Pte Thomas Fern 13251 9th Notts & Derby ( Sherwood Forresters)

[Paul Minor]

Just found out that a member of my wife's family was wounded and later died of said wounds whilst serving with the Battalion at Gallipoli. He died and was buried at sea on the 10/8/15 on the Hospital Ship Soudan ( have seen a record and it mentions 19 souls cast to the deep in a burial at sea). I can assume that there must have been an assault made on the 9th Aug!
The family was a large family, Fern/Howard families, and from the Matlock/Cromford area of Derbyshire and very little is known, according to my father in law, as the family never spoke of it. I have found records of him being a bit of a naughty boy and sentenced to 2 years prison by Court Martial before the landings.
Any help or information on him as an individual or just generally about the battalion and its part in the campaign is of interest, especially as i am ex Mercian Regiment myself. Would the 9th be remembered on the walls at Crich??

[Langdon]

I found this on Google

 

Mike

[Langdon]

Thomas George Fern (b. 1896 Slayley Bonsall) was sentenced to two years imprisonment with hard labour on 17th July 1915 for being asleep on sentry duty on ship. He was not imprisoned but continued his service, landing at Suvla Bay with his battalion on 7th August. There are service papers available on Ancestry. He enlisted at Derby on 25th August 1914.

 

Mike

[Paul Minor]

On 19/04/2020 at 02:08, Langdon said:

Thomas George Fern (b. 1896 Slayley Bonsall) was sentenced to two years imprisonment with hard labour on 17th July 1915 for being asleep on sentry duty on ship. He was not imprisoned but continued his service, landing at Suvla Bay with his battalion on 7th August. There are service papers available on Ancestry. He enlisted at Derby on 25th August 1914.

 

Mike

Thanks Mike for all the information it’s really appreciated and interesting. I’ve managed to find some of the papers on ancestry now, thanks, as well as finding out what local memorials he is remembered on. 
 

paul

[clk]

Hi Paul,

 

Welcome to the forum.

 

Findmypast have a 'hospital' admission/discharge record (link) for Thomas, albeit under the surname spelling of Fearn. It reads as:

 

First name(s): Thomas

Last name: Fearn

Age:19

Service number: 13251

Rank: Private

Unit: Sherwood Foresters (Nottinghamshire & Derbyshire Regiment

Admitted to: 2nd Field Ambulance Royal Naval Division ( later renamed 149 Field Ambulance) at Sulva on 9.8.1915 with  bullet wound left [?] chest

Image sourced from Findmypast

Transferred to: Trawler for Hospital Ship on 9.8.1915

 

From the Embarkation Officer diary (Ancestry link), the Battalion appears to have arrived at Mudros on 18.7.1915, and left for Cape Helles on 20.7.1915.

 

 

Images sourced from Ancestry

 

I didn't see a surviving war diary for the Battalion, or Brigade. On Ancestry the 11 Division HQ diary starts here

 

Regards

Chris

 

 

 

[Paul Minor]

Thanks CLK, that’s new information I’d not across yet. The misspelling of the name, by adding the A, seems to be commonplace I’m finding. It’s even misspelt on the war memorial in Matlock.