A 1916 recruit who served in France with the 1/6th and 17th Battalions
BWM and VM
James Nye enlisted into the 3/6th Sherwoods Foresters at Chesterfield in April 1916. James was a 36 year old farm labourer from Arlington near Guildford. His enrolment was approved by Captain Swann.
Statement of Service
Following training with the 6th Reserve Battalion James was transferred to the 1/6th Battalion and proceeded overseas to the 8th Entrenching Battalion in France. James was later posted to the 17th Battalion (The Wellbeck Rangers) on the 9th September 1916 with approximately 100 other men who were all renumbered from 70211 to 70312. This reinforcement was to make up for losses suffered by the 17th Battalion during their attack on Beaumont Hamel.
[Regimental numbers 70001 to ~71177 was a numbering systems employed by the Sherwood Foresters to move men from the Territorial Battalions to the Regular and Service Battalion between September and November 1916]
War Diary entry for Wellback Rangers recording the casualty figures for the attack on Beaumont Hamel
Drafts of men posted to the 17th Battalion in early September
James served in France with the 17th Battalion until he was posted home on the 22nd February 1917 suffering from rheumatism. After time spent at the Command Depot (possibly at Ballyvonare, County Cork) he was posted to the 3rd Battalion and then discharged in October 1917.
A recent purchase that I am very happy with because I believe the recipient – 118815 Pte Harry Watson – has a special tale to tell in the story of the 1/6th Battalion, The Sherwood Foresters.
Harry was issued the Regimental Number of 118815, which were numbers issued to conscripted men posted to the 3rd/4th and 5th/7th (Reserve) Battalions for training in early summer 1918.
The 118*** Series of Regimental Numbers
From studying surviving service records we can draw some broad conclusions:-
Men numbered between 118044 (Pte William Walters) and 118239 (Pte Sidney Nunn) were posted to the 3rd or 4th Battalions between 25th and 29th May 1918. Following training these men arrived in France in Sept/Oct 1918.
Men numbered between 118272 (Pte Charles Leedel) and 118287 (Pte Street) were posted to the 5th Reserve Battalion at Saltfleet on the 28th and 29th May 1918. Following training these men arrived in France in Sept/Oct 1918.
Men numbered between 118431 (Pte Hartwell) and 118547 (Pte Walker) were posted to the 3rd Battalion at Sunderland between on the 12th and 13th June 1918. Following training these men arrived in France on 4th Oct 1918.
Men numbered between 118785 (Pte McLocklin) and 118889 (Pte Hand) were posted to the 5th and 7th Reserve Battalions at Saltfleet between 18th and 20th June 1918. Following training these men arrived in France in mid Oct 1918.
Medal Roll of 118815 Harry Watson
From his service number of 118215 we can surmise that Harry Watson was posted to either the 5th or 7th Reserve Battalions in mid June 1918 and was highly likely to have arrived in France and posted to the 1/6th Battalion in October 1918.
And why is that important?……..It would make Harry one of the last reinforcements to join the 1/6th Battalion, most likely to replace losses following the storming of the Hindenburg Line.
Note: On the medal roll there is no longer a distinction between the 1/6th and 2/6th Battalions, the latter of which had been finally disbanded on 31st July 1918.
Unfortunately, I carelessly let this Medal Pair ‘get away from me’ on a well known internet auction site last night, but I thought that I would still try to piece together Frederick’s story.
Frederick was one of approximately 112 men who were transferred to the 2/6th Battalion, the Sherwood Foresters from the Bedfordshire Regiment and issued the new Regimental numbers running from 103024 (Herbert Meekins) to 103137 (George Webster). Many of these men had previously been numbered with a post-1917 6-digit Bedfordshire Territorial Force Regimental number (see below).
Section of the Sherwood Forester Medal Roll showing the transfer of Men from the Bedfordshire Regiment to the 2/6th Battalion.
But when and why did this transfer happen?
Fortunately the Service Records of at least two of this group of 112 men still exist:
103035 Pte John Male from Bath (see above).
103065 Pte Horace Crowle from Cornwall.
Casualty Form – Active service for 204038 Pte John Male
Casualty Form – Active Service for 103035 Pte John MaleCasualty Form – Active Service for 103065 Pte Horace Crowie
These documents confirm that Pte John Male and Pte Horace Crowle – and by inference Pte Frederick Blaydon – were posted to the 5th Reserve Battalion of the Bedfordshire Regiment, before proceeding to France from Folkestone on the 28th March 1918.
They arrived at “L” Infantry Base Depot and were transferred to the 2/6th Battalion Sherwood Foresters on the 31st March 1918. This transfer was due to the losses suffered by the 2/6th Battalion (178th Bde, 59th Division) on the 21st March 1918 during the German Spring Offensive.
Neither John Male or Horace Cowle would survive the month
59th Division Casualties for April 1918
John Male was killed in action with B Company, 2/6th Battalion on the 16th April aged 48. He was the Son of Mr and Mrs Male of 13, Maytree Rd., Bitterne, Southampton. John’s body was exhumed near Kemmel Hall in July 1919 and he is now buried in La Clytte Military Cemetery.
Mount Kemmel – John’s body was found at 19 D, near to Kemmel Hall
Horace Cowle served with B Company and was listed as ‘missing in action’ during the defence of Kemmel on the 18th April 1918 aged 19. He was the son of Mr and Mrs Crowle of 1 Chapel Terrace, St. Blazey, Cornwall. Horace is commemorated on The Ploegsteert Memorial.
Horace had enlisted underage in November 1915. He arrived in France in December 1916 and was posted to the 1st Duke of Cornwall’s Light Infantry. However, in January 1917 he was returned to England.
Frederick Blaydon was later transferred to the 1/6th Battalion when the 2/6th was reduced to Cadre in May 1918 and survived the War.
George was posted to the 16th Battalion, the Chatsworth Rifles with 125 other men in early Sept 1916. These men were issued with the Regimental numbers 70052 to 70177.
In 1916 this numbering system was used to transfer men from the Territorial Battalions of the Sherwood Foresters to the Regular and Service Battalions under Army Order 204/A.C.I. 1499.
George was captured at Thiepval on 9th October during the attack on the SCHWABEN REDOUBT.
*By ‘original’ I mean before Conscription started and they were issued with Territorial Force Regimental numbers
Undated sick and wounded list
240627 Sergeant Joseph Hughes
Joseph Hughes was a print works labourer from Birch Vale, near New Mills in Derbyshire. Joseph married Sarah and they had three girls; Dorothy (b 1907), Annie (b 1908) and Gertrude (b 1910). He enlisted in October 1914 and most likely arrived in France with the 2/6th Battalion in February 1917. He only served overseas with the 2/6th Battalion. According to the sick list (above) he suffered from slight myalgia (muscle aches and pains).
Limburg Camp RecordJoseph’s record recording his wounding
Joseph was later captured on the 4th December 1917 during the Battle of Cambrai and interned in Limburg POW Camp.
Silver War Badge Roll
Joseph was discharged in May 1915 aged 32 and received a pension.
2/6th Battalion Reunion held at Bakewell in 1935
It is possible that Joseph attended the reunions of the 2/6th Battalion held in Bakewell during the 1930s. Joseph died in July 1963.
241979 Sergeant Percy Walker
Medal Index CardMedal Role
Percy Walker enlisted in July 1916 and was posted to the 1/6th Battalion in France in August 1916 according to his Medal Index Card. He would later serve with the 15th Battalion and 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)] – see ‘wounded and sick’ list above.
Record of the 31 Ambulance Train for May 1917
The undated ‘sick and wounded list’ ties in with the 7th-12th May 1917 record of the 31 Ambulance Train (above), which conveyed Percy Walker from Nesle to Rouen on the 12th-13th May 1917. Note: from April to June 1917 Nesle was the site of No. 21 Casualty Clearing Station.
15th Battalion War Diary – May 1917
At the time of his wounding the 15th Battalion were holding the front line and support trenches.
King’s Certificate of Discharge for Percy Walker (authors collection)
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.
Samuel was born in Essex in 1899 to Samuel Arthur and Annie Louisa in 1899 and was one of four siblings. In 1911 the family was living at 7 Nettleham Road in Lincoln.
Samuel enlisted into the 2/1 Derbyshire Yeomanry in September 1916 aged 18 at which time he was a Bank Clerk. He was examined by the medical board on 15th February 1917 when he was passed fit for military service.
1st Battalion Sherwood Foresters
Service Record for 100055 Pte Samuel Atkinson
Following basic training Samuel embarked from Folkestone on Christmas Eve 1917 and going ‘K’ Infantry Base Depot, where he was transferred to the 2/7th Battalion Sherwood Foresters (for record purposes). Samuel was amongst a number of soldiers who at that time were transferred to the Sherwood Foresters from the Derbyshire Yeomanry and Nottinghamshire Yeomanry (Sherwood Rangers).
Samuel served was transferred the 1st Battalion on the 29th December and served with them until his wounding in May 1918.
On 27th May 1918 the 1st Battalion were engaged in the front line trenches:-
“1 a.m. Enemy barrage opened. VENTELAY neighbourhood + transport lines gassed. About 4.30 a.m. Battalion ordered forward to AISNE LINE……casualties heavy”
Samuel suffered a severe gun shot wound to the head and was admitted to the 11th Stationary Hospital in Rouen.
Service Record for 100055 Pte Samuel Atkinson
1/5th Battalion Sherwood Foresters
Following his recovery Samuel was sent to ‘D’ Infantry Base Depot and then posted to the 1/5th Battalion Sherwood Foresters on July 14th 1918.
1/5th Reinforcements – July 1918
Samuel was one of 130 men that were posted to the 1/5th Battalion in July 1915.
Service Record for 100055 Pte Samuel Atkinson
Samuel was wounded a second time on the 22nd July 1918 whilst the Battalion was holding front line trenches in the ESSARS Sector and were raided by the Germans.
1/5th Battalion casualties – July 1918
Samuel was on of 30 men of the 1/5th Battalion who were wounded in July 1918, he appears to have remained ‘at duty’.
Storming the Hindenburg Line
1/5th Battalion War Diary October 1915.
Samuel died of his wounds on the 3rd October 1918 as the 1/5th Battalion were attacking the villages of Ramicourt and Montbrehain.
“Killed in action or died of wounds on or since 3.10.18. Body buried by Rev M H ?? and 32 MGC 11.10.18”
Magny La Fosse MapMagny La Fosse burial record
Samual was originally buried in Magny La Fosse Churchyard Extension [62b. H.25. a.9.2.] alongside 14077 Driver Arthur Johnson from Kiverton Park near Sheffield.
MAGNY-LA-FOSSE CHURCHYARD EXTENSION was made by an Advanced Dressing Station in October 1918, and contained the graves of seven soldiers from the United Kingdom and one from Australia and three men of the Chinese Labour Corps.
In 1924 Samual and Arthur’s bodies were exhumed and they were reburied in Tincourt Cemetery.
Sydney Charles Noble is typical of the men that were posted to the 2/6th Battalion after their decimation on the 21st March 1918.
Sydney was 28 and a resident of London. He was a newspaper printer at the ‘Times’.
He attested in March 1916 and was mobilised the following year and posted to the 43rd Training Reserve Battalion.
After 8 months training he was transferred to the 3rd Battalion Bedford Regiment at Felixstowe in November 1917.
Sydney arrived in France in March 1918 and was posted to L Infantry Base Depot.
He was transferred to the 2/6th Battalion Sherwood Foresters on the 30th March 1918 and joined C Company ‘in the field’ on 3rd April 1918.
He fought with the 2/6th Battalion during the Battle for Kemmel Hill (14-20 April) were the re-formed 59thDivision suffered terrible casualties; 2363 Officers and men killed, wounded of missing.
Sidney was posted to K Infantry base on 7th May when the 2/6th Battalion was reduced to Cadre and transferred to the 16th Lancashire Fusiliers (2nd Salford Pals) on the 5th July along with 52 other men from the 2/6th.
He was gassed on the 25th August 1918 and admitted to 9th General Hospital Rouen before being transferred to England on HMS St Patrick.
“Whilst this action coast the 16th Lancashire Fusiliers few casualties, two days later [25th August] the still inexperienced men were subjected to a devastatingly heavy mustard-gas shelling, which left 15 Officers and 429 men as casualties”
[Salford Pals by Michael Steadman]
Sydney spent 56 days in the Military Hospital at Parkhust and 72 days in the 2nd Western General Hospital in Manchester.
He was finally discharged from Hospital in March 1918.
George was born in New Mills to ?? and Mary Chambers and was one of 8 surviving children. In the 1911 Census the Wolley family were living at Ollersett, New Mills in Derbyshire. At this time George was cloth packer in the local bleach works.
George Attested into the British Army in December 1915 – possibly under the Derby Scheme – and was mobilised into the 3rd Battalion Sherwood Foresters on the 5th June 1916.
George married Maria Roughly in Hayfield Parish Church in October 1916 and four months later their first daughter Matha was born. A son George was born on 30th December 1918.
Arrival in France and wounded at the Battle of Passchendale
Following basic training George arrived in France (Calais) on the 2nd July 1917 and was posted to the 17th Battalion Sherwood Foresters, the Wellbeck Rangers at the 14th Infantry Base Depot.
George was present with the Wellbeck Rangers when they took part in the 3rd Battle of Ypres and attacked Steenbeek near St Julian.
1.15am. Assembly of Battalion was complete and carried out without casualties.
3.50am. The advance commenced across “No Man’s Land”.
4.16 am. The Blue Line was reached without opposition. Slight casualties were incurred due to the protective barrage.
5.13 am. The advance on Black Line commenced. Slight opposition was met with by two enemy machine guns in the vicinity of Oblong Farm. These were at once engaged. The advance continued until held up by machine guns and snipers from Canoe Trench.
5.33am. Undercover of Lewis guns and barrage Canoe Trench was the captured. The advance was then continued by the second wave through Kitchener’s Wood to the dotted black line. On arrival on the eastern side of the Wood two enemy machine guns opened up on us from Alberta. These were engaged…….with the assistance of two tanks……and captured the farm.
6.50 am. The Dotted Green Line Companies and Hugel Hollow Platoon formed up behind protective barrage.
7.30 am. Advance behind protective barrage began. Very little resistance was met. Several prisoners taken from Hugel Hollow and concrete dug-outs to the North East of Alberta.
7.55 am. The Steenbeek was reached and advanced over and consolidation commenced on the Eastern side.
Total casualties were 331 Officers and men including George who was serving with “B” Company.
George was taken to the 134th Field Ambulance before being transferred to 2nd Australian General Hospital at Wimereux. He was returned to England on the 9th August 1917 and did not return to France.
George was granted 9 days leave in mid-September 1917, before being transferred to the 501s5 Agricultural Company of the Labour Corps in April 1918 and was stationed at Derby with the Northern Command.
Charles was killed in action during a raid on Hunters Post in the last months of the Great War, and thanks to his great nephew Chris, we can now put a face to Charles and tell a little more about his short life and the sweetheart that he left at home.
Charles was born in Lincoln in July 1895 and in the 1911 Census was living with his family at 117 Winn Street. He was from a large family and an errand boy for a local doctor.
Service with the Sherwood Foresters
It’s not clear when Charles enlisted, and into which Regiment; interestingly, his two elder brothers both enlisted into the Lincolnshire Regiment and have very close regimental numbers.
Charles was certainly with the 1/7th Battalion at the end of 1916 (December) when the Territorial Force Renumbering was being planned and the Territorial Battalions of the Sherwood Foresters used a five digit (2****) regimental numbering system to renumber men being moved between battalions or being posted from other Regiments at the 14th Infantry Base Depot . Charles duly received a 7th Battalion 6-digit number in March 1917 (269262).
Charles most likely served with the Robin Hoods from December 1916 until the Battalion was reduced to Cadre in late January 1918.
Note the Service Record of 20070/269288 Alfred Harold Gregory, who has similar Regimental Numbers to Charles, was used to infer his service.
Attack on Hunter and Scott Post
During early September 1918 the 1/6th Battalion made several attacks on the German strong points known as Hunter and Scott Post – see here for details. It was during this attack that Charles was killed in action or mortally wounded.
Chris has told me that there is a family legend that Charles died carrying a wounded man back to his own trenches. That he was hit and fell and that the wounded man asked Charles whether he was OK, he said he was ok and could carry on. He picked the man up again but was hit a second time, this time he told wounded man he would have to make his own way back and died.
An obituary was posted in a local paper by his fiancée “Vera L” who must have also sent the post card to the family.
Many thanks to Martha Gratton who very kindly sent me pictures of her Great Grandfather John William Burton.
Men of the 1/5th Battalion entraining for Luton from Friar Gair Station in Derby on the 16th August 1914. The arrow indicates John Burton and on the back is written “Signallers 1/5th Sherwood Foresters”. Also identified on the back are Signalling Officer Captain Reginald J Case and Signalling Sergeant H Bonnell.
