Sherwood Forester Enlistment Date Database

[stevem49]

Lindsay - that would be the date he began his overseas service. He would have had training in the UK first.

Mr Hesketh - Sir - another one

204578 Pte John William Burnett - (His papers have 88232 crossed out.)

Attested - 9/12/15

Army Reserve - 10/12/15

Mobilised - 12/6/17

France 4/10/17

9th Bn - 11/10/17

Steve M

[septimus 829]

hi andrew james winters 59969 10th batt called up december 1916 hope that helps paul tried to pm you wont let me

[simonsmrt]

Hi I've been reading this thread with interest. Anyway I'm not sure if I can be much help but my Grandfather joined the Sherwood Forresters I believe at the outbreak of the war. Have been able to find out very little as all family on that side are now deceased. He was certainly underage when he joined up, possibly 14 years old and I have portraits of him as a bugler so he may have even given a false name. The fragmented history goes that he lived in Bakewell and after joining up saw action where he was buried alive during a bombarment. After being dug out he either told the truth about being underage or was discharged possibly with perforated eardrums the only real physical injury.

Not wanting to spend the rest of his days as a coalminer he re-enlisted when he was old enough serving in the RFC as a Fitter. It was at a TDS in Norfolk where he met my Grandmother. After the war he had an adventure in Ireland in 1920/21 serving in the Black and Tans before being concussed during an incident which effectively ended his first military career. I am fairly certain that a photo in the Black and Tans book of 3 men at a sports meeting is in fact one of my Grandfather looking very tough in the middle. He subsequently joined up as a reservist during WWII . I beleive he used to play the Last Post at Bakewell War memorial during Remembrance Sundays.

His surname was BLACKWELL

Initials C.F.

If for any reason anyone has records pertaining to a soldier who might fit this description I'd love to hear from anyone

[stevem49]

I have just checked Andy's list and cannot see a C F Blackwell as serving in the N&D. Ther is a Charles E.

His medal entitlement is probably under RFC/RAF even though he did not serve abroad with them.

Have you checked the local papers for Buxton?, held at Matlock local studies, county Hall.

Steve M

[simonsmrt]

Thanks Steve, I'll give this a go. Reading a separate thread on the Black and Tans there is a chance I might be able to work backwards so to speak as the National Archives at Kew hold these records which I originally was unaware of.

[richardIII]

Lindsay,

Thanks for your message about 17965 Pte George Proctor, I don't know how to contact you directly as the PMs don't seem to be working yet please send me an email, dick@west4057.freeseve.co.uk

Richard

[simonsmrt]

This one may already be on the list and known but trying to find out more details about my Grandfather I was looking in my fathers collection of "The Great War - I was there" weekly magazine collection published 1938-1939. In the section at the back entitled "Old Comrades Corner" of issue 15 is the following Sherwood Forrester asking to hear from old pals

No longer with us now but his details are:-

Private

W . Wyatt

203543

D Coy, 9th Sherwood Forresters

Address in 1938 Camberwell, London

I will look in slower time into future issues to see if theres a reply or more details from other Sherwood Forresters

[jmoha]

Simonsmrt,

According to the medal rolls, Walter Freeman Wyatt originally served with the 2/5th Battalion before moving to the 9th Battalion. MOst of the 2/5th men with numbers similar to Walter joined around late January to early March 1916, possibly as Derby scheme men called up. However, the 2/5th, in common with other 2nd line Notts and Derby battalions, had been around since late 1914 and had seen action on the Easter rising in Ireland. Walter may have been an earlier recruit than the early 1916. The Territorials were renumbered from a 4 digit to a 6 digit number and the 2nd line Notts and Derbys didn't go overseas before that happened. For details about the 9th Battalion exploits, I suggest you contact Steve Morse of this (internet) parish who has written the battalion history.

[simonsmrt]

jmoha, thanks for this. Its thrown up yet another potential discrepancy in my family history handed down verbally that leaves even more questions than answers! The details about Pte Wyatt are not those of my Grandfather but a name I came across in a 1938 magazine that might have helped with the original thread while attempting to research my Grandfather.

His details are very sketchy. His name was Francis Cyril Blackwell who lived in Bakewell. As the photo's suggests he joined the Sherwood Foresters at the outbreak of the war joining up aged about 14-15. I have not been able to confirm exact details about him apart from this photo and family anecdotes about him lying about his age to join up. I suspect the records were lost in the Kew archives fire. However my Dad when he was alive told me he served in the Black and Tans and the book of the same name has a photo in it of someone who I was fairly confident is my Grandfather.

BUT

when my Dad told me about his advenmtures in Ireland he said it was during the war and following an incident in Ireland where he was concussed he subsequently either was discharged or left the Infantry and joined the RFC as a fitter mechanic. Serving in the RFC in the latter stages of the war is beyond doubt as I have some more photo's from this time and it was while in the RFC that he met my Grandmother who used to dope the wings of the aircraft. Your email now mentions the Easter uprising and the Sherwood Foresters role in that which fits with the Ireland escapade during the war. Of course he might have enjoyed it enough to want a second go with the Black and Tans! but now the assumed definitive family history account is starting to resemble swiss cheese with all the holes in it!! Not sure what to do next. I suspect I'll have to find time to visit Kew archives

[stevem49]

Could he have used an alias as well as lying about his age?

Looks like a boy bugler from the photo.

Steve

[simonsmrt]

Steve,

I suspect he may have given a false name although judging by the picture with his sister hit looks like he was quite proud of the fact he had joined up and doesnt seem too bothered about hiding the fact from his family. I believe he was a bugler and my Dad told me he used to play the last post at the Bakewell memorial after tboth wars(s)

Simon

[mikebriggs]

Steve,

I suspect he may have given a false name although judging by the picture with his sister hit looks like he was quite proud of the fact he had joined up and doesnt seem too bothered about hiding the fact from his family. I believe he was a bugler and my Dad told me he used to play the last post at the Bakewell memorial after tboth wars(s)

Simon

You'll see from the picture that he is wearing an Imperial Service Badge which places him in one of the Territorial Battalions. It is therefore quite consistant for him to have gone to Irleand with the 59th Division during the Easter Rising. If he got injured there and discharged then he wouldn't have a medal entitlement. I'll check through what I have on the 2/6th to see if I can come accross anything

Mike

[mikebriggs]

You'll see from the picture that he is wearing an Imperial Service Badge which places him in one of the Territorial Battalions. It is therefore quite consistant for him to have gone to Irleand with the 59th Division during the Easter Rising. If he got injured there and discharged then he wouldn't have a medal entitlement. I'll check through what I have on the 2/6th to see if I can come accross anything

Mike

i think that this is the guy. Taken from the Bakewell Roll of Honour published in Derbyshire Times. They've just put J instaed of F

[lindsayhyde]

Lindsay,

Thanks for your message about 17965 Pte George Proctor, I don't know how to contact you directly as the PMs don't seem to be working yet please send me an email, dick@west4057.freeseve.co.uk

Richard

Hi Richard.

I have sent an email to your email add s above and it seems its taking some time for the email to reach you from the server....keep getting mesasge back saying its still attempting to send and will keep trying. I'll wait for a few dfays and see what happens as I think its best we do use emails to have a chatt about George!!.

My email add.....if it helps is linsha9@bigpond.net.au

Maybe we can get the ball riolling!!

I appreciate your reply message and help.

regards.

Lindsay Hyde

[simonsmrt]

i think that this is the guy. Taken from the Bakewell Roll of Honour published in Derbyshire Times. They've just put J instaed of F

Mike many thanks for this. Without getting too excited I believe this is my Grandfather. Either a typo or a false name perhaps. Not surprising as being 14 I have been told he lied about his age when joining up. It seems to be fashionable for him to supply different forenames as I have a Horticultural Soc medal he won in 1933 listing him as C. Blackwell (C being Cyril his middle name) Also I found a medal card for a 2nd Air Mechanic Francis J Blackwell that may also be him although I know he joined the RFC later in the war after discharge from the Infantry. I've attached the card as I wonder if the date of Entry line might refer to his enlistment in the Sherwood Foresters? I cant make head nor tail of the hieroglyphs scribbled on the card in different handwriting though. Any ideas?

[mikebriggs]

Simon

Its my understanding that as a bugler he could have joined up aged 14, but not served overseas (Ireland wasn't considered overseas of course). With regards to the MIC that person has a 14 Star so I think its unlikely to be your grandfather.

Mike

[richardIII]

I am not an expert but it would seem to me that the card shows he entered the theatre of war in October 1914 to qualify for the 1914 star WITH the RFC.

Richard

[stevem49]

MIC - looks like 'retained by RAF records'

As Mike says if he served in Ireland with N&D and then moved units, there would not be an MIC for N&D, so not on our lists. Cannot see the MIC for RFC being his.

Steve M

[simonsmrt]

thanks guys, I'll keep looking and searching, but at least 1 piece of the jigsaw puzzle is starting to fit. Of course it now throws up doubts about service in the RIC/Black & Tans which my father was adamant about.

[mikebriggs]

The only Blackwells that joined RIC in the 1920's were

George W A born 1896

James W born 1896 in Herfordshire

James born 1877 in Sussex

[PeteGPM]

Hi,

My Grandfather (73189 John Richard Garfoot) served with the 11^th Battalion S/F, although I don't have the date he joined up as his medal card showed he was transferred from the Lincolnshire rifles, the qualifying date is 14/7/15.

I know from what my father told me he didn't like to talk about his experiences but he did serve through the Italian campaign and was decorated a few days before the end of the war in action around Landrecies (Mentioned in "Men from the greenwood").

We have his medals with the original citation, which I photo shopped on a picture of him wearing his medal for my dad when he was alive, which I shall attempt to attach to this post (I do have a high res version if some one wants it).

Hope this maybe of some interest to you.

Regards,

Pete Garfoot.

[simonsmrt]

The only Blackwells that joined RIC in the 1920's were

George W A born 1896

James W born 1896 in Herfordshire

James born 1877 in Sussex

thanks again Mike, I am coming more and more round to the view that my Grandfather only saw action in ireland with the 2/6 Sherwood Foresters in 1916 and that the family mythology got mixed up when handed down. Yesterday I purchased the Osprey Title Easter Rising 1916 (Campiagn series 180) and although I havent read it yet has a lots of detail about the role of the Sherwood Foresters in this campaign. There are some excellent photo's to, one of a Lewis Gun company form 2/6 prior to shipping out where again a young lad in the back looks remarkably like my Grandfather. Unfortunaely I cant see if he has his bugle as only his head is visible.

Incidentally I spoke to a colleague late from the MoD who gave me some contradictory advice re child law I quote:-

Firstly when the "Child Soldier" law came up we were asked to research the rules regarding non-adults serving overseas. If memory serves, the youngest were cabin boys and buglers at 14 - both could serve overseas with their parents permission!!! Ironically although the practice had long since ceased, it appeared that Army regs still allowed buglers to serve at 14 right up until we got it changed in advance of the child soldier law!"

Now that opens up the potential for service in the Regt prior to the Easter Rising. Fascinating stuff

[Bingo794]

Pete

Yes, he is likely to have begun service with the 7th Lincs., he doesn't appear in the Lincolnshire's Medal Rolls, however there is a gap for him in the sequence. All the men with numbers near to his started out with the 7th Bn. and would have joined up more likely in the September of 1914, maybe into the October of 1914.

14/7/1915 is one of the dates the 7th Lincs landed in France.

His MIC code for Medal roll in fact states F103 B18 page 3404 which confirms his listing in the Notts & Derbys Medal Rolls.

Dick

[Andrew Hesketh]

Every now and again this old thread sparks back into life with additional data (thank you) or an interesting debate. Fascinating stuff.

Just a comment though: if you are a new member researching a N&D soldier for personal reasons then it might be best to start a new and unique thread in the 'Soldiers' sub-forum. You may get more hits and the N&D anoraks do occasionally look in there (when we let them out).

[PeteGPM]

Thank you Bingo,

I'm not doing an in depth search, found this site (very good one too) when I inherited the medals, and just wondered if someone collating material on the Foresters could use it in any way.

Pete.