th Battalion.
Overseas Service with the 15th Battalion of the Nottinghamshire & Derbyshire Regiment: 1917
In May 1917 Percy was wounded (GW) with VI(I) [gunshot wound of back and spine (simple flesh contusions and wounds)] and IX(I) [gunshot wounds of lower extremities (simple flesh contusions and wounds)]. At the time of his wounding the 15th Battalion were holding the front line and support trenches.
Percy was discharged in January 1918 aged 35 years and was awarded a Silver War Badge and a King’s Certificate of Discharge. He also received a pension.
Derbyshire Territorials in the Great War 