29.7.1915 BIVOUAC: Moved to bivouacs on relief by 5th Battalion.
O.R. 3 killed 12 wounded.
G.18.c.2.8.
Early the next morning the enemy attacked at HOOGE and too trenches on left of our Brigade.
War Diary [WO/95/2694]
Approximate location of bivouacs at G.18.c.2.8. Kemmel Hill can be seen at top right.
1575 William Cartledge a quarryman from Monsal Dale was killed in action. He was buried in Divisional Cemetery and is in fact the only man of the entire 139th Sherwood Foresters Brigade to be laid to rest there.
The cemetery is situated on the Western edge of Ypres and was used for burials from April 1915 onwards. It’s possible that William was buried in this Cemetery as the Battalion was marching back to their bivouacs, which were located between Poperinge and Vlamertinge at G.18.C.2.8.
27.7.1915 SANCTUARY WOOD: 7 Border Regiment attached for Instruction.
No record in the War Diary [WO/95/2694]
25.7.1915 SANCTUARY WOOD: German aeroplane shot down & observer fell in front of our trenches.
No record in the War Diary [WO/95/2694]
“We spent a further six days in Strong Posts in Sanctuary Wood and Maple Copse, during which an enemy areoplane was brought down in flames. This was claimed by the Archies as a victim, but as the petrol tank was perforated in nine places by bullets their claim was disallowed.
It was an interesting sight for those who saw the event-the first burst of smoke, the observer throwing himself out, falling the greater part of the way like a partly deflated balloon (his trench coat held the air), the bump when he struck the ground, the sweep of the machine as it turned to land in the open by Maple Copse, and the perfect landing, from which it was obvious that the pilot was conscious when the ground was reached. Within a few seconds of landing, three enemy shells burst directly over the plane, evidently intended for an anticipated rush of the curious.
The charred remains of the pilot were removed, when the fire had burned out, and buried, together with the remains of the observer, in the cemetery at the east of the wood. The light machine gun with which the plane was equipped was recovered and is now at Derby.”
[1/5th Sherwood Foresters]
The German aeroplane was an Albatros C-type (armed two-seater reconnaissance aeroplane) from Flieger-Abteilung 3 and crewed by Oberleutnant Alfred Übelacker (Pilot) and Hauptmann Hans Roser (Observer).
The victory was credited to Captain Lanoe Hawker of No. 6 Sqn RFC who was flying in Bristol Scout 1611 (seen above). He’d had an inconclusive fight with another German aeoplane and had also shot down an Albatros C-type earlier that same evening; these were the second and third victories of his eventual tally of seven. He was awarded the Victoria Cross for his exploits on 25 July.
Major L G Hawker VC was later killed in action in a fight with Manfred von Richthofen on 23 November 1916.
In February they received a letter of thanks from FRAU ROSSER, wife of CAPTAIN ROSER who fell from a German Aeroplane by SANCTUARY WOOD on the 25th July 1915 and was buried by the BATTALION, his flight badge having been sent to his widow.
“The young pilot, from West Germany, who did not even fight went to the front, unknowing. He has been one of too many, his grave still stands between thousands of others.”23.7.15 SANCTUARY WOOD: Took over A8-12 & B1 & B2 from 5th Battalion. 10 West Yorks attached for instruction.
No record in the War Diary [WO/95/2694]
2980 Pte William Eyre was killed in action and buried in Maple Copse Cemetery.
Men wounded during this trench duty included:-
| 1623 | Pte | Joshua Oldfield | 24.7.15 | GS wound in left thigh and admitted to 50 CCS and 12 General Hospital. Transferred to 46 NMD Base Depot and joined No. 2 Entrenching Battalion before returning to Battalion. |
| 1765 | Pte | Ernest Whalley | 24.7.15 | Admitted to 4 CCS with abdominal pains. Returned to Battalion on 13.8.15. |
| 2176 | Pte | James Yeomans | 24.7.15 | Wounded in the field. |
| 2215 | Pte | Wilf Protheroe | 24.7.15 | Wounded in the field. |
| 2404 | Pte | Reginald Frost | 24.7.15 | Wounded in the field. |
| 3432 | Pte | Arthur Seston | 24.7.15 | GSW left leg and transferred to England on 21.8.15. Discharged on 25.517. |
| 2657 | Pte | Frederick Madin | 24.7.15 | Transferred to England and discharged due to wounds on 12.5.16 (para 392 XVI KR). |
| 1600 | Pte | John Pratt | 26.7.15 | Shell wound. |
| 2612 | Pte | William Bramwell | 26.7.15 | Transferred to England and discharged due to wounds on 18.1.16 (para 392 XVI). |
| 2320 | Pte | Percy Rusling | 28.7.15 | Transferred to England and discharged due to wounds on 3.5.16 (para 392 XVI KR). |
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]
Frank Mackenzie Dick
Evelyn Brown Johnson – The Bourne, Ashover
John Stephen Sampson
John Lakeman Percival
The men killed in action were:-
All three men are buried in Maple Copse Cemetery.
Maple Copse 20.7.1915: Battalion stood to arms at night heavy bombardment.
War Diary [WO/95/2694]
Maple Copse 19.7.1915: HOOGE mine exploded – heavy bombardment.
War Diary [WO/95/2694]
Maple Copse 18.7.1915: Handed over trenches and 2 Companies (D & B) garrisoned R4, 5 & 6 in support SANCTUARY WOOD – A & C in MAPLE COPSE
War Diary [WO/95/2694]
No record in the War Diary [WO/95/2694]
1777 Pte Thomas Arthur Chatterton, a labourer from 35 Barn End Cottages in Thornset near to New Mills, suffered GS wound in the head and was admitted to 1st NMFA then transferred to the 50 CCS and 2 General Hospital. He re-joined the 1/6th Battalion on 30th July 1915.
Thomas enlisted in Whaley Bridge in January 1913 and served with “H” Company. He was the Son of Mr Moratio Chatterton of Thornsett and was employed at Waterside Paper Mill. He attended Thornsett Independent Chapel. 
Thomas was wounded five times, but on each occasion recovered and returned to duty. In total he returned to England 3 times for hospital treatment before returning to France.
Thomas served overseas in the 1/6th (Feb ’15 – May ’16), 1/5th (Dec ’16 – June ’17) and 10th () Battalions.
Page 1 of his Army service record recording that Thomas arrived in France on the 25th February 1915 and was first wounded on the 17th July 1915 with a GSW in the head. After returning to the 1/6th Battalion he was again wounded with a GS wound on the 12th September 1915 and transferred to Hospital in England.
Page 2 of his Army Service Recording that Thomas returned to the 1/6th Battalion in France with the 6th Reinforcement on the 4th March 1916. However, he again returned to England on the 11th May 1916 suffering from mayagia (muscle pain) and influenza.
He returned to France with the 25th Reinforcement on the 19th November 1916 and was posted to the 5th Battalion from the 14th Infantry Base Depot at Calais.
Thomas was wounded for the 3rd time on the 4th May 1917; but remained at duty.
He was wounded for the 4th time two months later on the 3rd June 1917, this time with a GSW in the back and was transferred to England.
It would seem that Thomas was arrested on the 24th September 1917, tired by a district court martial and sentenced to 2 years detention for deserting His Majesty’s Service.
However, Thomas returned to France with the 40th Reinforcement on the 19th October 1917 and posted to the 14th Infantry Base Depot in Calais. He was transferred to the 10th Battalion on the 24th October 1917 and killed in action on the 15th March 1918.
Thomas’s luck finally ran out when he was the only man of the 10th Battalion to be killed during a period of heavy bombardment by the Germans.
Derbyshire Territorials in the Great War 