564 Sergeant Robert Smith died aged 46, but there are no details.
Robert was a Pre-War Territorial and is buried in Warlincourt Halte British Cemetery in Saulty, which was the site of the 20th and 43rd Casualty Clearing stations.
In the 1911 Census Robert was living in Wellfield Road in Matlock and was a stone mason by trade. He was a widower with 6 children.
Robert arrived in France with the 46th Division in February 1915 and is entitled to the 14-15 Star, British War and Victory Medals.
2590/240653 Robert Henry Chadwick aged 42 died of ‘cardiac failure due to fatigue’ in the 1st North Midland Field Ambulance and is buried in COUIN NEW BRITISH CEMETERY.
Robert was a quarryman by trade and the son of Mr and Mrs George Chadwick of Bakewell. He had enlisted into the 6th Reserve Battalion in October 1914 and arrived in France with the II Reinforcement in June 1915.
——————————————————–
The Battalion marched into Billets in Beaumetz.
Also on that day 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.
Hans Roser (Marburg, 29 March 1893 – Ieper, 25 July 1915)
“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 concious 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.
The 6th Notts & Derby were in the front line trenches of X2 sector at Foncquevillers, having relived the 5th Battalion during the evening of the 31st January.
The Battalion remained in the front line for the next 4 days, before being relieved by the 5th Battalion and moving to Hulley to commence special training.
During this time in the front line the Battalion suffered 1 man killed:-
7765/242555 Pte. Walter Morris, who was from Sutton-in-Ashfield, died at the 20/43 Casualty Clearing Station and is buried in WARLINCOURT HALTE BRITISH CEMETERY, SAULTY.
Walter had originally enlisted into the South Nottinghamshire Hussars (42758) and was one of several men that were compulsory transferred from the 3/1 S. Notts Hussars to the 5th Reserve Battalion of the Notts & Derby Regiment. By this time the 5th Reserve Battalion were an amalgamation of the 3/5th and 3/6th Battalions. Walter joined the 1/6th Notts & Derby with the 28th Reinforcement in January 1917.
He was taken sick at the 1st NMFA on 11th January and transferred to the 1st CCS and then the 13 General Hospital in Boulogne. He was diagnosed with valvular disease of the heart (VDH) and died 10 days later.
William Carrington enlisted into the 6th Reserve Battalion in October 1914 aged 22. He was a miner by trade and lived at 34 Queen Street in Mosborough near Sheffield. He transferred to the 1/6th Battalion on 16th August 1915 and arrived in France with the III Reinforcement on 19th August. William was twice taken sick in France; the first time with frost bite on 27th November 1915, whilst the Battalion were at Richebourg-L’Avoue and the second time in October 1917. On both occasions he rejoined the Battalion.
The autopsy request signed by Lt. Henry L Forbes of the MEDICAL OFFICERS RESERVE CORPS, United Sates Army (for more information see here MORC USA). This form confirms that William was treated in the 13 (Harvard) American Red Cross Base Hospital.
1st Lieutenant Henry Forbes (Surgeon) is seated amongst the staff of the hospital (above) prior to their departure to France in 1917.
2651 Pte. Abaham Savage died in the British Section of the Lahore Indian Stationary Hospital of erysipelas and is buried in MAZARGUES WAR CEMETERY (erysipelas is an acute bacterial infection of the skin). At the time the 46th Division were in Marseilles due to an aborted move to Gallipoli and they remained there until the end of January.
Abraham Savage was a pottery labourer from Station Road on Whittington Moor and enlisted in October 1914 aged 21. He arrived in France with the 46th Division in February 1915.
Interestingly, Abraham’s family appears to have received a pension from the French Ministry of War.
The Battalion relieved the 5th Battn in the right sector of trenches near to SOUASTRE.
Received a draft of 180 other ranks, but 160 were only partly trained. All 180 were sent to the Brigade Training Depot.
This draft of men most likely comprised the 26th, 27th and 28th Reinforcements.
These three reinforcements are interesting in that they were the last ones in which men were issued with Territorial Force numbers.
———————————
The 26th Reinforcement comprised 47 men and again many of these were numbered alphabetically from 242594 George Hall through to 242624 Nelson Woolven. Interestingly, the majority of the men in this draft had previously seen overseas service with other Territorial Battalions of the Sherwood Foresters. In order to avoid a conflict of Regimental Numbers, and possibly in preparation for the Territorial Force Renumbering that was soon to occur, these men were issued with numbers from 20001 to 20039 (if they were not men of the 1/6th Battn).
Army Form B. 103. Casualty Form – Active Service for 6448 Frank Shaw who arrived in France on 8th December 1916 from the 5th Reserve Battalion and was posted to the 14th Infantry Base Depot. Frank was a postman from Radford and had enlisted into the 7th Sherwood Foresters in December 1915.
———————————
The 27th Reinforcement is harder to research but some information can be obtained from:-
Army Form B. 103. Casualty Form – Active Service for 263002 Gelsthorpe who arrived in France on 4th January 1917 from the 5th Reserve Battalion.
———————————
The 28th Reinforcement comprised 92 men that were primarily numbered in alphabetical order and several men had already seen overseas service with the South Nottinghamshire Hussars. The 28th Reinforcement numbered as follows:-
7710 (242501) Robert Abbot through to 7798 (242586) Arthur E Wright.
Army Form B. 103. Casualty Form – Active Service for 7721 Archibald Branson who arrived in France on 4th January 1917 from the 5th Reserve Battalion and was posted to the 1/6th Sherwood Foresters under Army Order 1499 of 1916. Archibald was a workhouse man from Stapleford and had enlisted originally into the South Notts Hussars in November 1915.
On the night of the 2nd/3rd January 1918 the Germans raided trenches at St Elie Sector but were repulsed. 2 OR were killed and 9 men wounded by enemy barrage.
1915: In Boeseghem “Xmas dinners arranged for the men by Coys & details”.
1916: 1/6th Battn in front line trenches at SOUASTRE. No casualties for tour.
1917: 1/6th Battn in Brigade Reserve at PHILOSOPHE.
1918: six-a-side football competition.
Lieutenant Cyril George RADFORD was awarded the Military Cross for a trench raid carried out on the 4-5th November 1917.
“For gallantry and devotion to duty when in command go the Right Party in a raid on the German trenches N.W. of Loos during the night 4/5th November 1917, though severely wounded in the stomach at the start, he led his men to the final objective in the enemy second line. After much hard fighting in which several of the enemy were killed, he succeeded in capturing four prisoners. After the recall signal, though suffering severely from his wounds, he remained to see all the wounded safely brought back”.
