HELP: Sherwood Foresters - Bethune front ?

[GrahamC]

Hi pals

I am trying to help a lady from my former home town of Buxton who is researching her great uncle who served with the Sherwood Foresters. She has his diary and am hoping to persuade her to make it available for research purposes.

The man's details are: Pt. 25750 Robert Blood, and according to his diary he served with the 6th Bn. - which coming from Buxton makes sense. By comparing his Service No with others it looks like he enlisted end April/beginning May 1915, although his diary says he enlisted in March 1915.

He was posted to France at the beginning of 1916, "... into the trenches at Lavantie then La Bassee canal then Festubert, on to the Bethune Front, then back to Festubert where he was wounded". He doesn't give a date unfortunately. The diary does say that he was wounded at Festubert, " in a raid with great loss ". When he returned to France, on March 3rd 1917, he was drafted to the 7th Battalion Sherwood Foresters.

This is where I am in some difficulty, according to "Men of the High Peak" at the start of 1916 the 1/6th were preparing to embark at Marseilles for Egypt - subsequently countermanded. Can any SF expert put these facts together for me, as for the life of me I can't manage to put the location around Festubert together with the 6th Bn.

Many thanks, as always for looking

Graham

[stevem49]

On the SWB list 25749 enlisted 3/5/1915 and 25752 also same date, so march looks right for him.

Also - Medal rolls show 16th battalion and then 2/7th, no mention of 1/6th. He ended up a Sgt.

Steve

[GrahamC]

Hi Steve

Thanks for that look-up. Strangely (or perhaps not!) when Robert later retired from his post war employment at a local quarry an article his great-niece has says he served with the 16th, but he had always maintained it was the 1/6. Ah well!!

I have posted on an earlier post - HERE - for info on the 16th - although it seems from that series of posts that my man was wounded on a raid on the 4/5 June 1916.

Thanks again, guys

Graham

[stevem49]

Presume he was 2/7th until they were absorbed into 1/7th - 6/2/1918.

Is it possible that the diary entries actually say 16th and not 1/6th? ie - his writing was not that good

Steve

[Colin W Taylor]

Graham

Email sent regarding 16th Bn. 2/7th Bn went to France on 5th Feb; there is no mention of anyone joining the battalion around 5th March - this might be a little early to be receiving drafts from home.

I have the 2/7th Bn war diary (sadly not the 16th Bn) if you need any look-ups.

Kind regards

Colin

[GrahamC]

Blimey that was quick - thanks a lot. (Rugby was a bit boring though!)

Steve - could be you are right. With the 1/6th being the 'local' Bn. maybe his gr-niece was 'expecting' it to be that - although she was adamant that that was what he said. (She did know him quite well before he died.)

Colin - again via the gr-niece (It's frustrating doing it like this - just wish she let me have copies of the stuff ) - when he returned to France after his wounds on 3rd March 1917 he was drafted to the 7th Bn "to follow the German retirement from Peronne". I presume he stayed with them until his eventual discharge. [Not received an email from you, though]

Graham

[mikebriggs]

I tend to agree with Steve that its likely a typo.

If he had joined 1/6th in June 1916 then he would have been reissued with 4-digit TF number that would be recored on his MIC.

Mike

[GrahamC]

Hi Mike

Thanks - it now seems from the other thread mentioned in #3 above and its supporting evidence that my man was indeed in the 16th Bn, was wounded and returned to the 2/7th in 1917.

That's what makes the Forum so good - with several inputs from a variety of sources most stories can be tracked down eventually,

Cheers

Graham