14th Sherwood Foresters

[eagleeye]

Hi,

My great grandfather served in the 14th Sherwood Foresters from the outset of the great war.

I am told it was a training battalion, does anyone know what this means exactly?

Did the unit ever leave the UK?

Rod

[Anthony Bagshaw]

Rod,

have a quick look at the long long trail (top left of page) that should give you some idea!

[eagleeye]

Thanks Anthony

I see your ancestor was in the Notts & Derby Regt.

As well as my Great Grandfather being in the 14th Bn Sherwood Foresters (Notts & Derby Regt) my

Grandfather (his son) served in the 9th bn Sherwood Foresters and was wounded in August 1915 at Gallipoli.

I will have a look at the Long Trail

Thanks

Rod

[Guest chris m]

hello...I'm new to the forum and I believe my first reply may have got swolled up by a black hole!........My grandfather also served in the 9th battalion the Sherwood Foresters from the outbreak of WW1 till after Gallipoli. He was transfered to the Connaught Rangers until 1918......I myself served 22 years in the RN and my last 3 years service was spent in London which gave me the opportunity to trace my Grandfathers exploits.....I gathered the info from many places....PRO Kew / IWM / The Nottingham Evening Post archives / I have read on this Forum about the formation of the 11th (northern) Division....additional bits of info....August 1914 the 33rd Infantry Brigade to which the SF belonged were raised at Belton Park near Grantham now belongs to the National Trust....The Battalion paraded in Nottingham Market Place March 1915....4th April 1915 the 11th Division moved to a concentration area near Aldershot 33rd Brigade taking over a tented area at Fensham for final training.....prior to this move the division was scattered / infantry at Grantham / artillery at Leeds Sheffield Norwich and Weedon / engineers at Newark / Field ambulances at Sheffield / Train (transport) at Lichfield.....31st May H M the King inspected the 11th Division on Hankley Common.....June 15th orders received for Division to be ready to leave at short notice for active service...33rd Brigade sailed from Liverpool in the EMPRESS OF BRITAIN along with the rest of the Division aboard AQUITANIA calling at Gib Malta .....ran out of space....maybe you can fill in a few gaps hope to hear from you...........CHRIS

[eagleeye]

Hi Chris,

Thanks for your reply. Its fascinating to think that our ancestors may have fought together and been friends, small world!

I didn't know that stuff about where they were based prior to embarking for Gallipoli. I live in Sussex so am not too far from where he may have been at fensham.

I know that he landed with the Battalion on 7th August 1915 at Sulva Bay, I think it was B beach, on the 21st August he was wounded by machine gun fire while attacking Chocolate Hill. He was mentioned in dispatches for that action and then returned to the UK.

Once recovered from wounds he was then transferred to the West Yorks and then to the North Staffs Regt's.

I recently joined an association called the Gallipoli Association, they have a whole host of information about Gallipoli from all over the world, they also do organised trips to the battlefield which would be quite fun, have you ever been?

i found a picture and article from a 1916 Notts newspaper that my grandmother had kept, that article also mentioned my G Grandfather being in the 14 Bn.

I will have to further research his involvement in the other two regt's

Rod