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Remembered Today:

Notts And Derbys (sherwood foresters) battallion


Guest Tom_Ward

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Guest Tom_Ward

Hi,

Does anyone have any information on the Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire battallion?

I believe two of my great (or great great I can never work it out) uncles fought with this battalion during the first world war. William Procter 102127 died 11/10/1918 and Charles Procter 17154 survived the war but was transfered to the Labour company (suggesting injury?).

If anyone has any information on these names or this battalion particularly it's whereabouts in October 1918 it would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks

Tom

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Welcome aboard Tom.

You can find out a lot more on the Sherwood Forester's regiment on the mother site for this forum and also at my own 'Derbyshire Lads' website (click on the link in the signature below).

William Proctor 102127: listed in Soldiers Died in the Great War as William Proctor, Private, 2nd Battalion Sherwood Forester's, born & enlisted Grimsby, killed in action, France & Flanders, 11/10/18. The Commonwealth War Grave s Commission adds -

Name: PROCTER

Initials: W

Nationality: United Kingdom

Rank: Private

Regiment: Sherwood Foresters (Notts and Derby Regiment)

Unit Text: 2nd Bn.

Date of Death: 11/10/1918

Service No: 102127

Casualty Type: Commonwealth War Dead

Grave/Memorial Reference: VII. G. 3.

Cemetery: BELLICOURT BRITISH CEMETERY

He was one of 8 men from the battalion to die that day. I'll do a bit of rooting to see where they were and what they were up to and get back to you.

Charles Procter: Whilst in the Forester's he served as Private 43629, which would place him in just about any of the regiment's battalions bar the territorials. However the number does suggest that he was not one of the regiment's original men, so probably a volunteer or conscript. Transfer to the Labour Corps can be for any of several reasons. Injury or ill-health are possible reasons.

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  • 2 weeks later...

Tom - I've got the relevant stuff together. Send me your e-mail address and I'll wing it to you.

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Andrew (& Tom)

Apologies for "hijacking" someone else's thread, but I wonder if you have any extra info (other than SDGW & CWGC) on:

Lt. John MacPherson, 7th Sherwood Foresters, k.i.a. July 1st, 1916

Pte. John Smith, 7th Sherwood Foresters, k.i.a. July 1st, 1916 (born. Bristol; enlisted: Nottingham; residence: Hartlepool, Co. Durham)

With a name like "John Smith", I would be at the National Archives for hours ploughing through all of the remaining service records!

Many thanks,

Nick

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Apologies for "hijacking" someone else's thread, but I wonder if you have any extra info (other than SDGW & CWGC) on:

Lt. John MacPherson, 7th Sherwood Foresters, k.i.a. July 1st, 1916

Nick,

SDGW doesn't give Born, Enlisted, Residence details for Officers as it does for Other Ranks.

Anthony

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Anthony

Thanks for that. MacPherson was an Old Boy of Cheltenham College, but beyond that, I do not know very much about him.

Nick

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  • 2 weeks later...

Tom, Hopefully you've got the stuff by now.

Nick - sorry for not responding but I forgot about this thread! I'm afraid I can't add anything much other than CWGC and SDGW in either case. However I can tell you that Lt. Macpherson was O.C. "B" Company on 1/7/16.

Good luck with your search (especially John Smith :ph34r: )

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Nick,

Snippet from the London Gazette:

London Gazette 12-11-1914 (Published 10-11-1914)

7th (Robin Hood) Battalion, The Sherwood Foresters (Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire Regiment); Private John Macpherson, from the 6th Battalion, Royal Fusiliers, to be Second Lieutenant. Dated 13th November 1914.

http://www.gazettes-online.co.uk/archiveVi...&selHonourType=

Hope this helps,

Steve.

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Steve,

I've noticed before that you seem to have mastered the art of searching the LG. Personally I think its search engine is a pile of poo, and I frequently fail to find anything. What's your secret? :huh:

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My secret is .....

.... in my new book, available from all good retail outlets!!

I wish...

Then again it would probably have a print run of about 4 copies. <_<

In this particular case:

"John MacPherson" did for it!

Otherwise:

For promotions:

Early in the war (1914). Use full name including middle names. What appears on the MIC index card usually helps unless they have too many middle names.

Later on use all initials. The LG recognises Full Stops (periods, USA folks) as characters so I always enter those, too.

J. MacPherson not J MacPherson

For MMs:

Usually initials as above. e.g. W. S. Beeby. Sometimes the initials will be after the Surname, e.g. Beeby, W. S. (Don't forget the comma)

For DSOs, MCs and DCMs:

Full names usually. Also try with initials or full forename, initial then surname. e.g. Walter S. Beeby

Other tips:

If I can't find the man and he has a reasonably uncommon Surname, either enter just the surname or Surname + unit. e.g Cullen, Sea* for Cullen, Seaforth Highlanders or Compton, Bedf* for Compton, Bedfordshire etc.. You need to get used to the abbreviations used in the Gazette.

There are still those that hide well. The LG was real trouble with capital "R"s, converting them to "E"s and "B"s. A bad page scan with lots of "fuzz" doesn't help either.

One of my projects here will be to post indexes of the Gazettes which have the various different awards in. Need Broadband!

I will probably start with the MIDs which really are a PITA to search!

e.g. Beeby, Pte (A/L/C) W. S. or Smith, T/2nd Lt. (A/Lt.) J. F. T.

Bleeurgh!

I don't expect to be "out of work" on the LG for a while, though.

Steve.

P.S. Beware. Searching the LG is almost as addictive as the Forum, once you get into it!

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Andrew & Steve

Many thanks for your replies. Any info, however small, is always helpful. As for Pte. John Smith, I do not think I will even begin to look for him at the NA. <_<

Nick

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Steve - fantastic, thanks. There probably is a book in there somewhere.....

(Because you find it addictive I could offer you a 'fix' of 20 or so look-ups - just in case you ever get withdrawal shakes? :P )

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Bring 'em on!

Steve.

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Oh, you're for it now.......!! :lol:

Actually there are a couple who have totally defeated me but I don't have the details to hand ('cos I'm at work right now and shouldn't really be doing this). I may be in touch!!

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Ditto!

Steve.

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Hi guys, I'm back!

Seeing as I started this thread I figured I should post something back on it! Firstly thank you for the information Andrew it was great reading and another thing to look into whilst in France next week.

Secondly I have quite a detailed picture of three of the four brothers I'm researching. I am however missing information on Private Charles Procter (sometimes spelt ProctOr) of The Sherwood Foresters No. 17154.

He transfered to 29th Labour company whith whom he finished the war however I don't know when or why.

Does anyone have any information that may offer further light on this man?

Thanks

Tom

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Should have read Andrews previous post before posting my last one. Charles was number 43629. I guess the other number was is Labour company number!

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The Labour Corps came into being on 1-1-1917 amalgamating most of the Infantry, RE and ASC Labour Battalions. Since Charles' number is pretty darn low I would suggest that he was either in a Labour Battalion (maybe even the N&D) at that date or joined the Labour Corps pretty soon after it's establishment.

The 20th Battalion was the Sherwood Foresters Labour Battalion.

http://www.1914-1918.net/notts.htm

Hope this helps,

Steve.

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.....if you have any extra info (other than SDGW & CWGC) on:

Lt. John MacPherson, 7th Sherwood Foresters, k.i.a. July 1st, 1916

Nick,

Derby Mercury 14/7/16

"Lieut J Macpherson, killed. He was a son of a well known architect at Derby, and was 25 years of age. Educated at Cheltenham he subsequently entered his father's business and on the outbreak of war joined the Royal Fusileers as a private. He obtained a commission in the Sherwood Foresters in in November 1914, was promoted Lieutenant in the following August and had recently been acting as Captain."

Stuart

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Stuart

Many thanks for finding the newspaper article. The Cheltenham College Register lists him as "Captain", but the Casualty Rolls refer to him as "Lieutenant". Reason clarified - good work!

Nick

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  • 4 years later...
Hi guys, I'm back!

Seeing as I started this thread I figured I should post something back on it! Firstly thank you for the information Andrew it was great reading and another thing to look into whilst in France next week.

Secondly I have quite a detailed picture of three of the four brothers I'm researching. I am however missing information on Private Charles Procter (sometimes spelt ProctOr) of The Sherwood Foresters No. 17154.

He transfered to 29th Labour company whith whom he finished the war however I don't know when or why.

Does anyone have any information that may offer further light on this man?

Thanks

Tom

Hello there Tom.

I accidently came across your posting and I have a great Uncle George Proctor (Sherwood Forresters - 17965) who served and died in WW1 on 4.4.1917. He was born in Fairfield (Buxton 1886) but his real surname was Hyde, his mother was Sarah Ann Hyde and her mother was a Proctor. Not sure of George's real father and his brother, Richard Hyde (my grandfather) but thought it may or may not be useful in your quest possibly.

Regards.

Lindsay Hyde (Australia)

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