The cooks of the 2/6th Battalion (Notts and Derby Regiment) initially encountered difficulties due to a lack of cooking utensils. However Sgt-Quartermaster Roberts was quickly able to secure the necessary items. 
Cook-Sergeant Samuel Garside was later to be a member of the Tug of War Team that won a famous ‘victory’ on June 16th during a Divisional Gymkhana held at Luton.
Buxton 1914:
Established Headquarters, Empire Hotel, Buxton.
Arrivals, 182 men.
[2/6th Battalion War Diary, WO-96-3025-3]
On 2nd November 1914, the Headquarters of the 2/6th Battalion were established at the Empire Hotel in Buxton. 184 men were clothed and dispatched from the Depot at Chesterfield the same day. By the end of November 1914 the Battalion had enlisted 977 NCOs and men. Many of the Officers gazetted to the Battalion had also arrived before the end of the month. The Battalion left Buxton and moved to Luton on the 3rd February 1915.
(Many thanks to Stewart Simpson for making this transcript available)
Joshua Taylor was a Solicitors Articled Clerk in his Father’s business in Buxton and in 1911 the family lived at 4 Clifton Road. Joshua was Commissioned into the Notts & Derby Regiment in November 1914 from the Manchester University Contingent of the Officers Training Corps.
Joshua was appointed was appointed Signalling Officer and sailed with the 1/6th Battalion, 139th Brigade, 46th North Midland Division to France in February 1915.
He was transferred to England sick on the 11th August 1915 and after recuperating he was posted back to France in May 1916.
May 8th: 9.50 am left BUXTON. 5pm arrived FOLKESTONE. No boat – stopped at Pavilion Hotel.
[Lieutenant Joshua Taylor]
No record in the War Diary [WO/95/2694]
Sept 21st. Rose about 4-30 a.m. & stood to. Breakfast at 6-30 & then slept till dinner time. Washing & writing in afternoon. Not selected for listening post at night so got down to sleep. Very nice day again. Aeroplanes busy.
[3289 Pte George William Beardsley]
“I am very sorry to let you know that my dear cousin Hugh has been killed in action on Tuesday night at 10.45.p.m. He was buried yesterday at 3. Pm. at a little place amongst other fallen heroes. I shall look after his grave as long as I am any where near it. He was shot through the right breast and I think the bullet must have gone through his heart as he died instantly”.
2881 Pte. Hugh Bagshaw, a 17 year old collier from Fernilee (Whaley Bridge) was killed in action and buried in Chester Farm Cemetery.
Hugh enlisted into the 2/6th Battalion at Buxton on 15th October 1914 where he signed the Imperial Service Agreement. He was transferred to the 1/6th Battalion the 26th June 1915 and disembarked from Southampton on the 28th June with the II Reinforcement and disembarked at Rouen. He was posted to No. 2 Entrenching Battalion and joined his unit ‘in the field’ on the 17th August 1915.
Men sick or wounded included:-
| 1857 | Pte | Ernest Hadfield | 21.9.15 |
Admitted to 46 DRS with shock. Re-joined Battalion on 6.10.15. |
| 1369 | Pte | Fred Schofield | 21.9.15 |
Rheumatic fever and admitted to 46 DRS. Re-joined Battalion on 24.9.15. |
| 1327 | Pte | Walter Holmes | 21.9.15 | Wounded in the field. |
Derbyshire Territorials in the Great War 