Category Archives: On this day

On this day 3rd June 1917

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3.6.1917 LIEVIN SECTOR: 2/Lt LN JOHNSON MC killed in action whilst on working party (M.30.C.9.5).M.30.C.9.5.

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

2nd Lieut. LN Johnson’s death occurred on the 3rd June while in charge of a working party in the Bois de Raiumont, when an advanced trench was being dug for the assembly position of the 138th Infantry Brigade, who attacked from there a few days later.

Johnson was one of the Battalion’s most popular officers……and his grave is in the little cemetery between Fosse 10 and Sains-en-Gohelle, where rest the bodies of a good many of the Battalion’s Rank and file.

1/6th Battalion Regimantal History

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Casualties from the 3rd June 19171868:242606 Offord

Alban Offord from Retford died aged 21

  • 1658/240201 Sergt William Booth aged 26. 
  • 4398/241494 Pte Harry Cooper aged 47.
  • 5122/241864 Pte Harry Fuller aged 24.
  • 7751/242541 Pte William Howitt-Walker.
  • 2540/242605 Pte Walter Moxon aged 28.
  • 1868/242606 Pte Alban Offord aged 21.
  • Lieut Leslie Nethercote Johnson aged 29.

The men were buried in either Fosse No.10 Communal Cemetery Extension in Sains-en-Gohelle, which was the site of the North Midland Field Ambulance, or in Noeux-Les-Mines Communal Cemetery by the 7th Casualty Clearing Station.

Fosse No.10 Communal Cemetery Extension

Fosse 10 cemetery242606 OffordFosse 43-47

Noeux-Les-Mines Communal CemeteryNoeux-Les-Mines Communal Cemetery

Other men wounded on this day

  • 3665/241163 Pte ARTHUR BUXTON
  • 2204/240467 Pte FRED HURLER
  • 2563/240639 Pte ERNEST MATTHEWS
  • 2277/240501 Pte FRANK DRABBLE
  • 2867/240771 Pte ALBERT BAGSHAW
  • 2609/240660 Pte ARTHUR COLLIER
  • 3890/241264 Pte WALTER BLAIR
  • 4215/241401 Pte WILLIAM SIMMONS
  • 4190/241390 Pte JOHN HENRY CRYAN
  • 4399/241495 Pte JAMES BLAKEMORE
  • 3400/241053 Pte HERBERT STEEPLES
  • 3302/242408 Pte ERNEST BRAZIER
  • 7731/242521 Pte ARTHUR AUGUSTUS DEACON
  • 7721/242511 Pte ARCHIBOLD BRANSON
  • 4559/241568 Pte PERCY HARMER
  • 5183/241874 Pte HERBERT TAYLOR
  • 5809/242627 Pte RICHARD WEBB
  • 2493/240602 Pte FRED MOORCROFT
  • 4075/241346 Pte JIM RAMSKILL

On this day 2nd June 1917

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2.6.1917: Lt & Adjt E KERSHAW MC and LT HW HIGHAM on short leave to England (10 days). Lieut J TAYLOR performed the duties of Adjt during absence of Lieut Kershaw.

kershaw higham

Edward Kershaw and Harold Woolf Higham

Taylor Joshua

Joshua Taylor

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

2-4th June: During this period work was concentrated on digging the assembly trench in the Cite De RIAUMONT. The enemy paid a good deal of attention to this work and frequently trench mortared and gassed our working parties.

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

On this day 1st June 1917

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1.6.1917:

2/Lt R EVANS assumed Command and payment of Letter “A” Company vice Capt ROBINSON.evans robinson

Richard Evans and Victor Owen Robinson

Lt GKK MAUGHAN assumed Command and payment of Letter “C” Company vice Lt HIGHMAN.

Maughan Highman

Gardyne Keith Kilgour Maughan and Harold Woolf Higham

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

In the line at LIEVIN W of LENS June 1 1917: 

  • 5th Sherwood Foresters on the RIGHT
  • 7th Sherwood Foresters on the LEFT
  • 6th Sherwood Foresters in RESERVE at RED MILL
  • 8th Sherwood Foresters in SUPPORT

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

2062/240396 Pte John Davison was wounded on this day

John was a pre-War Territorial who enlisted in November 1911 and served with “A” Company. He arrived in France in February 1915 with the 46th North Midland DIvision. Later served with Royal Fusiliers and Royal Field Artillery.2062 davison

 

 

On this day 31st May 1917

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31.5.1917 TRENCHES: Lieut JL PERCIVAL rejoined Battalion from 2nd Entrenching Battalion.

percival

John Lakeman Percival, MC

31.5.1917 TRENCHES: CAPT VO ROBINSON, MC proceeded on 1 months leave to England.

NIGHT 31st May/1st June Trenches: Relieved by 5th Sherwood Foresters and went into Brigade Reserve with HQ at RED MILL M.27.d.75.70. (LENS 36c SW1).

Red Mill May 1917

Casualties during tour:-

  • Killed 5 other ranks
  • Gassed 27 other ranks
  • Wounded 18 other ranks

Casualties May 1917

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

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3194/240941 Alfred Morris Reginald Moore died on this day

Alfred enlisted in October 1914 and arrived in France in June 1915. He served with “B” Company and was wounded on the 25th May at Cite St Pierre.

3194 Moore 2

Alfred died of his wounds at the 2nd Western General Hospital in Manchester.

3194 Moore

He was born at Whaley Common and the son of Harry and Sabina Moore of Elmton Rd., Creswell. He is buried in Creswell (St. Mary Magdalene) Churchyard. See here for more details.

Alfred’s brother Joe Maxwell Moore was also killed in action with the 1/6th Battalion on the 3rd September 1918 during the attack on Hunter Post and Scott Post. See here.

On this day 30th May 1917

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30.51917 Trenches: Draft of 24 other ranks arrived as reinforcements.

30.5.1917 Trenches: Lieut GKK MAUGHAN rejoined from short leave to England.

Gardyne Keith Kilgour Maughan

30.5.1917 MARQUEFFLES FARM: Divisional Commander presented medal ribbons to the following:-

BAR to MILITARY CROSS CAPT VO ROBINSONRobinson 1917

DC MEDAL 240513 Sergeant F LONGSONLongson DCM June 1917

MILITARY MEDAL 240076 Sergeant JG RAVEY, 242442 Pte L BEASTALL, 241360 L/Cpl A EVANS240076 Ravey April 1917242442 Beastall April 1917241360 Evans April 1917

MARQUEFFLES FARM was next to MARQUEFFLES coal mine at the foot of the Northern slopes of the Lorette Ridge. The Companies were all billeted in the farm, and the Officers in tenet outside, while a home made marquee was used as a mess.

On these nights 29th to 31st May 1917

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Nights of 29th-31st Trenches: Attempted raids by enemy on “A” Company (RIGHT COY) successfully repulsed.

Sergeants RAVEY and BOAM especially distinguished themselves.Ravey

240076 Sergeant John George Ravey

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

PoppyCasualties during the German raids

2108 Tom Depledge2108/240418 L/Cpl Tom Depledge aged 26 and a collier from Fernilee. A pre-War Territorial and  the son of John and Mary Depledge of Horwich End, Whaley Bridge, Derbyshire.

7703/242494 Pte John Harris aged 23 and son of John Edward and Eliza Mary Harris of Whit wick in Leicestershire.

2195/240461 Pte Bernard Taylor aged 22 and the son of Thomas and Betsy Alice Taylor of 6 Wimbourne Rd., Radford in Nottingham.

4943/241818 Pte Thomas Herbert Beastall aged 25 and son of John and Emma Ann Beastall of 14 Chapel St., Ripley in Derbyshire.

2766/240721 Pte Jasper Parks a coal miner from Chesterfield.

FOSSE NO.10 COMMUNAL CEMETERY EXTENSION, SAINS-EN-GOHELLE

A ‘Derbyshire Territorial Row’

Many of the 1/6th Battalion men killed between May and July 1917 are buried in FOSSE NO.10 COMMUNAL CEMETERY EXTENSION, SAINS-EN-GOHELLE and there are several ‘Sherwood Rows’.

Fosse 10 cemetery

 

Fosse 10 C 1-3fosse 49-50

The Wounded

1687/240215 Pte Willie Coleman a miner from Barlborough and a pre-War Territorial who served with F Company and signed the Imperial Service Agreement at Eckington in May 1912. First wounded in June 1915 he returned to France with the 6th Reinforcement in March 1916 he suffered from shell shock on the 30th May 1917 and later returned to his unit. Disembodied on Demobilisation in February 1919.

3779/241218 Pte Harold Dolby from Brimington enlisted into 2/6th Battalion in February 1915 and wounded with A Company. During a brief period of home leave in late 1916 Harold married his girlfriend Ethel. Died of wounds on the 12th March 1918.

3819/241233 Pte Francis William Hobbs enlisted into 2/6th Battalion in February 1915 and served with A Company 1/6th Battn. MM, LG 9.7.17 (for Gallantry on 23rd April 1917 at Fosse 3 De Lievin) and Bar LG 18.10.17 (for action on 18th August 1917)

4113/241360 Pte Albert Evans enlisted into 3/6th Battalion in March 1915 and  served with “A” Company. MM, LG 18.6.17 (for Gallantry on 23rd April 1917 at Fosse 3 De Lievin); Died of natural causes (accident in a Coal Mine when he was crushed in a fall) on 10.3.39 aged 55.

4287/241434 Pte Herbert Boam enlisted into 3/6th Battalion in May 1915 and served with “A” Company.

On this day the 28th May 1917

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The following men of “D” Company were wounded by gas shelling and admitted to the North Midland Field Ambulance and 35 General Hospital in Calais.1761 slack

  • 236 Pte William Bennett
  • 1761/240251 Pte Richard Slack a collier from Clay Cross
  • 1765/240253 Pte Ernest Whalley a miner from Pilsley
  • 2088/240405 Pte William Shrewsbury a miner banksman from Alftreton
  • 2958/200782 Pte Joseph William Smedley 
  • 3243/240974 Pte Edenezer Flint a quarryman from Wirksworth
  • 4143/241373 Pte Edwin Brook
  • 5330/241880 Pte Victor Major Mitchell
  • 7799/242587 Pte Harold English

On these days 27th-31st May 1917

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May 27-31: During the period the enemy showed considerable activity – during the day his artillery fire on back areas greatly increased – and at night he constantly bombed and attacked our forward posts. In almost every case he was driven off with loss but with very few casualties to ourselves.

A new trench was dug through the Cite de RIAUMONT.cite de riaumont

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

On this day 27th May 1917

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1246/240089 Pte William Hopkinson was gassed

William enlisted as a drummer boy in August 1910 aged 14 and was posted to “A” (Chesterfield) and Headquarters Company. He arrived in France in February 1915 and was wounded in the arm at Ypres. He was badly gassed on this day at Lievin. Disembodied in April 1919 and awarded the 14/15 Trio.1246 hopkinson