7.1.1916: 2/Lt WH Holderness granted 3 weeks sick leave to England.
War Diary [WO/95/2694]
On this day 7th January 1916
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On this day 6th January 1916
6.1.1916 ISEBEGUES: Battn less Regimental Transport entrained 10.41 pm at BERGUETTE STATION.
War Diary [WO/95/2694]
We entrained early in January, and our accommodation for that journey through France was the acme of comfortable travel (in reverse) forty of us packed into covered vans, the journey took two and a half days, you could not get a pillow, and if any man required toilet when the train was on the move, he somehow proceeded to the sliding door, and there you have nature in the raw.
On our journey we stopped the train for about an hour every six or seven hours, for a stretch and refreshments, which I can assure you was a very welcome break. It was very beautiful scenery, and all along the track south of Lyons the plate layers working on the lines were working in trousers only, the weather was warm and sunny, and such a difference to the weather in Northern France, in fact the trenches although in the same Country seemed a long way off now.
[2305 Pte Frank Longson]
On this day 5th January 1916
No record in the War Diary [WO/95/2694]
723 Pte Francis Bernard Lang
Francis Bernard Lang a 30 year old coal miner from Staveley was transferred to England on this day as “Time Expired”. Francis has originally enlisted into the 6th Battalion in June 1908 and served with “A” Company.
On this day 4th January 1916
4.1.1916 PROMOTIONS: CQM Sergt JE BARKER & Cpl FWA STUBBS to be 2nd Lieuts dated 18.12.15.
War Diary [WO/95/2694]
Frederick William Arthur Stubbs
John Edwin Barker
On this day 3rd January 1916
No record in the War Diary [WO/95/2694]
On this day 2nd January 1916
2.1.1916 ISBERGUES: Notification received that Lt.-Col. G.D. Goodman, Capt V.O. Robinson, Regtl Sergt Maj. H.H. Jackman, Pte J Hamer had been mentioned in Sir John French’s Dispatches.
War Diary [WO/95/2694]
On this day 1st January 1916
1.1.1916 ISBERGUES: Observed as a holiday throughout the Brigade.
War Diary [WO/95/2694]
1915 In Review
April to December 1915
- The 6th Battalion left Southampton with the North Midland Division on the 25th February 1915.
- The Battalion held the front line trenches 21 times between March and December 1915; including 1 major battle (the attack on Hohenzollern Redoubt).
- Two Officer were killed during these 9 months; 2/Lt Henry Severne in May and 2/Lt Lewis Dickinson in September.
- At least 10 Officers were also wounded during this time.
- According to the War Diary 81 men were killed in the 9 months between March and December.
- This does not include the 12 missing after the mine explosion on the 30th September; which was the biggest single loss of life to date.
- The 1st man to be killed was 1470 Allen Redfern of Buxton who was shot by a sniper on the 10th March 1915 and is buried in Ploegsteert Wood Military Cemetery.
- The last man to be killed was 3065 Joseph Brown, a miner from Grassmoor, who was last seen bombing in the German trench as the raiding party retired and was reported as missing on the 26th November. His body was never recovered or identified after the war and he is commemorated on the Loos Memorial.
- The War Diary records that 323 men were wounded during these 9 months; research suggests that this number is in fact much higher. Indeed the 139th Brigade War Diary records the following Casualties:-
On this day 31st December 1915
No record in the War Diary [WO/95/2694]
On this day 30th December 1915
30.12.15 ISEBERGUES: Promotion No 6953 C.S.M. BROWNE 6th Sherwood Foresters to be 2nd Lieutenant in the 2nd Battalion Sherwood Foresters dated 13th December 1915.
6953 CSM Ernest Brown
In 1911 6953 Sergeant Ernest Brown was posted from the 1st Battn to “H” Company of the 6th Battalion.
He was killed by shell fire on the 20th November 1917 aged 35 and was later reburied in Fifteen Ravine British Cemetery. His Medals were claimed by his Widow in 1922.
Is Ernest on these pictures of “H” (Whaley Bridge) Company NCOs?
Taken in 1912
Taken in 1911
Derbyshire Territorials in the Great War 