Tom Fidler 2/6th Sherwood Foresters 70589

[Stephen Fidler]

Looking for more detail of another long-lived relative, my great uncle Tom Fidler. Notts & Derbys 70589. I again have some detail about his army experience (he lived to be a day short of 102). I am unsure of what company he was attached to in Dublin in 1916. He seems to have attended signals school in 1917.  He won a Military Medal in 1918 "For devotion to duty when... as a runner during the attack of 8-11 Oct 1918 at Doon Hill Copse near Magny-La-Fosse at the Hindenburg Line in which he helped to maintain throughout the day regardless of any personal danger," assuming the source is correct. I have found some maps of the action but I'm unsure of how he came to be there and attached to which regiment. I have his service card etc, but again looking for granularity.

 

I have separate threads about other relatives, Jonathan Fidler of the Derbyshire Yeomanry and Mark James Cooper of the Grenadier Guards. 

Here's Tom.

 

Edited 13 November , 2023 by Stephen Fidler

[chaz]

Hi Stephen

2nd /6th Sherwood Foresters were reduced to Cadre on 7/5/18, disbanded 31/7/18. If you read the war diary you will see its noted they were at Fontaine-les-Boulans.

https://www.ancestry.co.uk/discoveryui-content/view/590033:60779?_phsrc=oWE1599&_phstart=successSource&ml_rpos=102&queryId=20e8ecdb2cda564d9af9201e277a70ff

so, basically the unit was disbanded and broken up into where ever  the GOC 59th Division wants to post them, where needed. Some transferred to instructing at 59th div training school and others to training 13th West Riding Regt.

At the time of disbanding there were 10 officers and 43 other ranks fighting strength, as the war was going on, probably not worth reinforcing the 2/6th so spread the rest else where.

Im guessing, a check on 13th W Riding war diary will tell where he was if with them.

On the 28th July its written that they were added to, On the 1st Aug 1918 the 13th WR had 32 officers and 902 OR's. They were at Barly, 

At the time of the battle they were at Bois Grenier.

https://www.ancestry.co.uk/discoveryui-content/view/590226:60779?_phsrc=oWE1601&_phstart=successSource&ml_rpos=7&queryId=efefbd11ef01574b3ca8d72d2545342a

if you read the diary you may see how he got there , presumably took out of the line for reinforcing before being returned elsewhere.

hope this helps.

[Stephen Fidler]

Many thanks, @chaz. This is very helpful. Magny-la-Fosse is some distance from the Bois Grenier that I found at first glance but I need to look into it further. 

[chaz]

It's not that far really, France was like England had many small railways.  One of my recent research projects was entrained at St. Omer and a couple of hours later marching from our local station in frevent up the hill to bonnieres.  Out of one battle, moved to a few days rest then left bonnieres to gommecourt To fight again. Its a trip we did many times but in a car, now many railways have been pulled up.

[chaz]

on one day march 1918, the 2nd wilts went from Fluquieres back to Amiens then back out to Esmery-Halon, a trip of hours to travel around 10km , one side of Ham to the other..