Action in France

[thomaswarwick]

Can anyone give me a brief sketch of the action in France of the 7th (Res) battalion Notts and Derby Regiment (I believe were part of the Sherwood Foresters)?

[JimSmithson]

Not sure what you mean by the 7th (Res) Sherwood Foresters. There were only 2 reserve battalions (3rd (Reserve) and 4th (Extra Reserve)), the 7th battalions being the 1/7th (Robin Hood) and 2/7th (Robin Hood) Battalions. Have you any other info. or where your information came from?

Jim

[thomaswarwick]

Not sure what you mean by the 7th (Res) Sherwood Foresters. There were only 2 reserve battalions (3rd (Reserve) and 4th (Extra Reserve)), the 7th battalions being the 1/7th (Robin Hood) and 2/7th (Robin Hood) Battalions. Have you any other info. or where your information came from?

Jim

I've just come into possession of my father-in-laws effects. There were a couple of WWI papers. One is a discharge of a soldier from the territorial force noting his unit was 7th Res Bn Notts and Derby Regiment. Another is army form B 2067, with particulars of service noting he was in the 7th Res Bn Notts and Derby Regiment, being "home" 5.8.14 to 27.2.15 then "France" 28.2.15 to 10.7.16 then "home" 11.7.16 to 30.7.17. Also a paper headed..Transfer to Class W (T) T.F. Reserve stating he had served in the 7th (Res) Battln Notts and Derby Regiment for a period of 992 days and been transferred to Class W (T) T.F. Reserve dated 27 Jan 1917.

I was hoping these documents would give some clue!

Tony

[Northern Soul]

An explanation of the various units he would have served in is on this page:

Long, Long Trail - N&DR

He started off in the 7th (TF) Battalion, later the 1/7th, and moved to France with them in Feb' 1915. He got wounded or otherwise incapacitated at the beginning of July, 1916, and was retrned to the UK. Upon recovery he was not sent back to the BEF but was posted to the 7th (Reserve) Battalion, (previously the 3/7th Bn. until April, 1916) from which he was then released to the Class W Reserve, implying that his wounds or injry/illness had left him in a lower medical category than required for active service overseas.

So, if you want to know something of his military service in France then you will need to consult the War Diary of the 1/7th Bn. between the date it went overseas and the first week in July, 1916. Units that served in the UK did not keep war diaries and there is usually very little information available about them.

Have you checked to see whether his Service Records have survived?

Best wishes.

Andy.

[thomaswarwick]

An explanation of the various units he would have served in is on this page:

Long, Long Trail - N&DR

He started off in the 7th (TF) Battalion, later the 1/7th, and moved to France with them in Feb' 1915. He got wounded or otherwise incapacitated at the beginning of July, 1916, and was retrned to the UK. Upon recovery he was not sent back to the BEF but was posted to the 7th (Reserve) Battalion, (previously the 3/7th Bn. until April, 1916) from which he was then released to the Class W Reserve, implying that his wounds or injry/illness had left him in a lower medical category than required for active service overseas.

So, if you want to know something of his military service in France then you will need to consult the War Diary of the 1/7th Bn. between the date it went overseas and the first week in July, 1916. Units that served in the UK did not keep war diaries and there is usually very little information available about them.

Have you checked to see whether his Service Records have survived?

Best wishes.

Andy.

Thanks Andy for this information. I will follow up on your suggestions. I haven't checked for Service Records (at Kew I think) because when I organised a genealogist to find my father's, I did obtain them but it took an expert (with a hobby) in RND matters to interpret them. However, I might follow that procedure and obtain any service records available!

Cheers

Tony (Perth, W. Australia)