Sherwood Foresters

[Jan O'Brien]

Can someone tell me which Battalions were involved in battles where they would have suffered Gas attacks.

My grandfather was in the Sherwood Foresters, as yet I haven't identified him definitely through records, he has a common name William Robinson. 

However I do know he was gassed and suffered the effects for the rest of his life.

 

[jonbem]

Hi and welcome

I can appreciate your dilemma, heading for 3 dozen potential candidates.

Any more info? Date/Place of birth, parents or wife as they could be named on records etc to gives us a bit more of an inkling

 

regards

Jon

[Trev2386]

Hi Jan,

 

my wife's grandfather was in the 2/5th Battalion, Sherwood Foresters, and he suffered from a gas attack sometime in 1917, probably Passchendaele, if that helps,

 

Trev

[Jan O'Brien]

Thank you Jon and Trev for your responses. I can at least read up on Passchendaele.  

I am working through Medal Cards, and other documents eliminating William Robinsons. 

We know he was gassed, never heard he was wounded.

William Robinson born 31st Jan 1889. Bilston, Staffordshire , married march 1913. Wife Polly Tudor. 

He had returned home by July 19th 1919. 

Was in the Home Guard WW2.

 

have eliminated some William Robinsons

by having a middle name, date of discharge, wounds etc. other records that gave their ages, transfers to other regiments ( at present)

 

I was helped by Craig who suggested he was in 2nd Battalion, details from 1 particular medal card I am interested in.

 

william Robinson. Pte. 20894. 

 

Any ideas how to prove/ disprove this is my grandfather. Would gladly travel to Sherwood Foresters museum,  & national archives at Kew. 

 

Thanks very much. Jan

 

 

 

 

[jonbem]

here is a potential for further research

First Name:	W
Surname:	Robinson
Index Number of Admission:	641
Rank:	Private
Service Number:	64705
Ailment:	Gassed shell (w)
Date of Admission for Original Ailment:	15/08/1918
Date Transferred to Other Hospitals:	15/08/1918
Notes written in the Observations Column:	Casualty Clearing Station.
Notes written by FWR when Transcribing:	Can be put forward as an eligible candidate to be awarded a wound stripe.
Regiment:	Sherwood Foresters (Nottinghamshire And Derbyshire Regiment)
Battalion:	10th Battalion

[Jan O'Brien]

Would you believe it just eliminated him a few hours ago. !!!!

 

William Arthur Robinson. Only one I've found that states 'Gassed'

 

thanks so much for your interest and effort. 

[Pete1000]

Hi Jan, my grandfather Thomas Harris was born in Daisybank not far from Bilston but by 1901 had moved to Mansfield (he was a coal miner). He was in the 9th Sherwood Foresters. In the last month of the war on the 2nd November 1918 the 9th SF were advancing to Querenaing where they stopped to make tea. The germans shelled them with gas and one soldier died and my grandfather was injured by the gas. He was evacuated back to a hospital in Bath where he developed nephritis and then sent to Clipstone camp hospital near Mansfield. He died in 1936 of stomach cancer but my grandmother always said it was the effects of him being gassed.

regards

Peter Harris

[Jan O'Brien]

Wow that's so interesting Pete, I lived in Daisy Bank,  Coseley. My family come from that area, Coseley & Bradley. 

My grandmother said the same as yours, my grandad was never well after being gassed. He died aged 63. 

Have been trying to find his "war" for so long. Because of where we live it was assumed he was in the South Staffs, till someone identified his cap badge as Sherwood Foresters. Wasted years looking for him in that Regiment. !!!!

Oh for an uncommon name... William Robinson is like John Smith.! 

Will look at 9th now.

Thanks for your interest, Jan. 

 

 

[Guest]

Hi. Wondering if anyone can help.

 

Researching the family tree and stumbled across my Great Great Uncle, Pte Wilfred Preece 117258, 10th Battalion Sherwood Forresters. Enlisted Dec 8th 1915, died of 'wounds' Dec 8th 1918. I can only assume the the 'wounds' that claimed him were before the end of hostilities.

 

Any help gratefully received.

 

Regards

[BillyH]

Well, he is buried at Etaples Military Cemetery which is on the coast surrounded by military hospitals.

'Soldiers Died' and the 'Effects' records both confirm that he died of wounds, but 4 weeks after the armistice though, it seems quite a long time to remain in France without being brought back to the U.K. for treatment? Too ill to travel perhaps?

 

BillyH.

[Medaler]

The last time that their War Diary mentions them sustaining casualties seems to be 4th November.

[Dragonfly]

I have a Photo of a James Poxon in a Sherwood Foresters uniform, the story goes that he joined up whilst underage but I find that difficult to accept. James was born in 1905 so even if he enlisted in the last year of the war, 1914- 1918 he would have only just been 13. I know young lads did join up underage but it was my understanding that underage enlistment was clamped down on in the latter stages of the war. Perhaps he served after WW1 !!!!!!

 

I have searched through the records but can find no military record of James Poxon can anyone suggest where else I might find a record for James Poxon. I was told that the served in India during the 1930s so he must have some military record somewhere.  

Edited 12 March , 2020 by Dragonfly

[The Inspector]

Hi

Welcome to the forum.

What other details do you have for James? Do you know where was he born? 

Regards Barry

[Dragonfly]

10 hours ago, The Inspector said:

Hi

Welcome to the forum.

What other details do you have for James? Do you know where was he born? 

Regards Barry

Thank you for the Welcome

I don't have many details for him as he was adopted, he was born 18 May 1905 in the Ashbourne area perhaps Osmaston By Derby.

Poxon was certainly not his birth name but he used it all his life so I have no real reason to suspect that he didn't enlist under the Poxon name. James lived most of his life in the Derby area.

 

I have produced a list of all the James's born in the Ashbourne area in 1905 and have several candidates for James birth surname I was hoping that I might find a military record which may provide a clue, James had a brother, also adopted, and in his military record he used the middle name Hill I was able to find his birth and his mother's name from this clue.  I doubt that James and his adopted brother Arthur are related by blood.

Edited 13 March , 2020 by Dragonfly

[The Inspector]

Hi Dragonfly,

Sometimes it pays off to search for the family first so....no doubt you know this but every little helps....

Searching for adoptive parents etc. Robert and Charlotte Poxon.I see that James wasn't baptised until 17th March, 1921 @ Trinity, Derby. 1911 census shows his elder sibling Arthur, aged 8 yrs. living at 16 Bowmer Rd., Derby. James died 1970, Derby, 3a, 961. Reg'd 1st qtr.

Interestingly on the 1911 census the enumerator has written the relationship "Son" in the relevant column so it would appear that Robert wasn't sure what to put and supports the fact that both sons were adopted. Also Robert and Charlotte had been married 19yrs, ie. 11 yrs before Arthur was "born". Regarding Arthur Hill Poxon's military service records ie.  RAF 359988  service date  10.6.1925, d of b 16.7.1902, b. Ashbourne, Derby. He shows R.Poxon as his N of K but states "Relation to Airman"...as "Friend".

Public trees on Ancestry not aware of Arthur's military service..adoptive parents Robert Jerram Poxon and Charlotte Leason Bloor....looking

Regards Barry

Edited 13 March , 2020 by The Inspector

[Dragonfly]

Barry

 

Thank you for the reply.

 

As soon as I saw the "friend" remark I realised that Arthur and James were not related by blood

 

I am carrying out the research on behalf of my nieces partner

 

I found Arthurs father last night Arthur Edward Wood born in Duffield, I am not going to pursue Arthur's line any further as it clear he is not genetically related to James. I have a YDNa and Autosomal DNA from James's descendants, James ancestry is probably Irish. 

 

Charlotte Poxon nee Bloor is probably the key, she herself was illegitimate and came from Shirley, I do wonder if she had some connection with the Ashbourne Union Workhouse, she was living in Derby when she adopted, why did she return to Ashbourne to adopt the children!!!!!! The Poxon's clear knew who Arthurs parents were, as did he, and that James hadn't been baptised, I am also unable to dismiss the probability that James may have been a foundling.

 

I want to avoid have to go through the Ashbourne Union Workhouse records, its so time consuming 

 

If I were able to find some military records for James they may provide some further clues.

 

What do you think about James serving in WW1, even in 1918 he would have only just been 13, he may have served after WW1, the story about him  joining underage is probably a family myth. Towards the end of WW1 the army were much more diligent in establishing a recruits age. 

 

I have quite a bit of information on the Poxon Parents its just James himself who is a little elusive. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited 13 March , 2020 by Dragonfly

[DavidOwen]

If he served in India in the 1930s there is the probability his service record will still be with the MOD this link tells you how to apply for a copy.

[Dragonfly]

I have been given another clue I now have a picture showing James Poxon in his units Band, he is the one with the Leopard skin apron so he is probably the Big Drum man. It isn't a great picture but my take on the picture is that he was unlikely to have had a position in the units  Band if he had simply joined up underage and got discharged from the army very quickly.  

 

If you look closely I'm sure you will be able to see a young Keith Richards in there 

 

 

Edited 13 March , 2020 by Dragonfly

[Dragonfly]

I just remembered that my Brother saved a huge box of Military books about 15 years ago, in the box were the Regimental Annuals for the Sherwood Foresters we might find something in there.

 

One of the books, not the Sherwood Forester books, was signed by Lady Kitchener on her visit to Derby.

 

Many of the books were published in the 1890s and have very nice colour plates of British soldiers uniforms , some of the books have newspaper cuttings from WW2 in them.

[ChrisH]

On 27/01/2020 at 15:06, Guest said:

Hi. Wondering if anyone can help.

 

Researching the family tree and stumbled across my Great Great Uncle, Pte Wilfred Preece 117258, 10th Battalion Sherwood Forresters. Enlisted Dec 8th 1915, died of 'wounds' Dec 8th 1918. I can only assume the the 'wounds' that claimed him were before the end of hostilities.

 

Any help gratefully received.

 

Regards

Hello,

This caught my eye as I was researching Wilfred’s brother, Tom. Wilfred Preece was also my great-great uncle (he was my great-grandma Alice’s brother).

Wilf was an artillery gunner in the 10th Battalion who served in some of the main battles of the war, including Ypres, Paaschendale and the Somme.

2 weeks before the end of the war Wild removed his helmet and was hit in the head by shrapnel from a German shell. He was taken to a nearby field hospital where he remained in a semi-coma for around a month. His Dad went across to France to visit him, although he Wilf apparently didn’t recognise his own father my the time he arrived due to brain injuries. Wilf died of his wounds shortly after and is buried in Etaples military cemetery. My Dad and I have been over to visit a few times and to lay flowers. Here’s a picture of his grave I took a few years ago:

Not sure if you’ll see this, but I hope it helps!

Chris Hardcastle