On this day 7th August 1915

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7.8.1915 Sanctuary Wood: Constructed new Battalion Headquarters in field in rear of A12.

Aug 6th: In trenches on “C” Co headquarters guard. At night 1 hr on & 2 off, in daytime 2 hrs on & 4 off & no fatigues. Violent artillery duel just before daybreak & desultory shelling all day. Dull day & showers at intervals.

Aug 7th: In trenches. Same as yesterday. 6 wounded in B Co (inc Lieut Rivington) by whiz bangs, but not seriously. Attd 5th Army Corps.

[3289 Pte. G.W. Beardsley; 11 Platoon “C” Company]

The sick and wounded included:-

1313 Pte Albert Coleman 6.8.15 Synovitis of right knee and admitted to 1st NMFA. Re-joined Battalion on 14.8.15.
1631 Sgt Maurice Limb 6.8.15 Neuralgia and admitted to 18 FA. Returned to Battalion on 12.8.15.
1146 Pte John Wood 6.8.16 Wounded in the field.
1443 Pte Tom Allcock 6.8.15 GSW in right hand and shoulder and admitted to 10 CCS and 16 General Hospital. Transferred to England on 11.8.15. Returned to France on 20.5.16 with the 10th Reinforcement.
1522 Pte Benjamin Stubbins 6.8.15 Shell wound in left arm and admitted to 18 FA, 28 CCS and 16 General Hospital. Transferred to 46 NMD Base depot on 12.8.15 and re-joined Battalion on 16.8.15.
1550 Pte William Hulse 6.8.15 Shrapnel wound in left hand and transferred to England on 20.8.15. Discharged on 17.8.16 (para 392 XVI KR).
1551 Pte Herbert Lomas 6.8.15 Shell wound and returned to Battalion*.
2675 Pte Morgan Walters 6.8.15 Myalgia and chronic nephritis rheumatism and admitted to 4 General Hospital. Transferred to England on 20.9.15 and discharged on 12.4.16 (para 392 XVI KR).
1730 Pte John Boam 6.8.15 Returned to England and discharged due to wounds on 17.7.16 (para 392 XVI KR).
1734 Pte Thomas Owen 6.8.15 Shell wound in the scalp and admitted to 18 FA, 10 CCS and 16 General Hospital. Transferred to England on 10.8.15. Returned to France on the 10.11.15 with the V Reinforcement.
1811 Pte Percy Guy 6.8.15 GSW in right leg and forearm and admitted to 10 CCS and 16 General Hospital. Died of wounds at 9 pm on 8.8.15.
Lt Gordon Rivington 7.8.15 Wounded by shellfire.
1462 Pte James Ford 7.8.15 Shell wound in left side and admitted to 10 CCS, 10 General Hospital and 46 NMD Convalescent Depot. Re-joined Battalion on 3.11.15.
2989 Pte Edwin Large 7.8.15 Wounded in the field.
1652 Pte John Crowder 7.8.15 Pleurisy and admitted to 1st NMFA and 50 CCS. Died of pleurisy on 8.8.15 and buried in Soldiers Cemetery at Hazebrouck.

13th Trench Duty 5th – 19th August 1915

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5.8.1915 Sanctuary Wood: Took over A8-12 & B1, B2 from the 5th Battalion. Order of Companies A B C D. Relieved in Maple Copse by 2nd Battalion.

Two men killed during the relief were:-

1776 Pte. John Barber a calico printer from New Mills who killed in action.1776 Barber1776 Barber 2

2838 Pte. George Birks a miner from Chesterfield who suffered a shrapnel wound and died later that evening at the 28th Casualty Clearing Station.2838 Birks 22838 Birks

The wounded men included:-

1663

 Pte Henry Hodgkinson 5.8.15 GS wound in the mouth and admitted to 10 CCS and 23 General Hospital. Transferred to England on 17.8.15. Returned to France on 18.3.16 with the 7th Reinforcement.
18 Cpl William Else 5.8.15 Wounded in the field.
2161 Pte Samuel Johnson 5.8.15

Shell wound in the forehead and admitted to 10 CCS and 22 General Hospital. Transferred to 46 NMD Convalescent Depot and returned to Battalion on 6.10.15.
2174 Pte John Oxspring 5.8.15 Wounded in the field.
3437 Pte Albert Baguley 5.8.15

Shell wound in the face and admitted to 10 CCS and 22 General Hospital. Transferred to CC and 46 NDM Base Depot. Re-joined unit 7.10.15.

2174 Oxspring

John Oxspring3437 Baguley

Albert Baguley

On this day 3rd August 1915

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3.8.1915 Maple Copse: Moved into support relieving 4/Leicester Regiment. B Company in support of 8th Battalion in SANCTUARY WOOD.

Very long bombardment on both sides.

2379 Pte Fred Bagshaw 3.8.15 Wounded in the field.
3020 Pte William Fry 3.8.15 Bullet wound right forearm and admitted to 22 General Hospital. Returned to Battalion.

August 1915 – 2014

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War Diary August 1915August 2014

Once again many thanks for visiting – July was a record with 3667 page views and 661 visitors – I am amazed at so much interest!

Some new content added this past month:-

  • Added a page on ‘1917’ – Gommecourt Advance.
  • Added a new page on ‘5th Battn’ – 1578 Percy Wildsmith.
  • ‘Nominal Role’ – D Company (Bakewell).
  • Added the names of 976 N.C.O.s and men that sailed to France in 1915 – see end of ‘1915’
  • Updated the Officers pages.
  • Revised the ‘Regimental Band’ page.
  • Completely revised ‘Regimental Histories and Downloads’.
  • Added a list of Officer Casualties to the ‘2/6th Battn’ page.
  • A few new pictures added to ‘1860’s-1907′, ‘1908’ and ‘1909’.

Whats next:-

  • Will start to work on ‘1916’ – Lost Cemeteries of Gommecourt (although I seem to have misplaced some of my old research)
  • The ‘North Midland Division’
  • ‘1917’ – Lens, Leiven & Fosse 3 etc.

AND FINALLY, still trying to identify these two Senior N.C.O.sUnkonwn SergeantsThe man on the left is wearing the Egypt Medal (1882-1889) and The Khedive Star (1882 issue) – suggesting that he had previously served with the 2nd Battalion Derbyshire Regiment.

The man on the right is often seen with the Regimental Pet from c1908-1911.

On these days 29th-31st July 1915

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No record in the War Diary [WO/95/2694]

 

1648 Pte Samuel Gilbody 29.7.15 Transferred to England on 29.7.15. Returned to France on 4.3.16 with the 6th Reinforcement.
391 Pte Stephen Buckingham 30.7.15 Haemorrhoids and admitted to 46 DRS and 3 General Hospital on 7.8.15. Transferred by hospital ship to England on 9.8.15 and discharged 31.3.16.
2002 Pte George Kirman 31.7.15 Shrapnel wound head and leg and admitted to 50 CCS and 2 General Hospital. Transferred to England on 6.8.15. Returned to France on 10.9.17 with the 38th Reinforcement.

On this day 29th July 1915

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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]

G18.c.2.8.bivouacsApproximate location of bivouacs at G.18.c.2.8. Kemmel Hill can be seen at top right.bivoauc

On this day 28th July 1915

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1575 Cartledge1575 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.1575 Cartledge

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.Divisional Cemetery

 

On this day 25th July 1915

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25.7.1915 SANCTUARY WOOD: German aeroplane shot down & observer fell in front of our trenches.

War Diary 25 July 1915

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]

AlbatrossThe 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).

1611 Plane

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.

HawkerMajor L G Hawker VC was later killed in action in a fight with Manfred von Richthofen on 23 November 1916.

War Diary 10th February 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.

Roser“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.”

12th Trench Duty 23rd to 29th July 1915

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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]

Maple Copse 2014

2980 Pte William Eyre was killed in action and buried in Maple Copse Cemetery.2980 eyre

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).