Sherwood Foresters 2nd 9th or 11th?

[Tony Mellors]

Hope I am in the right forum here. I am trying to establish in which battalion my grandfather Lewis Ward Mellors served from 1914 to 1921, and if there is any more information I can find about his service. I have some contradictory information and hope someone can help point me in the right direction. I have traced thro the National Archives his service record which gives me that he served with the Notts and Derbys Regt as a private 16553 and later with the Liverpool Regt as sergeant 101926; and his first theatre of war was France and entry date 27.8.1915.

From this I assumed he was with the 11th as this was their date of entry.

My father had a recollection of Lewis being involved in Gallipoli, so looked at the 9th Battalion but I had dismissed this based upon the above .

A newspaper cutting from 1972 when he celebrated his diamond wedding anniversary says he was with the 2nd Battalion as a sergeant , that he signed up on 10th August 1914 and was discharged with a thigh wound a fortnight before the Armistice. Also that he was awarded a testimony to his gallantry on the field but no info about when that was.

His last surviving daughter and his many grand and great grandchildren would appreciate any help in clarifying his history or how to go about further research

Thank you

Tony

[sotonmate]

Original Medal Rolls will give the detail of his Battalion on first landing in a war zone. From the Medal Index Card these refs give the ledgers:

H/2102B31p3917 = Ledger WO329/821 page 3917 for British War and Victory Medals

H/2/2Cp169 = Ledger WO329/2463 page 169.

These are viewable at the National Archives. If you are unable to visit you could ask in the Look Ups Section here.

[johnboy]

There are quite a lot of medical and service pages on ancestry. These pad out the brief info you give.

[PPCLI]

Hi Tony,

Welcome to the forum.

Details from his online file on Ancestry:

Enlisted: 10 Sep 1914 at Mansfield

Overseas: 27 Aug 1915 with 11th Bn

Illness: 26 Jul 1916, Pyrexia

Base Depot: 16 Aug 1918

Posted: 18 Aug 1916 to 2nd Bn

Promoted: 20 Dec 1916 to Sgt

Gallantry: 28 Jul 1917 granted gallantry card

Wounded: 25 Jan 1918, GSW right thigh, severe

Invalided: 31 Jan 1918 to UK

Command Depot: 17 May 1918

3rd Reserve Bn: 26 Jul 1918

Army Reserve Class P: 23 Oct 1918

In summary, for his periods of active service at the front:

11th Bn 27 Aug 1915 - 26 Jul 1916

2nd Bn 18 Aug 1916 - 25 Jan 1918

If you use the link to the The Long, Long Trail at the top of the page you will be able to find a page dedicated to the Sherwood Foresters (via Regiments and Infantry Regiments) and from there links to the divisions in which the two battalions served during his time with them. There will then be further links to engagements in which these divisions took part.

Best wishes,

Stuart

[Tony Mellors]

Many Many thanks for such quick and extensive information. I am so pleased to have found the site with such dedicated and informed members

Very grateful for your help

Tony