Tag Archives: SOUASTRE

On this day 4th February 1917

4.2.1917 Trenches: Relived by 5th Battalion in RIGHT SECTOR and moved back to Divisional Reserve in SOUASTRE.

1/6th Battalion War Diary [WO/95/2694]


4th: A quite day 5th and 7th Battalions took over the front line.

139 Infantry Brigade: Headquarters War Diary [WO95/2692]


5188/20586 Pte Charles William Pulley died on this day

A gardener from Haynes in Bedfordshire, who was posted to the 3/6th Battalion Sherwood Foresters in March 1916. He was transferred to the 1/6th Battalion with the 14th Reinforcement in July 1916 but then posted to the 1/7th Battalion later that month.5188 Pulley

On this day 20th May 1916

20.5.1916 HUMBERCAMPS: Transport and Q.M. Stores moved into billets vacated by 6/S. Staffs Regt at SOUASTRE.

War Diary [WO/95/2694]


May 20: Very busy preparing map of 8 communication trenches each over 1/4 mile long and full of dud wires to be taken up. There is very little firing here with rifles. Artillery is rather busy. It mostly fires at one another which is better than each firing on the infantry as before. Our artillery generally shuts them up.

The war here is of the retaliation kind. If we snipe they snipe. If we shell their trenches they shell ours and the same with the village. At present we are keeping as quite as possible. In particular we are keeping the artillery off their village.

The Huns here favour a large unpleasant trench mortar which fires large buckets containing gramophone needles marbles razors & sundry hard objects a considerable distance.

They make much noise but the effect is local.

[Lieutenant Josiah Taylor]


20th: Brig General Commanding 139th Bde took over Command of line at 9 a.m.

Batteries in front of La Haie Chateau  badly crumped from 9 a.m. – 10.30 a.m. causing a good deal of damage to Gun positions. Otherwise quite day – very hot.Chateua La Haye

139 Infantry Brigade: Headquarters War Diary [WO95/2692]


3761 Private Lawrence George Tuckley a miner from Danesmoor was the first man to be killed in the Fonquevillers Sector.3761 TuckleyTuckley Grave


1963 Pte William Allen, a porter from Matlock and a Pre-War Territorial in E Company was wounded in action and the 20th May but returned to duty the following day.1963 allen

On this day 7th January 1917

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.

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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).

6448 ShawArmy 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.

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The 27th Reinforcement is harder to research but some information can be obtained from:-

263002 GelsthorpeArmy Form B. 103. Casualty Form – Active Service for 263002 Gelsthorpe who arrived in France on 4th January 1917 from the 5th Reserve Battalion. 

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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.

7721 BransonArmy 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.