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9th Battalion, Sherwood Foresters
9th Battalion, Sherwood Foresters (Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire Regiment) was raised at Derby in August 1914 as part of Kitchener's First New Army. After initial training close to home, they moved to Belton Park, Grantham. On the 4th of April 1915 the Division assembled at Witley and Frensham for final training. They sailed for Gallipoli from Liverpool via Mudros at the end of June 1915. They landed near Lala Baba at Suvla Bay on the 6th and 7th of August. On the 19th and 20th of December 1915 the Division was withdrawn from Gallipoli, moving to Imbros then to Egypt at the end of January. They concentrated at Sidi Bishr and took over a section of the Suez canal defences on the 19th of February. On the 17th of June 1916 the Division was ordered to France to reinforce Third Army on The Somme. They departed from Alexandria on with the last units leaving on the 3rd of July. By the 27th July, they were in the front line on the Somme and took part in The capture of the Wundt-Werk, The Battle of Flers-Courcelette and The Battle of Thiepval. In 1917 they were in action in Operations on the Ancre then moved north to Flanders for The Battle of Messines, The Battle of the Langemarck, The Battle of Polygon Wood, The Battle of Broodseinde and The Battle of Poelcapelle. In 1918 they were at Arras for The 1918 Battle of the Scarpe and The Battle of the Drocourt-Quant Line and fought in the Battles of the Hindenburg Line and The Battle of the Sambre including the passage of the Grand Honelle. At the Armistice the Division was on high ground east of Havay.
17th Mar 1915 Parade
3rd Aug 1915 Dust Storm
16th Oct 1915 The Derby Scheme
1st Dec 1915 Derby Scheme Armlets
11th Sep 1915 Last day of Derby Scheme Recruitment
10th Jan 1916 Group System Reopens
9th February 1916 Call Ups
19th May 1916 Football
7th Aug 1916 9th Sherwoods Machine gunners in action on The Somme The Machine Gun Company of the 9th Sherwood Forresters was attached to the South Staffs Regt prior to the Somme Offensive and went into action in Delville Wood on the 7th August 1916.
12th September 1916 Move to trenches 
19th September 1916 Relief from trenches
21st October 1916 Brigade Ceremonial Parade
30th June 1917 Battle of Messines
17th July 1917 Relieved unit in trenches
26th July 1917 Trench activity
27th Sep 1917 Instructions
29th Sep 1917 Instructions
1st Oct 1917 Move
3rd Oct 1917 Preparations
3rd Oct 1917 Orders
3rd Oct 1917 Instructions
3rd Oct 1917 Instructions
3rd Oct 1917 Instructions
3rd Oct 1917 Instructions
4th Oct 1917 Attack Made
4th Oct 1917 Attack Made
5th Oct 1917 Reliefs
6th Oct 1917 Heavy Rain
7th Oct 1917 At the Ready
8th Oct 1917 On the Move
9th Oct 1917 In Billets
10th Oct 1917 In Billets
11th Oct 1917 Training
13th Oct 1917 Training & Concert
14th Oct 1917 Resting
15th Oct 1917 Training
16th Oct 1917 Training
17th Oct 1917 Training
18th Oct 1917 Training
19th Oct 1917 Move
20th Oct 1917 On the Move
21st Oct 1917 On the Move
22nd Oct 1917 Reliefs
22nd Oct 1917 Reliefs
23rd Oct 1917 In Reserve
24th Oct 1917 Working Parties
25th Oct 1917 Working Parties
26th Oct 1917 Working Parties
27th Oct 1917 Working Parties
28th Oct 1917 Working Parties
29th Oct 1917 Reliefs
30th Oct 1917 On the Move
31st Oct 1917 Training
3rd of January 1918 Location of Divisional Units
13th of January 1918 More Snow - More Training
21st of January 1918 Reliefs
24th of January 1918 Artillery Very Quiet
25th of January 1918 MG Fire All Night
28th of January 1918 Enemy Aircraft Brought Down
29th of January 1918 Enemy Sniping
3rd of February 1918 Dugout Attacked
10th of February 1918 A Large Explosion
14th of February 1918 Quiet
17th of February 1918 Shelling
22nd of February 1918 Unusual Enemy Movements
24th of February 1918 A Daylight Patrol
26th of February 1918 Enemy Heavies Active
2nd of March 1918 Heavy Gas Shelling
7th of March 1918 Active Enemy Aircraft
10th of March 1918 5th Dorsets on Patrol
11th of March 1918 Philosophe Heavily Shelled
12th of March 1918 Enemy Fire "Above Normal"
17th of March 1918 Seventeen Balloons Spotted
23rd of March 1918 Quieter Artillery
24th of March 1918 Germans on Short Rations
29th of March 1918 Usual Trench Warfare
31st of March 1918 Allied Gas Operations
1st of April 1918 Four Balloons Down
2nd of April 1918 Raid by 6th Lincolns
7th of April 1918 A Relief Ordered
14th of April 1918 Dumps Destroyed
19th of April 1918 A Bit Quieter
21st of April 1918 Heavy Bombardment
23rd of April 1918 A Relief Planned
28th of April 1918 Demolition Plans
30th of April 1918 Retaliatory Fire
1st of May 1918 Battle Equipment
If you can provide any additional information, please add it here.
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These include information on officers, regimental histories, letters, diary entries, personal accounts and information about actions during the Great War.
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Those known to have served with9th Battalion, Sherwood Foresters during the Great War 1914-1918. - Bell Fred. Pte. (d.15th Nov 1918)
- Booth Thomas. Pte. (d.22nd Apr 1916)
- Brain David. L/Cpl.
- Brain George. Cpl. (d.22nd Mar 1918)
- Briggs Arthur. Pte. (d.19th Jul 1918)
- Buckthorp Arthur Willie. Pte.
- Byfield Isiaih. Pte. (d.17th August 1917)
- Cartledge Granville. Lt.
- Davidson Charles Lingard. 2nd Lt. (d.6th Aug 1915)
- Devine Robert Mckee. L/Cpl. (d.4th Oct 1917)
- Finch George Walters. Pte. (d.9th Aug 1916)
- Freeman Walter. Pte. (d.26th September 1916)
- Gabbitas George. Pte.
- Green Henry. Pte. (d.7th Jun 1917)
- Greenhough Vernon. Pte. (d.4th Oct 1917)
- Harris John Thomas. (d.9th Jun 1917)
- Heald Arthur. Pte. (d.4th Nov 1918)
- Hughes John. Pte. (d.4th Oct 1915)
- Liley James. Pte. (d.26th Sept. 1916)
- Longden Aaron. Pte.
- Martin Leonard. Pte. (d.22nd September 1916)
- Maskery Francis. Cpl. (d.Aug 1915 )
- Maskrey Francis. Cpl. (d.9th Aug 1915)
- Mears George Henry. Pte. (d.26th Sep 1916)
- Pass Morris Edward. Pte. (d.9th Aug 1915)
- Peel Robert. Pte. (d.5th Nov 1918)
- Pierrepont Bertram. Pte. (d.26th Sep 1916)
- Randall Charles Deschamps. Cpt. (d.9th August 1915)
- Richardson Robert. Pte. (d.26th Sept 1916)
- Rockley George. Pte. (d.7th Jun 1917)
- Smith MiD. William Edwin. Pte.
- Ulyatt George.
- Walters James. Pte. (d.9th Aug 1916)
- Walters James. Pte. (d.9th Aug 1916)
- Wells Frederick Charles. L/Cpl. (d.9th Aug 1915)
- Wragg William. Pte. (d.9th Aug 1916)
All names on this list have been submitted by relatives, friends, neighbours and others who wish to remember them, if you have any names to add or any recollections or photos of those listed,
please Add a Name to this List
Records of 9th Battalion, Sherwood Foresters from other sources.
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Pte. Arthur Heald 9th Btn. Sherwood Foresters (d.4th Nov 1918) Arthur Heald was the child of my Great Great Granddad's Sister.
I came across him while doing family research.
He was living with his Grandparents in 1891 and was 2 years old.
His army records have been destroyed.
I hope someone reads this and knows more about him.
It would be nice for him to be remembered.
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L/Cpl. Frederick Charles Wells 9th Btn. Sherwood Foresters (d.9th Aug 1915) My Mother, Margaret Wells, is 94 and met Charles Wells' Mother Charlotte in Long Eaton.
His Mother told her that Charles was musically gifted and was a bugler, leading the men into battle.
He was killed at Gallipoli on 9th Aug 1915. He was 21 years old and had been a lacemaker in Long Eaton, Derbyshire.
He was the son of Fred W. and Charlotte Elizabeth Wells of 22 Park Street, Long Eaton, Nottingham.
He is remembered with Honour on The Helles Memorial.
He received the 1914/15 Star, Victory Medal and British War Medal.
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Pte. George Gabbitas 9th Btn. Sherwood Foresters George Gabbitas served with 9th Battalion, Sherwood Foreesters in Gallipoli.
He was evacuated as a casualty via Imbros and Mudros. Family anecdote says he suffered frostbite.
He returned to the UK and then transferred to the Durham Light Infantry. He was later discharged as unfit for war service back to the coal industry. He had been a coal hewer (miner) pre war.
In 1923 he enlisted in the Notts Sherwood Rangers Yeomanry and was mobilised with them in 1939 as part of 5th Brigade, 1st Cavalry Division. They went out to Palestine on policing duties to stop trouble between the Arabs and Jews. He returned to UK because of his age and posted to Catterick. Shortly afterwards he was discharged because of his age back to the coal industry. He was awarded the Territorial Efficiency Medal during service with the Yeomanry.
He died in 1961.
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L/Cpl. David Brain 9th Btn. Sherwood Foresters David Brain volunteered in 1914. He was a sniper, landing with first wave at Suvla Bay to cover landings and evacuating with the last of the rearguard. Mostly his duties were shooting out resistors on the telegraph line along the ridge behind Turkish lines.
During service in Egypt, he was briefly attached to the Camel Corps. He found riding camels most uncomfortable. Thence to the Somme, on counter sniper work in no man's land.
On 23rd of September 1916 he took out a German sniper who had been causing a spot of bother, after spending 3 days in a prepared location in a crater covering one of the firing points the enemy sniper swapped between.
He went in with his bayonet fixed to finish him off. He found the enemy very severely wounded. He had shot at the muzzle flash, and his bullet had travelled along the length of the K98, tearing up most of the enemy's right shoulder, forearm and wrist.
As the enemy sniper was now maimed for life, he stuck the shattered K98 up above the crater and summoned a German stretcher party. He figured valuable enemy resources would be used treating him, while otherwise he'd be just listed as missing in the mud of no man's land. No one on either side knew they were there.
Well, that was his excuse when given a rocketing for not just letting his opponent live, but also using his field dressing on anyone but himself. Maybe there was something of "There but for the Grace of God go I" too. It could easily have gone the other way in such a duel.
In 1917 and again on sniper work in no man's land he was shot at by hostile aircraft strafing trenches and positions. He was hidden from ground observers, but not from the air. He was gassed but recovered.
David was severely injured at Polygon Wood, this time some of his right arm was blown off by a shell, with shrapnel all through his body. He was evacuated to Blighty, spending over a year in a military hospital recovering from wounds till early 1919.
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Pte. Fred Bell 9th Btn. Sherwood Foresters (d.15th Nov 1918) Southern bell ringer, Fred Bell, was born in 1984 at Sudbrooke Lincolnshire where his dad, Robert, had been a farm foreman. Robert, who was born at Toft Newton, was a farmer at Skelton House, on the bend half way between Scothern and Nettleham. Just over the Scothern Parish boundary. Robert was married to Sarah and they had six children.
Fred, who worked as a farm worker for his dad, joined the 9th Battalion, Sherwood Foresters in 1914 and was injured on the last day of the war and died 4 days later.
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Pte. William Wragg 9th Battalion Sherwood Foresters (d.9th Aug 1916) Billy Wragg was the brother of my mother. He served with the 9th Sherwood Foresters.
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Pte. Robert Peel 9th Btn. Sherwood Foresters (d.5th Nov 1918) Robert Peel was a great uncle. He served with the 9th Sherwood Foresters.
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Pte. Thomas Booth 9th Btn. Sherwood Foresters (d.22nd Apr 1916) Thomas Booth was my Gt-Grandfather, born 6th January 1879 in Heanor.
He was a Coal Miner and enlisted voluntarily at the outbreak of war with other miners. On 7th of August 1915 his battalion, 9th Sherwood Foresters landed in Gallipoli and served there until December 1915. They then went to Egypt which is where Thomas died on 22nd of April 1916 and is buried in Ismailia War Memorial Cemetery.
He was 37 years old, married with 4 children, the eldest William, aged 14, was my Grandfather. We do not know what he died of as there is no death certificate.
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Pte. Isiaih Byfield 9th Btn. Sherwood Foresters (d.17th August 1917) Isiaih Byfield was born in Walsall and he was married to Bennitta Bowler. He worked at Sherwood Colliery, Mansfield. He was in the Balkans from 30th December 1915. Isiaih was wounded in the neck by a shell at Ypres. He died at Passchendaele on 17th of August 1917 and buried at Artillery Wood Cemetery.
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2nd Lt. Charles Lingard Davidson 9th Btn. Sherwood Foresters (d.6th Aug 1915)  Charles Davidson was born in Adelaide, South Australia in 1885. He studied Engineering at the School of Mines & Industries in Adelaide before travelling to England in 1910 to further his studies.
His mother's sister lived in Marple Bridge, Stockport, Derbyshire and Charles based himself there before enrolling in Loughborough University. In August 1914 when war broke out he applied for a commission. In the September he was appointed second lieutenant with the 13th Battalion of the Sherwood Foresters. In the December the battalion was moved to Lostwithiel in Cornwall.
Charles must have transferred to the 9th Battalion, Sherwood Foresters the following year as he with them when they sailed to Gallipoli from Liverpool in the July of 1915. He was killed in action in the landing at Suvla Bay on 6th August 1915 and his body was never found. His name is listed on the Helles Memorial in Cannakale, Turkey. His parents, being on the other side of the world in Adelaide, had the most terrible time gaining information on what had occurred and it wasn't until 1920 that the official death certificate was issued in Adelaide. Meanwhile his heartbroken mother, who had lost her only son, had died at the age of 60 years on Armistice Day 1918 never knowing the fate of her son.
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Pte. Aaron Longden 9th Battalion Sherwood Foresters As a grandson of Aaron Longden, I have his military records. He enlisted in January 1915. He was injured while fighting on the Somme in 1916 and was invalided out of the army.
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Pte. Morris Edward Pass 9th Btn. Sherwood Foresters (Notts & Derby) Regiment (d.9th Aug 1915) My Great Uncle, Morris Pass transferred to the 9th Battalion, Sherwood Foresters (Notts & Derby) Regiment on 17th February 1915 and sailed to Gallipoli on the Empress of Britain on 1st July 1915. He was killed in action on the 9th August 1915 at Suvla Bay. he has no known grave but is commemorated on the Helles memorial.
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Pte. Arthur Willie Buckthorp 9th Btns. Sherwood Foresters Arthur Willie Buckthorp enlisted in February 1900 in Lincoln where he lived.
He requested to join a Derby Regiment and this was granted. He served in South Africa, China, France and the Mediterranean with the 1st, 3rd and 9th Btns.
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George Ulyatt 9th Btn. Sherwood Foresters George Ulyatt was my great aun'ts first husband. He died in 1921 and was never well after being gassed in the War according to his obituary
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John Thomas Harris 9th Btn. Sherwood Foresters (d.9th Jun 1917) John Harris joined up on the 18th of September 1915 as a volunteer. He had been born in 1877 and worked as a miner.
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Cpl. Francis Maskery 9th Btn. Sherwood Foresters (d.Aug 1915 ) Francis Maskery had served in the Navy during the Boar War. He was married in 1905 to Hilda Buck and the couple had three daughters. During WW1 Francis served in the 9th Battalion of the Sherwood Foresters. He was killed in August 1915 in Gallipoli. He left a widow with 3 young daughters.
I am his great grand daughter and in 2015 I am going to Gallipoli to see his name on the memorial there - 100 yrs after his death.
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Cpl. Francis Maskrey 9th Btn. Sherwood Foresters (d.9th Aug 1915) Francis Maskrey was born on 7th December 1883, in Whittington, Derbyshire, the son of William and Mary (Swift) Maskrey. He was one of 14 children. During the Boer War he served in the Navy. After his release he married Hilda Buck. They were married on 4th December 1905 in Chesterfield. The couple had three girls.
On 6th August 1914, Francis joined the newly formed 9th Battalion of the Sherwood Foresters. He was sent to Belton Park near Grantham to train. On 4th April 1915 the battalion left Liverpool for Gallipoli. Francis and his brother Robert made this journey. They arrived on the 6th/7th August 1915 and two days later Francis was killed. His body was never recovered or identified. He left a 18-year-old widow with three young daughters.
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Pte. Robert Richardson 9th Battalion Sherwood Foresters (d.26th Sept 1916) My Great-Grandfather Robert Richardson fell on the 26th Sept 1916 at Mouquet Farm, Thiepval.
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Pte. William Edwin Smith MiD. 9th Btn. Sherwood Foresters My grandfather, William E Smith, served with the 9th Battalion Sherwood Foresters, landing at Suvla bay on the 7th of Aug 1915. He came home on the 10th of Oct 1915 then went to France on the 28th of March 1916
He was Mentioned in Dispatches in 1916 and was discharged on the 21st of Sept 1917 as medically unfit for war service, possibly due to gas.
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Pte. George Walters Finch 9th Battalion Sherwood Foresters (d.9th Aug 1916) I never knew my grandfather George Finch.
The only reference i had was after my fathers death I found a piece of tissue type paper folded to about 1.5 inches square in a tin in his drawer and it was the last letter. Everything else was detective work amongst the family and record offices.
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