|
|
|
4th Battalion, Sherwood Foresters
| Want to know more about 4th Battalion, Sherwood Foresters? There are:5235 items tagged 4th Battalion, Sherwood Foresters available in our Library
These include information on officers, regimental histories, letters, diary entries, personal accounts and information about actions during the Great War.
|
|
|
|
The Wartime Memories Project is the original WW1 and WW2 commemoration website.
- 1st of September 2024 marks 25 years since the launch of the Wartime Memories Project. Thanks to everyone who has supported us over this time.
|
Want to find out more about your relative's service? Want to know what life was like during the Great War? Our
Library contains many many diary entries, personal letters and other documents, most transcribed into plain text.
|
Looking for help with Family History Research?
Please see Family History FAQ's
Please note: We are unable to provide individual research.
|
|
Can you help?
The free to access section of The Wartime Memories Project website is run by volunteers and funded by donations from our visitors.
If the information here has been helpful or you have enjoyed reaching the stories please conside making a donation, no matter how small, would be much appreciated, annually we need to raise enough funds to pay for our web hosting or this site will vanish from the web.
If you enjoy this site
please consider making a donation.
Announcements
- 19th Nov 2024
Please note we currently have a massive backlog of submitted material, our volunteers are working through this as quickly as possible and all names, stories and photos will be added to the site. If you have already submitted a story to the site and your UID reference number is higher than
264989 your submission is still in the queue, please do not resubmit.
Wanted: Digital copies of Group photographs, Scrapbooks, Autograph books, photo albums, newspaper clippings, letters, postcards and ephemera relating to the Great War. If you have any unwanted
photographs, documents or items from the First or Second World War, please do not destroy them. The Wartime Memories Project will give them a good home and ensure that they are used for educational purposes. Please get in touch for the postal address, do not sent them to our PO Box as packages are not accepted.
|
World War 1 One ww1 wwII greatwar great battalion regiment artillery
Did you know? We also have a section on World War Two. and a
Timecapsule to preserve stories from other conflicts for future generations.
|
|
|
Sgt. Samuel Orton 4th Btn. Sherwood Foresters Samuel Orton was an iron moulder's labourer who had attested to the 4th Battalion, Sherwood Foresters as a reservist in 1902. He signed on for four further years in 1912 and in 1914 was stationed at Backworth, where he met his wife.
He had a poor disciplinary record initially but rose to become lance corporal, corporal, lance sergeant and was discharged as a sergeant in 1919.
He was in Imbros in 1917, and also sailed to Alexandria from the same place.
He was wounded by shrapnel in 1917.
|
2Lt. Charles Ernest Cumberland CdeG. 4th Btn. Sherwood Foresters 2nd Lt Charles Cumberland was awarded the Croix de Guerre.
|
Pte. Harry "Ginger" Gibson 4th Battalion Sherwood Foresters Harry Gibson was my Great Grandfather. My father, who is 90 years old this year (2018), met him. I believe he was also known as Ginger due to him having a ginger coloured moustache but dark hair.
I have a small medal he was given as a result of running in the Flanders Cross Country Race. It is dated 1917. He wasn't killed during the war and returned home having been discharged on 22nd of March 1918 as unfit to serve. He was 33 years old when discharged. I have a copy of his discharge papers.
|
Pte. William Dickens 4th Btn. Sherwood Foresters (d.1st Nov 1917) William Dickens, born 1895 in Newton, was one of 14 children of Isaac Dickens and Ada nee Else. His siblings were Fred, Sarah, Mary Ann, Ethel, Alfred, Arthur, Gladys, Alice, Frank, Henry and Doris. 2 others had died as babies. In 1911 aged 16 William was a Pony Driver, probably at Tibshelf's Babbington Collieries.
William's Army Service record has not survived, but we know from the Army Records of Soldiers Effects he was serving with 4th Btn, Sherwood Foresters as 18927, Private William Dickens and had been repatriated from France to the Womens Auxiliary Corps Hospital in Sunderland where he died on 1st November 1917. There were 5 Voluntary Aid Hospitals in Sunderland, and there is no record of which William was admitted to.
William's body was returned to his family and he is buried in St Werburgh's Churchyard,Blackwell.
|
Cpl. Alexander John Richardson 1st Battalion, D Company Notts & Derby Regiment  Alexander, originally from Paddington, England, was employed as a motor driver at Welbeck for at least a year before the outbreak of the first World War. At 18 yrs old, he enlisted at Worksop on Sept. 2, 1914 and was posted to the 4th Battalion Notts & Derby for his basic training, which I believe was at Sunderland. Alec landed in France on Jan 4th, 1915 and was posted to the 1st Battalion Notts & Derby, joining the battalion on Jan. 22, 1915. He was wounded in the abdomen by shrapnel on Feb 25, 1915 while in the line, but stayed in France and returned to the battalion. It is unknown how long he was recovering, but I assume he luckily missed the Battle of Neuve Chapelle.
Alexander joined the Tank Corps on Dec. 28, 1916 because of his mechanical abilities, originally with "A" battalion, 77047. He was a driver in action during the June 7th, 1917 Battle of Messines. Shortly after, he became part of the "Hush Operation", a plan to land on the Belgium coast with troops and tanks. According to my grandfather's notes this plan was "duly washed out" and his group returned to England to become the core of the 16th battalion, Tank Corps. He was an instructor (including bayonet and physical training) during The Tank Corps build up in the first half of 1918.
The 16th battalion, Tank Corps landed in Sept. 1918 and took part in the Battle of the Selle, driving the Germans back. Alexander was wounded when his tank was hit by a shell on October 5/6, 1918 in the Ramicourt valley during the Battle of Montbrehain. He stayed in France and rejoined his battalion after recovering, promoted to Sgt. on Nov. 30, 1918. He survived the flu in late Dec. 1918 and was sent to the UK on Jan 30, 1919 for demobilization.
His notes state the he worked with the Air Ministry, assisting in the return of parts to Leyland motors for a year. Alexander sailed to Canada in April 1920, started a family, and lived until 1981.
I remember him talking about his war experiences around the dinner table only when asked. He remembered mostly being "cold and wet". My father told me he saw many horrible things, lost close friends and would wake up at night screaming.
I ask my teenage children, who watch their TV's, chat and text on their phones, listening to the Ipod's and wear the name brand clothing, "can you imagine going to war at 18 years old, living in water filled trenches all year round with lice and rats, always hungry, being shot at, shelled, bombed, watching your comrades be blown apart or shot, dieing in front of you for almost 5 years".
They can't.
|
Recomended Reading.Available at discounted prices.
|
|
|
Site Home
Help & FAQs
