On the 27^th of September 1916 whilst in Brigade reserve all the ‘long rifles’ were withdrawn and replaced with ‘short rifles’ (SMLEs).

Whilst undergoing training in Harpenden the Battalion had been equipped with re-sighted charger loading rifles. This was a Lee-Enfield conversion that had been adopted by the British Army in 1907 and replaced the ageing ‘Lee-Enfield’ Magazine Rifle Mk 1, which had been developed in 1897. The charger-loading rifle also had new front and rear sights fitted, which were adjustable for windage.

Sergeant Rhymes of the 1/8th Battalion at Abermaid Camp with a ‘Long Lee Enfield’ 1912.

After the successful capture of PONTRUET and FORCANS trenches at St Helene the Battn were relieved and moved into billets at VENDELLES.

The Battalion suffered four fatalities on that day:-

2129/204788 Harry Sheldon aged 25 and from Newark.

107144 James Walker aged 32 and a draughtsman from Spondon.

2242/242621 Donald Wardman aged 22 and from Mansfield.

48594 Robert Watson from Gateshead.

All four are buried in ROISEL COMMUNAL CEMETERY EXTENSION but it is likely that these are post-War reburials and the men were removed from Bernes Churchyard. In total 46 men of the North Midland Division who were killed between 21st and 29th of September were later reburied in Roisel Cemetery.

2/Lt William Leonard Brown was killed in action and was buried by the field ambulance in Reninghelst. At the time of his death the Battalion had been ‘standing to’ in consequence of an attack by the V Corps.

William Brown was Commission 2/Lt in the 6th Battalion on 27th March 1915 and arrived in France on 14th July 1915.

The Record of Service of Solicitors and Articled Clerks with His Majest’s Forces 1914-1919  (London 1910) records:-

“Admitted Feb. 1915. Of Buxton. Joined Jan. 1915, as 2nd Lieut., 6th Batt. Notts and Derby Regt. (Sherwood Foresters), and subsequently appointed Brigade Intelligence Officer. Killed in action in France Sept. 25, 1915”.

He was the eldest son of Major Abraham Brown and Lucie Brown of 20 Hardwick St., Buxton, Derbyshire and a Solicitor.

As part of the 46th North Midland Division assault on the Hindenburg Line at Bellenglise.

The 6th Battalion attacked PONTRUET and FORCANS Trenches and pushed on to the outlying ruins of St Helene.

“On the morning of Sept. 24^th Lt. Jepson came to us lads and told us that we were to go over the top with the Leicesters, zero was at 5 O’clock, this was 2 O’clock and about 3 O’clock he brought us an issue of rum just to liven us up a bit. Half an hour after we had orders to roll up our great coats in bundles and dump them on the dump. About quarter past four Mr Jepson led the Platoon along the sunken road up to the ridge and lined us up in Artillery Formation.”

[5540/202274 L/Sergt Frank Mayne of Left C Company]

Lieutenant A Jepson was commissioned 2/Lt on 17.12.17 and transferred from the 1/Notts & Derby on 5.9.18 but returned to England wounded on 5.10.18.

The Battalion suffered 7 men killed and many more wounded. The men are now buried in Roisel Communal Cemetery, but it is likely that they were reburied after the War after originally being interned in Bernes Churchyard.

The men killed were:-

93870 L/Cpl Charles Henry Hirst from Sheffield.

203054 Pte Walter Bennet aged 38 from Mansfield.

306528 L/Cpl James Flint from Wirksworth.

266988 Pte Reginald Martin aged 23 and from Ripley.

98198 Pte William Riley aged 19 and from Halifax.

268007 Pte Walter Walker (SDGW does not record his death).

98023 Pte Choyce Chapman Wheatley aged 19 and from Sutton Cheney.

There are several interesting notes about the men that were killed:-

1. None of these men originally enlisted into the 6th Battalion Notts and Derby and received the relevant 4- and/or 6-digit numbers, although Bennett, Flint, Martin and Walker do have 1917 Notts & Derby 6-digit Territorial Force numbers and may well have enlisted and/or served with the other 2/ or 3/ TF Battalions of the Notts & Derby Regiment.

2. Hirst, Riley and Wheatley are all ‘conscripted’ soldiers. William Riley and Choyce Wheatley were both “called up for service” in June 1917 and posted to the 14th Training Reserve before being transferred to the 3rd Sherwood Foresters on 1st December 1917. Both men joined the 1/6th Battalion in the field on 16th February 1918 after landing in France on 20th January with the 43rd Reinforcement.

3. None-the-less all these men were ‘North Midlanders’.

Major Bernard William Vann MC (8th Sherwood Foresters) assumed Command of the Battalion

The Battalion were relieved from front line duty at the BLUFF by the 5th Battalion and moved to bivouacs.

Total casualties for the proceeding 18 days in the front line trenches amounted to:-

• 7 men killed
• 2/Lt John Stephen Sampson, Lt Donald Storrs-Fox and 11 men wounded.

However, a careful analysis of the Army Service Records reveals that at least 25 men were in fact wounded or sick during this period.

John Steven Sampson (Oxford OTC) was Commissioned 2/Lt into the 6th Battalion on 26.9.14 and he arrived in France on 14.7.15. He returned to England wounded on 20.9.15 and there is no record of him returning to the 1/6th Battalion. No service record appears to be available.

The Battalion relieved the 1st Leicesters and 1st W Yorks in SUPPORT trench on HILL 70 RIGHT.

Lieut. Colonel Cyril Benton Johnson was killed in action whilst inspecting the front line trenches.

Cyril Johnson was aged 27 and he was a very respected and much loved Officer. He had been Commissioned into the 6th Notts and Derby as a 2nd Lieutenant on 1st January 1910 after previously serving with the Charterhouse School Contingent of the OTC.

For more information see this excellent web site by John Hartley.

“Battalion relieved the 5th Sherwood Foresters in RIGHT SECTOR at Bellacourt”.

4511 Pte Robert Spencer, a 20 year old ironmonger from Ashbourne, was wounded during the trench relief by a machine gun bullet in the abdomen. He died of his wounds the following day at the 43 CCS and is buried at WARLINCOURT HALTE BRITISH CEMETERY in Saulty.

Robert had enlisted on 18th August 1915 and arrived in France with the 7th Reinforcement on 19th March 1916.

A German shell landed in the trenches on the BLUFF occupied by men of A Company.

This had a devastating effect and killed 4 men whilst wounding several more.

The men killed were:-

1900 Pte William Clarke (I.C.4.) aged 21 and a machine hand from Chesterfield.

2097 Pte Ralph Ellis (I.C.5.) aged 19 and drilling machinist from Stonegravels.

2344 Sergt John McBride (I.B.6.) aged 37 and a pipemoulder from Barrow Hill. John was born in Letterkenny, Co. Donegal and served in the South African War of 1899-1902.

1890 Pre John Henry Roberts (I.C.6.) aged 23 from Staveley.

All four men are buried close to each other at Chester Farm.