loujn Posted 27 May , 2018 Share Posted 27 May , 2018 Hi, I am just writing up the story of a local man who served with the 9th Bat Sherwood Foresters. He enlisted around march 1915 aged 18 and entered the theatre of war on 31st Dec 1915 (assuming that was when he had reached the age of 19). I am trying to add a small piece about where his training would have been and found on the long long trail that the 9th were at Grantham and then moved to Frensham, Surrey in April 1915. I've googled but cant find anything about Frensham as a training camp. Would he have received his training at Grantham or Frensham? any suggestions gratefully received. Thank you, Louise Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ss002d6252 Posted 27 May , 2018 Share Posted 27 May , 2018 21 minutes ago, loujn said: Hi, I am just writing up the story of a local man who served with the 9th Bat Sherwood Foresters. He enlisted around march 1915 aged 18 and entered the theatre of war on 31st Dec 1915 (assuming that was when he had reached the age of 19). I am trying to add a small piece about where his training would have been and found on the long long trail that the 9th were at Grantham and then moved to Frensham, Surrey in April 1915. I've googled but cant find anything about Frensham as a training camp. Would he have received his training at Grantham or Frensham? any suggestions gratefully received. Thank you, Louise Who is the man ? Craig Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
loujn Posted 27 May , 2018 Author Share Posted 27 May , 2018 16 minutes ago, ss002d6252 said: Who is the man ? Its John William Nurse 21851 9th Sherwood Foresters, attached to the trench mortar battery. - in fact that leads me on to my next question - what would "attached to the trench mortar battery" involve? Thank you Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
loujn Posted 7 June , 2018 Author Share Posted 7 June , 2018 Just bumping this post up, in case anyone can add any more detail for me regarding the camp at FRENSHAM, Surrey please in 1915. I would like to read more info about the camp - if anyone can suggest a web link that would be brilliant. I would like to know if it was a training camp? my soldier served with the Sherwood Foresters. Thank you Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gareth Davies Posted 7 June , 2018 Share Posted 7 June , 2018 Try these: https://www.surreyinthegreatwar.org.uk/category/military/recruitment-training/camps/?post_type=story https://www.surreyinthegreatwar.org.uk/places/surrey/waverley/frensham/ https://www.surreycc.gov.uk/__data/assets/pdf_file/0007/36763/Part-5-Surrey-as-an-Army-Camp-Mobilisation,-Recruitment,-Conscription-and-Prison-Camps.pdf https://wreccleshamhistory.files.wordpress.com/2017/04/26-wrecclesham-in-world-war-11.pdf Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moonraker Posted 7 June , 2018 Share Posted 7 June , 2018 Lots of incidental references here on the GWF and on the Web generally, and a few photos, but apparently nothing substantial. The impression I have is that in 1915 it was a tented training camp for newly-raised Kitchener battalions. Local newspapers of the period may provide some information. Is there a published history of the 9th Sherwood Foresters, and is its war diary available? Given that it was a tented camp, I doubt that there was much activity there in the winter of 1914-15 (with most soldiers accommodated under canvas being moved into billets because of some very wet weather). Ah! Gareth has just pre-empted me with some links that look promising, and there's a very good photo of a Royal Visit. Moonraker Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HERITAGE PLUS Posted 7 June , 2018 Share Posted 7 June , 2018 In support of the above see: https://peopleshistreh.files.wordpress.com/2015/08/103foresters_issue03_version1.pdf Dave Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
loujn Posted 7 June , 2018 Author Share Posted 7 June , 2018 20 minutes ago, Gareth Davies said: Try these: https://www.surreyinthegreatwar.org.uk/category/military/recruitment-training/camps/?post_type=story https://www.surreyinthegreatwar.org.uk/places/surrey/waverley/frensham/ https://www.surreycc.gov.uk/__data/assets/pdf_file/0007/36763/Part-5-Surrey-as-an-Army-Camp-Mobilisation,-Recruitment,-Conscription-and-Prison-Camps.pdf https://wreccleshamhistory.files.wordpress.com/2017/04/26-wrecclesham-in-world-war-11.pdf Thanks for these. I have emailed "Surrey in the Great War" to see if they can add any info. One article reads that Frensham was a hodling camp waiting for the troop trains at Farnham. I will see if I can find anything further. Thanks again, Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
loujn Posted 7 June , 2018 Author Share Posted 7 June , 2018 15 minutes ago, Moonraker said: Lots of incidental references here on the GWF and on the Web generally, and a few photos, but apparently nothing substantial. The impression I have is that in 1915 it was a tented training camp for newly-raised Kitchener battalions. Local newspapers of the period may provide some information. Is there a published history of the 9th Sherwood Foresters, and is its war diary available? Given that it was a tented camp, I doubt that there was much activity there in the winter of 1914-15 (with most soldiers accommodated under canvas being moved into billets because of some very wet weather). Ah! Gareth has just pre-empted me with some links that look promising, and there's a very good photo of a Royal Visit. Moonraker Yes thats all i found, nothing detailed or specific, but the links Gareth posted says it was used as a holding camp for troops waiting for their train from Farnham. Sounds likely. I assume that the wait was longer than originally anticipated and training was also given at the camp? my soldier enlisted in March 1915, went to the theatre of war at the end of dec 1915, so assuming he was at Frensham most of that time. I've not found any service records - unfortunately! Thank you for your help. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
loujn Posted 7 June , 2018 Author Share Posted 7 June , 2018 16 minutes ago, HERITAGE PLUS said: In support of the above see: https://peopleshistreh.files.wordpress.com/2015/08/103foresters_issue03_version1.pdf Dave Dave, what an interesting document...... For one it gives some detail of the 9th Sherwood Foresters and their movement to Frensham. It states they were taught "modern" warfare techniques; eg hand grenades, barbed wire use. Secondly it includes discussion on deserters and my husbands family Arthur Briggs is referenced as he was shot at dawn for desertion. We know his story and have his court marshall papers with his handwritten account of why he did what he did. But this document is new to me! so thank you for finding it! Thanks for your help. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moonraker Posted 8 June , 2018 Share Posted 8 June , 2018 19 hours ago, loujn said: ... it was used as a holding camp for troops waiting for their train from Farnham. Sounds likely. I assume that the wait was longer than originally anticipated and training was also given at the camp ... Its role might have evolved during the war. There are slightly expensive postcards of the wartime camp and of the military hospital huts being offered on eBay - as well as an antique wood engraved print of 1871: The Autumn Campaign: Encampment of the 3rd division of Frensham Common, from the "Devil's Jumps" ("Antique wood engraved print" refers to a page from the Illustrated London News.) Moonraker Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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