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138-774: The Sherwood Foresters ( Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire Regiment ) was a line infantry regiment of the British Army in existence for just under 90 years, from 1881 to 1970. In 1970, the regiment was amalgamated with the Worcestershire Regiment to form the Worcestershire and Sherwood Foresters Regiment , which in 2007 was amalgamated with the Cheshire Regiment and the Staffordshire Regiment (Prince of Wales's) to form

276-655: A Provisional Battalion, which was assigned a role in the defences around London, which involved digging many miles of trenches. In June 1915 the Home Service men of the 5th, 6th and 8th Bns Sherwood Foresters were organised into the 29th Provisional Battalion at Walton-on-the-Naze , forming part of 7th Provisional Brigade for coastal defence. The Military Service Act 1916 swept away the Home/Foreign Service distinction, whereupon all TF soldiers became liable for overseas service, if medically fit. The role of

414-415: A breakdown in cohesion was assured, especially in uneven or wooded terrain. As a result, the line was mostly used as a firing formation, with troops moving in column formations and then deploying to the line at their destination. Usually, columns would be adopted for movement and melee attacks. Line infantry was trained in the manual of arms evolutions, the main objectives of which were fast deployment of

552-518: A company of voltigeurs , who were expected to act as skirmishers as well being able to deploy into line. In the Russian Empire, light infantry was forming at a very fast pace; by the end of the 18th century, regiments of light infantry totaled 40,000 soldiers ( Jaeger ). The armament of light infantry was very different from the armament of linear infantry. They were armed with high-quality muskets, as well as pistols (for close combat). After

690-489: A line, rapid shooting, and manoeuvre. Line infantry quickly became the most common type of infantry in European countries. Musketeers and grenadiers , formerly elite troops , gradually became part of the line infantry, switching to linear tactics. Over time the use of line infantry tactics spread outside of Europe, often as a result of European imperialism. In European colonies and settlements with small populations from

828-442: A minute or two the 6th Foresters were stunned into inactivity ... Then a white flag was seen to be flying from where the worst of the fire had been coming. A platoon advanced to accept the surrender. They were met with a hail of machine-gun fire. The Germans had chosen the worst possible moment for such a trick. The Foresters came at them with taut, unshakable deliberation and slew them in the dust of Ramicourt. The attack onwards from

966-500: A pied (light infantry), one of Grenadiers and one of Carabiniers . Similar differentiations were made in the majority of European armies of the period, although English-speaking authors sometimes use the designation "line infantry" when referring to the ordinary infantry of some other countries where the exact term was not in use. The term was also used by US units during the Second World War, as shown by this quote from

1104-572: A report of the 782nd Tank Battalion in late April 1945: On the 22nd of April, the Battalion moved from Oberkotzau, Germany to Wunsiedel , Germany. Here the attachment of the line companies to the Regimental Combat Teams of the 97th Division was completed. We separated, not coming together again until the war was over. Company "A" joined the 303rd at Rehau, Germany: Company "B" joined the 386th at Arzburg, Germany: and Company "C"

1242-435: A small part of the infantry branch of most armies, because of their vulnerability to hostile cavalry. Pikemen formed the majority of infantrymen and were known as heavy infantry. A significant part of infantry consisted of old-style musketeers, who did not use the linear tactics, instead skirmishing in open formation. However, by the middle of the 17th century, musketeers deployed in line formation already provided about half of

1380-768: A special Cyclist Company. The battalion formed a service company of volunteers to serve alongside the Regulars in the war, earning the Battle honour South Africa 1900–1902 . A total of three officers and 125 other ranks served either with the 1st Battalion or with the Imperial Yeomanry . When the Volunteers were subsumed into the Territorial Force (TF) under the Haldane Reforms in 1908,

1518-486: A way of instilling discipline and unit cohesion . Members of the US Army utilize the term "line company" (informally) in light infantry battalions to differentiate those companies (generally A–D) that perform the traditional infantry role from the support companies (generally F and HHC) charged with supporting the "line companies". The Marine Corps does the same for all its infantry units. In this vein, officers assigned to

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1656-690: The 24th Division in August 1915 for service on the Western Front. The 15th (Service) Battalion (Nottingham) landed in France as part of the 105th Brigade in the 35th Division in February 1916 also for service on the Western Front. The 16th (Service) Battalion (Chatsworth Rifles), which had been formed by the Duke of Devonshire , and the 17th (Service) Battalion (Welbeck Rangers), which had been formed by

1794-692: The 59th (2nd North Midland) Division in April 1916. During the Easter Rising in Ireland, the 2/7th and 2/8th battalions lost over two hundred men killed or wounded at Mount Street on 26 April and at the South Dublin Union on 27 April. The 2/5th, 2/7th and the 2/8th battalions transferred to Le Havre in February 1917 for service on the Western Front while the 2/6th battalion transferred to Boulogne-sur-Mer in February 1917 also for service on

1932-497: The American Civil War . The Austro-Prussian War in 1866 showed that breech-loading rifles , which gave the individual shooter a greatly increased rate of fire as well as the capability to reload from a prone position, were greatly superior to muzzle loaded rifles. In the 1860s, most German states and Russia converted their line infantry and riflemen into 'united' infantry, which used rifles and skirmish tactics. After

2070-707: The Armistice was signed. Demobilisation of the 46th Division began in January 1919, and the cadres of the units returned to England in June. The battalion was disembodied on 26 June 1919. The 2nd-Line battalion was formed on 14 September 1914 at Chesterfield. In October, Battalion HQ was established at the Empire Hotel in Buxton. Initially it was intended to provide drafts for the 1/6th Bn in France, but this role

2208-705: The Childers Reforms , the Volunteers were attached to their local Regular Army regiments, the 2nd Derbyshire RVC being affiliated to the Sherwood Foresters (The Derbyshire Regiment; from 1902 the Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire Regiment). In 1887 it was redesignated as the 2nd Volunteer Battalion of the regiment, and later adopted the white facings of the Regular battalions, though by special permission it retained its blue Austrian knot on

2346-848: The Forester Brigade from 1958. In the post-war period, the 1st battalion Sherwood Foresters served in Germany, Egypt and Libya . In 1958, the battalion saw action in Malaya and, in 1963, in Cyprus . The 2nd battalion served in Palestine and Germany. In 1970, the Sherwood Foresters were amalgamated with the Worcestershire Regiment to form the Worcestershire and Sherwood Foresters Regiment (29th/45th Foot) . In August 2007, as part of an ongoing series of further amalgamations,

2484-655: The Franco-Prussian War , both the German Empire and the French Third Republic did the same. However, Great Britain retained the name "line infantry", although it used rifled muskets from 1853 and breech loading rifles from 1867, and switched from closed lines to extended order during the Boer wars . The growing accuracy, range, and rate of fire of rifles, together with the invention of

2622-537: The German Army attacked and broke through the following month, 46th Division was sent into action. On 29 May, 139 Brigade joined 'Macforce' holding the canal line near Carvin . As the 'pocket' shrank towards Dunkirk , 46th Division was ordered inside the perimeter on 27 May. On 29 May, 9th Foresters were sent to reinforce the garrison at the fortified town of Bergues , 9 km south of Dunkirk. The Germans were unable to enter Bergues until 2 June, and 9th Foresters

2760-543: The Guards Division on 28 November and entered the recently captured line between Cantaing and Bourlon Wood . Fierce German counter-attacks began on 30 November, and battalions became scattered as they were sent to support the hardest-pressed formations. By 4 December the decision had been made to withdraw from the Bourlon Salient, and 59th Division held covering positions on Flesquières Ridge while this

2898-652: The Imperial Japanese Army , the battalion's men were among the thousands of Prisoners of war sent to work on the infamous Burma Railway . In August 1940, the AA battalions of the Royal Engineers were transferred to the Royal Artillery (RA) and the battalion became 40th (Sherwood Foresters) Searchlight Regiment, RA , serving through the Battle of Britain and The Blitz . In June 1943, it

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3036-572: The Lord Mayor of Nottingham , both landed at Le Havre as part of the 117th Brigade in the 39th Division in March 1916 also for service on the Western Front. There were three other short-lived New Army battalions of the regiment: the 18th (Service) Battalion (a Bantam unit), the 19th (Reserve) Battalion and the 20th (Labour) Battalion. In 1920, Sherwood Foresters were in Flensburg - Mürwik at

3174-630: The Maxim machine gun in 1883, meant that close order line infantry would suffer heavy losses before being able to close with the enemy, while the defensive advantages given to line infantry against cavalry became irrelevant with the effective removal of offensive cavalry from the battlefield in the face of the improved weaponry. With the turn of the 20th century, this slowly led to infantry increasingly adopting skirmish style light infantry tactics in battle, while retaining line infantry drill for training. Although linear battle tactics had become obsolete by

3312-542: The Naval Academy Mürwik to supervise the elections to the Schleswig plebiscites . In December 1936, the 46th (North Midland) Division was disbanded and its headquarters was reconstituted as 2nd Anti-Aircraft Division to control the increasing number of anti-aircraft (AA) units being created north of London. At the same time, several of its infantry battalions were converted into searchlight battalions of

3450-709: The Norwegian Campaign , the Battle of France , Dunkirk , the North African and the Italian campaigns. They also saw action in the Far East . Nearly 27,000 men served in the regiment's 17 battalions, suffering 1,500 officers and men killed in action. The regiment won 10 battle honours and 400 decorations, including a Victoria Cross. Other battalions saw service in Italy and North Africa. The 1st Battalion

3588-845: The Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire Brigade of the North Midland Division . When war broke out in Europe in August 1914, the units of the North Midland Division were undergoing their annual training camp, the Notts and Derby Brigade being at Hunmanby on the Yorkshire coast. On August Bank Holiday , 3 August, with Britain's entry into the war imminent, the camp was struck and the battalions entrained for their home towns. Orders to mobilise were received at

3726-672: The Royal Armoured Corps , personnel would have continued to wear their Foresters cap badge on the black beret of the Royal Armoured Corps, and the regiment continued to add the parenthesis '(Foresters)' after the RAC title. Lieutenant-Colonel Lancaster remained in command during this period before returning to the House of Commons. 112 RAC was assigned to the 42nd Armoured Division as its armoured car regiment. It left

3864-614: The Royal Engineers (RE). The 6th and 7th Bns Sherwood Foresters were among these, becoming 40th (The Sherwood Foresters) Anti-Aircraft Battalion and 42nd (The Robin Hoods, Sherwood Foresters) AA Bn respectively, forming part of 32nd (South Midland) Anti-Aircraft Group in 2 AA Division. After garrison service in the interwar years, the Sherwood Foresters next saw action in the Second World War . The regiment served in

4002-603: The Second Battle of El Alamein under the command of 2nd New Zealand Division . In January 1943, the 14th Foresters went to join the 7th Armoured Brigade refitting in Persia and Iraq Command . In the summer of 1943, the battalion returned to North Africa to join the 18th Infantry Brigade in the 1st Armoured Division. In February 1944, the brigade sailed to Italy and took part in the Anzio campaign (February–May 1944) under

4140-482: The Sherwood Foresters Brigade in the North Midland Division (later 139th (Sherwood Foresters) Brigade and 46th (North Midland) Division respectively) in February 1915 for service on the Western Front. The 2nd-Line TF battalions formed on the outbreak of war, the 2/5th, 2/6th , 2/7th and 2/8th battalions, moved to Ireland as part of the 178th (2/1st Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire) Brigade in

4278-614: The Sikkim Expedition 1888 and the North West Frontier campaign 1897–1898, after which they transferred to Aden . They were stationed at Malta from February 1900 until returning home in May 1902. In October 1902, the Nottinghamshire association was made explicit, the name changing to the Sherwood Foresters (Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire Regiment) . In 1908, the Volunteers and Militia were reorganised nationally, with

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4416-639: The Victoria Cross : Colonels of the regiment were: A Memorial Tower, for those of the regiment who died in battle, was erected in 1923 at the summit of Crich Stand in the Derbyshire village of Crich . Built on the site of an older tower, the Memorial Tower is the destination of an annual pilgrimage on the first Sunday in July. It is 1,000 feet (300 m) above sea level, and has 52 steps to

4554-764: The Western Front during the First World War and as an air defence unit during the Second World War . Its descendants remained in the Army Reserve until 2014. The origin of the 6th Sherwood Foresters lay in the various Rifle Volunteer Corps (RVCs) formed in northern Derbyshire and the Peak District as part of the enthusiasm for the Volunteer movement during an invasion scare in 1859–60. By June 1860 there were enough company-sized RVCs in

4692-408: The matchlock muskets of some line infantry were equipped with bayonets . Bayonets were attached to the muzzles and were used when line troops entered melee combat. They also helped to defend against cavalry. At the end of the 17th century, a solution was sought to a flaw within the design of matchlock muskets. Since the matchlock musket used a slow burning piece of twine known as a slow match ,

4830-406: The 16th Battalion, a hostilities-only battalion. In August 1944 the new 1st Battalion was transferred to the 183rd Infantry Brigade , part of the 61st Infantry Division and in June 1945 it transferred to the 184th Infantry Brigade , again part of 61st Infantry Division. The 2nd Battalion, Sherwood Foresters was serving in the 3rd Infantry Brigade , part of the 1st Infantry Division , with which

4968-405: The 2/6th Bn in the 2nd Notts & Derby Brigade. Later a 3/6th Bn was raised to provide reinforcements for the 1st and 2nd Line. On 1 September the 1st North Midland Division was invited to volunteer for foreign service. This was accepted by the majority of the men, the remainder (in the case of the Notts and Derby Brigade) being posted to a Provisional Battalion of the Sherwood Foresters, which

5106-494: The 2nd VB became the 6th Battalion, Sherwood Foresters . The battalion had its headquarters at the Victoria Diamond Jubilee Drill Hall on Ashgate Road, Chesterfield, and the companies were disposed as follows: The Regular battalions of the Sherwood Foresters adopted Lincoln green facings after 1907, and were followed by the 6th Bn. The four TF battalions of the Sherwood Foresters formed

5244-612: The 387th at Waldsassen, Germany. The British Army retains the traditional distinction between "Guards", "Line Infantry" and "the Rifles" on ceremonial occasions for historical reasons. It is linked to the order of precedence within the British Army and regimental pride, so for example Colonel Patrick Crowley states in the "introduction" in A Brief History of The Princess of Wales’s Royal Regiment (2015): The examples of valour, adherence to duty, and fortitude, continue to inspire

5382-718: The 3rd (Reserve) and 4th (Extra Reserve) battalions respectively. These were joined by the 1st and 2nd (Derbyshire) and the 3rd ( Robin Hood ) and 4th (Nottinghamshire) Volunteer battalions. Following the amalgamation, the 1st Battalion Sherwood Foresters saw action in Egypt during the Anglo-Egyptian War , and was stationed at Malta from September 1898. Following the outbreak of the Second Boer War in October 1899,

5520-404: The 3rd Admin Bn being renumbered on 16 March 1880 as the 3rd Derbyshire RVC , changed to 2nd Derbyshire RVC on 15 June 1880, still under the command of Lt-Col J.C. Cavendish. The ten constituent RVCs became lettered companies in order of seniority. This meant that the battalion had six chaplains and ten surgeons, who had previously been attached to individual corps. In the following year, under

5658-423: The 3rd Support Line with the runners and signallers between them. Because of the mud, they were late getting into position and were very tired by the time they arrived, carrying large quantities of equipment and ammunition. When the battalion attempted to move up after Zero hour (07.30), it found that the way was blocked by the carrying parties and last waves of the battalions in front, which had not been able to leave

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5796-432: The 3rd: In 1867 Lord George Cavendish became Honorary Colonel of the battalion, and was succeeded as Lieutenant-Colonel Commandant by his son James Charles Cavendish, formerly an officer of the Royal Artillery . Most RVCs adopted 'Rifle Grey' for their uniform, but under J.C. Cavendish the units of the battalion standardised on scarlet coats with blue facings . The unit applied to have its RVCs consolidated in 1879,

5934-436: The American Civil War, both Union and Confederate armies had only a few line regiments equipped with the old-style smooth-bore muskets. However, France, due to Napoleon III, who admired Napoleon I, had 300 line battalions (comprising an overwhelming majority) even in 1870. Although the French line infantry received Chassepot rifles in 1866, it was still being trained in the use of close formations (line, column and square), which

6072-441: The Austrian army abandoned their pikes. In 1703, the French army did the same, in 1704 the British and 1708 the Dutch. In 1699–1721, Peter I converted almost all Russian foot-regiments to line infantry. The abandonment of the pike, together with the faster firing rate made possible by the introduction of the new flintlock musket and paper cartridge , resulted in the replacement of the deeper formations of troops more suitable for

6210-585: The British front line trench before the smokescreen cleared. Although their first waves had crossed No man's land and got into the German front line, the ground behind them was now being swept by artillery and machine gun fire, and positions re-occupied by Germans coming out of deep dugouts that should have been dealt with by the later waves. It was not until 08.45 that A and B Companies of the 1/6th Bn attempted to cross No man's land, and they were immediately stopped by very heavy casualties. The Commanding Officer, Lt-Col Goodman, called of his battalion's attack. There

6348-445: The British infantry from red coats, to scarlet tunics, to khaki service dress and battledress . Officers had silver lace on their coats until 1830, after which gold braiding was adopted. Line infantry Line infantry mainly used three formations in its battles: the line, the square, and the column. With the universal adoption of small arms (firearms that could be carried by hand, as opposed to cannon) in infantry units from

6486-604: The German Jäger ), armed with rifled carbines and trained in aimed shooting and use of defilades . In Britain, much of the light infantry was armed with smooth-bore muskets, only a few regiments used rifled muskets. In France, during the Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars , the division into the Guard, line infantry and light infantry formally continued to exist, line and "light" regiments had identical weaponry (smooth-bore fusils) and tactics. (Napoleon preferred smooth-bore weaponry for their faster reload speeds.) However, each battalion in both line and "light" regiments included

6624-399: The German Beaurevoir Line. This time, the Sherwood Foresters were in the lead, with 6th Bn as their support battalion. The two leading battalions diverged either side of Ramicourt, so Vann led his battalion HQ and reserve company to mop up the village between them, while tanks cleared the outskirts. On leaving the village, as he moved from section to section, Vann was killed by a sniper. For

6762-430: The Germans evacuate Le Verguier. There followed some weeks of trench duty in front of the Hindenburg Line, followed by intense training through the summer. In September the division moved to the Ypres Salient to take part in its first full-scale action, the 3rd Ypres Offensive . The 59th relieved the 55th (West Lancashire) Division after its successful attack at the Battle of the Menin Road Ridge , and then took

6900-410: The Germans from that village and up the slopes of the ridge behind'. However, the village was untenable and the battalion retired to some old German trenches until patrols could reoccupy the village during the night. On the night of 2 April the brigade attacked Le Verguier, but the artillery cooperation plan was confused, and they ran into uncut barbed wire and suffered casualties. Not until 9 April did

7038-448: The Hohenzollern trench system on 3 October, and the new attack was aimed at this point. The 137th (Staffordshire) Brigade attacked on the right with 1/6th Sherwood Foresters in support. The Staffords suffered terrible casualties, and the Foresters were sent over to consolidate their meagre gains, which had to be evacuated that night. In December 1915, the 46th Division was ordered to Egypt, and part went there. In January 1916, however,

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7176-418: The Notts and Derby Brigade and HQ of the North Midland Division. The North Midland Division then moved to the Luton area, where the Notts and Derby Brigade was billeted at Harpenden . On 31 August, the formation of Reserve or 2nd Line units for each existing TF unit and formation was authorised, after which the parent battalion was designated the 1/6th and the recruits coming forward were organised into

7314-428: The Rhine crossing ( Operation Plunder ). Similarly, in August 1940 this battalion became the 42nd (Robin Hoods, Sherwood Foresters) Searchlight Regiment, RA , serving through The Blitz in 50th Anti-Aircraft Brigade of 2nd AA Division, covering Derby. It went to North-West Europe and served in the defence of Antwerp against V-1 flying bomb attacks during the winter of 1944–45. The 8th (Nottinghamshire) Battalion

7452-400: The Russian light infantry were equipped with the M1854 rifle, the remainder retaining smoothbore percussion muskets. In the second half of the 19th century, the development of mass production and new technologies, such as the Minié ball , allowed European armies to gradually equip all their infantrymen with rifled weapons, and the percentage of line infantry equipped with muskets fell. In

7590-433: The Sherwood Foresters regimental tie is that of the G&SF (purchased from the association). in 1977, Her Majesty The Queen appointed Her Royal Highness The Princess Royal as Colonel-in-Chief of The Grey & Simcoe Foresters. The Sherwood Foresters' stable belt continues to be used by the East Midlands Universities Officer Training Corps. As the 45th Regiment of Foot, the regiment initially had deep green facings on

7728-403: The Sixth Coalition , the training of regular French line infantry recruits was limited due to the relentless attack of the Coalition Forces. A recruit was trained by firing only two cartridges and four blanks. There was also light training of forming several formations. However, training large quantities of elite line infantry was generally a complicated process. In the middle of the 16th century,

7866-427: The Somme. Early 1917 saw the 46th Division still holding the line in the same area. However, at the beginning of March, patrols found that the Germans were beginning to retreat from the Gommecourt defences. The division followed up as the enemy retreated as far as their new Hindenburg Line defences well beyond the Somme battlefields. 46th Division was withdrawn from the pursuit on 17 March. It spent some time clearing

8004-431: The TA was doubled in size. It was renamed the 5th Battalion after the loss of the 1/5th in Malaya in February 1942. It served in the 139th Infantry Brigade , part of the 46th Infantry Division , in France ( see 9th Battalion ), Tunisia , Italy and Greece . On the outbreak of the Second World War, the 9th Battalion was in the process of formation as a duplicate of the 8th Battalion. Based at Bulwell near Nottingham ,

8142-417: The Western Front. The 3rd (Reserve) and 4th (Extra Reserve) Battalions were depot/training units. They moved to Plymouth (3rd Battalion) and Sunderland (4th Battalion) in August 1914. In May 1915, the 3rd Battalion joined the 4th in Sunderland, where they both remained as part of Tyne Garrison , as holding and reinforcement units. The 1/5th, 1/6th , 1/7th and 1/8th battalions landed in France as part of

8280-445: The Western Front. 3rd-Line TF battalions (3/5th, 3/6th, 3/7th and 3/8th) were also formed to train drafts for the battalions overseas. The 21st Battalion was formed from Home Service men of the TF. The 9th (Service) Battalion landed at Suvla Bay as part of the 33rd Brigade in the 11th (Northern) Division in August 1915; it was evacuated from Gallipoli to Egypt in December 1915 and then moved to France in July 1916 for service on

8418-480: The Western Front. The 10th (Service) Battalion landed at Boulogne-sur-Mer as part of the 51st Brigade in the 17th (Northern) Division in July 1915 also for service on the Western Front. The 11th (Service) Battalion landed at Boulogne-sur-Mer as part of the 70th Brigade in the 23rd Division in August 1915 before transferring to Italy in November 1917 and then to France in September 1918. The 12th (Service) Battalion (Pioneers) landed in France as pioneer battalion for

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8556-424: The Worcestershire and Sherwood Foresters Regiment became the 2nd Battalion, The Mercian Regiment. The Sherwood Foresters Museum is based in Nottingham Castle . Meanwhile, the Derby Museum and Art Gallery incorporates the Soldier's Story Gallery, based on the collections, amongst others, of the Sherwood Foresters. The regiment's battle honours were as follows: The following members of the regiment were awarded

8694-401: The area to form the 3rd Administrative Battalion of Derbyshire RVCs, based at Bakewell (the dates given are those of the first officers' commissions): Lord George Cavendish of the 9th Derbyshire RVC took command of the administrative battalion with the rank of major. In 1869 the smaller 2nd Derbyshire Admin Bn was disbanded and its remaining South Derbyshire units were transferred to

8832-455: The battalion was commanded by Claude Lancaster , MP, a former officer in the Royal Horse Guards . The battalion was assigned to the 139th Infantry Brigade , alongside the 2/5th (Derbyshire) Battalion and 2/5th Leicestershire Regiment of the 46th Infantry Division , which, like several other '2nd Line' Territorial divisions, went to join the British Expeditionary Force (BEF) in France for training and labour duties in April 1940. However, when

8970-497: The battalion was engaged in fatigue duties and patrolling, suffering a trickle of casualties; it also suffered a number of casualties from paratyphoid. It received a draft of 42 men from the 8th Entrenching Battalion at the end of May. On 1 July, 1/6th Bn was in support behind the attacking battalions of 139th Bde. A and B Companies took up positions in the British 1st Support Line, with the battalion bombers and four brigade machine gun teams between them, and C and D Companies were in

9108-424: The battalion was reassigned to the 25th Infantry Brigade and saw service with the BEF in France and Belgium in 1940 and being evacuated at Dunkirk. In late 1940, it was again reassigned to the 55th Infantry Brigade , 18th Infantry Division . The battalion, along with the rest of the 18th Division, was posted to Malaya to defend the peninsula and the island of Singapore against the Japanese. After Singapore fell to

9246-497: The battalion was sent to South Africa where they arrived in December. They were stationed in the Orange Free State and took part in fighting under General Sir William Gatacre . From April 1900 they were part of the 21st Infantry brigade under General Bruce Hamilton . The battalion stayed in South Africa until the end of the war, then transferred on the SS Wakool to a new posting at Hong Kong in September 1902. The 2nd Battalion served in India from 1882 to 1898, and saw action in

9384-477: The battalion would remain with throughout the war. The division was sent to France in September 1939 shortly after the outbreak of the war, joining the British Expeditionary Force (BEF). The battalion remained in France until May 1940 when the Germans invaded the Low Countries . They took part in the short but bitter fighting and were forced to be evacuated at Dunkirk as the BEF was in danger of being surrounded and overrun. They were evacuated to England and spent

9522-458: The battlefield of 1 July 1916 and burying the dead who had been lying in No man's land for almost 10 months. In April 1917 the division moved to the Lens area and became involved in 10 weeks' bloody fighting round Hill 70. The division handed over the line to the 2nd Canadian Division in early July, having secured the jumping-off positions from which the Canadian Corps launched the successful Battle of Hill 70 in August. The 46th Division

9660-478: The best shooting soldiers fight in loose ranks and cover their battalions from the enemy skirmishers. The total number of light infantry reached 40% of the entire field infantry. The sharp increase in the number of light infantry greatly influenced their quality of training and equipment. The Russian infantry of 1854 comprised 108 regiments, of which 42 were line infantry. The remainder were specialized or elite units such as Guards, Grenadiers and Jägers. Only part of

9798-529: The brigade had concentrated at Warfusée near Amiens . Advance platoons went into the trenches on 14 March, and on the evening of 15 March the 2/6th Bn took its place in the front line. The following day, the Germans began a planned retreat to the Hindenburg Line in their rear, and the poorly-trained 59th had to follow up. At Le Verguier the 178th Brigade ran into the enemy. On 31 March 'the 2/6th advanced very steadily in open order through rifle and shell fire on Jeancourt [south-east of Le Verguier] and drove

9936-576: The city. The British forces settled down to besiege and bombard the rebel-held positions. Part of the 2/6th Bn held a section round Capel Street . Captain Reginald Brace with 80 men manned a barricade opposite the rebel headquarters at the General Post Office . Breaking up a strong attack, he set fire to a republican barricade and rescued a lieutenant with a small party who had been taken hostage. Company Sergeant Major S.H Lomas

10074-565: The command of the 1st Infantry Division . In August, the brigade returned to the 1st Armoured Division and was engaged in the operations at Coriano in September. By now, the brigade's infantry battalions were badly depleted and, due to the lack of replacements in the Mediterranean, the 14th Foresters was reduced to a cadre and transferred to the non-operational 168th (London) Infantry Brigade , before being disbanded. The 15th Battalion

10212-550: The commands of the officers. This disrupted the system, while the gunsmoke prevented accurate shooting. Such a shootout in clouds of smoke could occur for an extended period of time and the result was unpredictable. In addition, at the time of the “hot” shootout, the soldiers were so engaged and focused on shooting that they were not watching out for an attack of cavalry from the flank. For these reasons, experienced officers tried to avoid such uncertain exchanges and restrained their soldiers from premature firing in order to get as close to

10350-404: The company HQs of the 6th Bn at 19.00 on 4 August and they were ordered to assemble at Chesterfield. The battalion's mobilisation plan had been kept up to date by the permanent adjutant , Captain S.F. McL. Lomer ( King's Royal Rifle Corps ), and became known as 'Lomer's Guide to Chesterfield'. On the second day of mobilisation the men from Bakewell, Wirksworth, Staveley and Clay Cross, together with

10488-531: The current officers and soldiers of the modern Regiment, who are proud to belong to the most senior English Regiment of the Line. The Canadian Army also retained these traditional distinctions, and its infantry regiments were organized, titled, and uniformed in full dress as foot guards , fusiliers , light infantry, line infantry, rifles, and kilted infantry regiments. The infantry of most 21st-century armies are still trained in formation manoeuvre and drill , as

10626-795: The division in February 1943 and later became a draft-finding unit for other armoured car regiments fighting in the Normandy Campaign . 112 RAC ceased to exist on 14 October 1944, when it reverted to the title of 9th Foresters, which was placed in suspended animation. The last entry in the War Diary notes: The 10th ( Home Defence ) Battalion was raised for home defence in 1939 and, like most other home service units, would mainly have had consisted of men with military experience who were too old or medically unfit for active service overseas, or from younger soldiers who themselves were not old enough to be conscripted (the age for conscription being 20 at

10764-477: The enemy’s line as possible so that they could deliver several devastating volleys at a short distance. In some cases, it was possible to defeat the enemy with just one volley at close range. The line was considered the fundamental battle formation as it allowed for the largest deployment of firepower. Against surrounding enemy cavalry, line infantry could swiftly adopt square formations to provide protection. Such squares were hollow (consisting of four lines), unlike

10902-510: The far side of the canal. A party of 6th Bn therefore recrossed the canal and bayonetted and shot the German gunners, whose infantry escort had deserted them. Fearing that the delay would mean that the battalion lost its creeping barrage, the CO, Lt-Col The Rev Bernard Vann (a school chaplain in civilian life), dashed up to the firing line and got the attack moving again. At the objective he reorganised

11040-639: The fiercest fighting of the Italian Campaign so far, and later fighting during Operation Diadem and on the Gothic Line . They fought in Italy until January 1945 when they were sent to Palestine and remained there until the end of the war. The 1/5th (Derbyshire) Battalion was a 1st-Line Territorial Army formation originally serving with the 148th Infantry Brigade , part of the 49th (West Riding) Infantry Division . However, in December 1939,

11178-510: The first TF units to serve in Ireland. 178th Brigade went by rail to Liverpool where they embarked and landed the following morning at Kingstown ( Dún Laoghaire ). The brigade advanced into Dublin in two parallel columns, the left column composed of 2/5th and 2/6th Sherwood Foresters marching via the inland road to the Royal Hospital Kilmainham , while the rest of the brigade suffered heavy casualties fighting their way into

11316-561: The first complete TF formation to arrive on the Western Front . In early April it went into the line at Messines for two months to learn the techniques of trench warfare . It was numbered the 46th (North Midland) Division in May, when the Sherwood Foresters Brigade was numbered 139th (Sherwood Foresters) Brigade . The division next spent two months in the Ypres Salient , the battalions taking turns in

11454-474: The first objective was led by the 6th Bn after the barrage lifted. It met strong enemy resistance and was engaged in street fighting in Montbrehain , particularly around the cemetery, which had been fortified, and could not be held against German counter-attacks. However, over 1000 German prisoners were taken around Montbrehain. The Battle of Andigny on 17 October was 46th Division's last general action of

11592-455: The following day. By now the 59th Division had suffered such heavy casualties that it was temporarily disbanded in May and its battalions reduced to cadres sent to train new drafts at St Omer . The 2/6th Bn was disbanded on 31 July. The 3/6th Battalion was formed at Chesterfield on 1 March 1915 and in October moved to Belton Park near Grantham , where the 3rd Line battalions of the Sherwood Foresters were concentrated. On 8 April 1916 it

11730-399: The foot troops in most Western European armies. Maurice of Nassau was noted as the first large scale user of linear tactic in Europe, introducing the 'counter-march' to enable his formations of musketeers to maintain a continuous fire. After the invention of the bayonet, musketeers could finally defend themselves from the enemy's horsemen, and the percentage of pikemen fell gradually. In 1699,

11868-556: The former becoming the Territorial Force and the latter the Special Reserve ; the regiment now had two Reserve battalions and four Territorial battalions. The 1st battalion landed at Le Havre as part of the 24th Brigade in the 8th Division in November 1914 for service on the Western Front . The 2nd battalion landed at Saint-Nazaire as part of 18th Brigade in the 6th Division in September 1914 also for service on

12006-524: The forthcoming offensive on the Somme. The division was ordered to assault the north side of the Gommecourt Salient on 1 July 1916. The operation, in conjunction with the 56th (1st London) Division attacking from the south, aimed at cutting off the salient, but was in fact a diversion for the main attack a few miles south that opened the Battle of the Somme . In the weeks before the attack,

12144-535: The half company from Buxton, marched into Chesterfield, where they were met by the Buxton Brass Bands. The companies from Chapel-en-le-Frith, Whaley Bridge, and the half company from Ashbourne arrived the following day. The men were accommodated in the drill hall and Chesterfield Central Schools. On 10 August the battalion laid up its Colours in St Mary's Church and marched to Derby , the war station of

12282-534: The home country, line infantry forces were often raised from the local population, with the British East India Company 's sepoys perhaps being the most historically significant example. Line tactics required strict discipline and simple movements practiced to the point where they became second-nature. During training, the drill and corporal punishments were widely used. During 1814, in the War of

12420-410: The lapels, cuffs and lining of the red coats of the 18th century. Lincoln green was subsequently adopted in recognition of its unique title. When merged with the 95th Regiment in 1881, the Sherwood Foresters adopted the standard white facings of non-royal English line infantry regiments. The historic lincoln green was restored in 1913. In other respects the regiment followed the normal progression of

12558-402: The lead in the next phase, the Battle of Polygon Wood (26 September). This was equally successful, with 178th Bde advancing steadily behind its creeping barrage onto the final objectives, after which 2/6th Bn held off a determined counter-attack with the assistance of a further artillery barrage. 59th Division was next moved south to join in the Battle of Cambrai . The division relieved

12696-515: The left, occupying a thinly-held forward zone with the main position behind. A heavy German bombardment began at 05.00 and immediately cut all telephone lines; the brigade commander last heard from the signalling officer of 2/6th Bn at 05.05. When the German infantry attack came in at 08.30 it was covered by morning mist and within an hour had penetrated and rolled up the line as parties of Sherwood Foresters were cut off and surrounded but fought on until they were overrun. Only 53 men of 178th Bde got away,

12834-497: The melee-oriented pikemen with shallower lines that maximized the firepower of an infantry formation. Besides regular line infantry, there were elite troops (royal guards and other designated elite regiments) and the light infantry . Light infantry operated in extended order (also known as skirmish formation) as opposed to the close order (tight formations) used by line infantry. Since the late 18th century, light infantry in most European countries mostly consisted of riflemen (such as

12972-521: The men under fire to consolidate their position. He then led a dash to the nearby village of Lehaucourt where the Germans were bringing up horse teams to remove their guns. 'The Foresters won the race, and in the fight that ensued Vann personally liquidated five gunners with his revolver, boot and riding crop'. He was awarded the Victoria Cross for his actions on this day. The 46th went into action again on 3 October at Ramicourt , where it penetrated

13110-656: The men were issued with .256-in Japanese Ariska rifles with which to train. These were not replaced with Lee-Enfield rifles until September 1915. In the Spring of 1916 the 59th Division was the designated 'mobile division' in Home Forces, intended to repel German invasion of the East Coast, but on Easter Monday, 24 April, it was sent at a few hours' notice to Dublin to help quell the Easter Rising –

13248-491: The mid-17th century, the battlefield was dominated by linear tactics , according to which the infantry was aligned into long thin lines, shoulder to shoulder, and fired volleys . A line consisted of two, three, or four ranks of soldiers. The soldiers were expected to fire volleys at the command of officers, but in practice this happened only in the first minutes of the battle. After one or two volleys, each soldier charged his musket and fired at his own discretion, without hearing

13386-466: The move was cancelled before the Sherwood Foresters had embarked. In the following months there were cases of Paratyphoid fever among the units that returned from Egypt, and the infection spread to units that had remained in France. The 46th Division went back into the line in the Vimy sector, suffering a steady trickle of casualties over the coming months. In May, however, it moved south to take part in

13524-467: The movement of units. In Russia, Great Britain, France, Prussia, and some other states, linear tactics and formation discipline were maintained into the late 19th century. With the invention of new weaponry, the concept of line infantry began to wane. The Minié ball , an improved rifle ammunition, allowed individual infantrymen to shoot more accurately and over greatly increased range. Men walking in formation line-abreast became easy targets, as evidenced in

13662-412: The new fusils retained the name "musket". Both muskets and fusils were smoothbore , which lessened their accuracy and range, but made for faster loading, lesser amount of bore fouling and more robust, less complicated firearms. The accuracy of smooth-bore muskets was in the range of 300–400 yd (270–370 m) against a line of infantry or cavalry. Against a single enemy, however, the effective range

13800-542: The next two years on home defence and in preparation for a German invasion which never arrived. In early 1943 the division was sent to North Africa where it became part of the British First Army and took part in the final stages of the Tunisian Campaign . In January 1944, they took part in the landings at Anzio , under command of U.S. Fifth Army , where they suffered serious casualties in some of

13938-407: The pikemen's and old-style musketeers' square. Troops in skirmish formation, though able to take cover and use initiative, were highly vulnerable to cavalry and could not hold ground against advancing infantry columns. Line infantry provided an "anchor" for skirmishers and cavalry to retreat behind if threatened. Movement in line formation was slow, and unless the battalion was superbly trained,

14076-480: The present Mercian Regiment . The lineage of the Sherwood Foresters is now continued by The Mercian Regiment. The regiment was formed on 1 July 1881 as part of the Childers Reforms . The 45th (Nottinghamshire) Regiment of Foot (raised in 1741) and the 95th (Derbyshire) Regiment of Foot (raised in 1823) were redesignated as the 1st and 2nd battalions of the Sherwood Foresters (Derbyshire Regiment) . The Derbyshire Militia and Royal Sherwood Foresters Militia became

14214-440: The rest becoming casualties or prisoners. The CO of 2/6th Bn, Lt-Col H.S. Hodgkin, was among those taken prisoner, and the battalion suffered 131 killed, one of the highest casualty rates of the battle. The survivors, together with their rear echelon troops, then spent the next 10 days wandering around with divisional HQ on a long retreat. The battalion was made up to strength with drafts, but these were not Midlanders, and there

14352-484: The rifle companies are referred to as "line officers" while billeted to positions such as Platoon Leaders and Commanding and Executive Officers. High Peak Rifles First World War : Second World War : The High Peak Rifles , later 6th Battalion, Sherwood Foresters , was a volunteer unit of Britain's Territorial Army . First raised in the High Peak area of Derbyshire in 1860, it fought as infantry on

14490-447: The right. Their advance was parallel to the canal, which formed a defensive right flank as they rolled up the German trench lines. They reached the first intermediate objective by noon without trouble. However, the morning fog and initial smokescreen was clearing, there was stout resistance from German detachments on the high ground north of the village of Bellenglise , and the attack was held up by artillery fire and from machine guns on

14628-580: The second half of the nineteenth century, regiments in several European armies retained the "line infantry" (or cavalry) title. This designation had come to mean an army's regular or numbered regiments, as opposed to specialist or elite formations. Accordingly, the distinction had become a traditional title or classification without significance regarding armament or tactics. For example, the Belgian Army order of battle in 1914 comprised 14 regiments of Infanterie de Ligne (line infantry), three of Chasseurs

14766-582: The sleeve, and wore coats rather than tunics. When Volunteer Infantry Brigades were introduced in 1888, the VBs of the Sherwood Foresters formed part of the North Midland Brigade , although for a few years from 1901 they formed a separate Sherwood Foresters Brigade. The battalion had been over its establishment strength, and during the 2nd Boer War it was permitted to raise three additional companies, one at Chesterfield, one at Buxton, and one

14904-404: The summer the 178th Brigade moved to Curragh Camp and resumed training, while maintaining a 'Flying Column' ready to pacify outlying areas. The division remained in garrison in Ireland until the end of the year. With its units spread out in small garrisons, collective training was hindered. 59th Division returned to England in January 1917 and began final battle training at Fovant , where there

15042-440: The time). The battalion was disbanded in 1941. The 12th Battalion was a hostilities-only unit raised in 1940. In 1942, it was sent to India, where it carried out internal security duties at Delhi. On 1 January 1944, it moved to Delawari and came under the command of the 52nd Infantry Brigade , whose role was training British infantrymen in jungle warfare . The 13th Battalion was a hostilities-only unit raised in 1940. In 1942, it

15180-650: The top. From there eight counties can be seen, including landmarks such as the Humber Bridge and Lincoln Cathedral . In 1931, the Sherwood Foresters were officially allied with the Simcoe Foresters (35th Regiment of Infantry), Canadian Militia. In 1936, the Simcoe Foresters amalgamated with the Grey Regiment (31st Regiment of Infantry) to become the present-day The Grey and Simcoe Foresters (G&SF), Canadian Army. The Sherwood Foresters' badge

15318-485: The tranches at Sanctuary Wood near Hooge . The 1/6th Bn was not directly involved in 139th Brigade's first action (the German flamethrower attack at Hooge on 30–31 July 1915), but was in the attack on the Hohenzollern Redoubt in October that year. This was an attempt to restart the failed Battle of Loos , and the division was moved down from Ypres on 1 October for the purpose. The Germans recaptured

15456-451: The twine sometimes would accidentally set fire to the gunpowder reservoir in the musket prematurely setting off the gunpowder, resulting in serious injury or death to the operator. For this reason and others, matchlock muskets began to be replaced by lighter and cheaper infantry fusils with flintlocks , weighing 5 kg (11 lb) with a caliber of 17.5 mm (0.69 in), first in France and then in other countries. In many countries,

15594-477: The unsuccessful army reforms of Paul I, the number of light infantry in the Russian army was significantly reduced and made up only 8% of the entire field infantry. However, the Russian army soon returned to the trend of increasing the number of light infantry, begun in the 18th century. By 1811, 50 light infantry regiments were formed in the Russian army. In addition, each linear battalion was required to have 100 of

15732-415: The war. The Sherwood Foresters attacked on the right with the 6th Bn as brigade reserve. Direction keeping in the morning mist was difficult, and German machine gunners resisted fiercely, but the leading battalion, joined by the 6th, swept forwards and was on the objective by 09.45, and dug in there. After a few days' rest, the division joined the pursuit of the retreating enemy, with few actions of note before

15870-477: Was a change of policy and, on 1 December 1944 (also reported as 1 December 1943), the regiment was re-converted to infantry, reverting to its previous title of 13th Sherwood Foresters and coming under command of 67th Indian Training Brigade . The 14th Battalion was a hostilities-only unit raised in 1940 that went on to see active service in the Middle East (Egypt, Palestine, Syria, Lebanon, Iraq) and Italy. It

16008-508: Was a large purpose-built camp on the edge of the Salisbury Plain training area. However, it never trained as a division, and when it was inspected before embarkation for active service, it was reported as being only partially trained. Nevertheless, it began moving to France in February. On 26 February 1917 the battalion entrained at Fovant and moved to Folkestone where it embarked for Boulogne , landing on 28 February. By 3 March

16146-558: Was an attempt to restart the attack at 15.30, but the smoke barrage was inadequate and it was cancelled. The left-hand platoon did not receive the cancellation order in time, went 'over the top' and was cut down. The battalion lost 41 men killed or died of wounds received on 1 July 1916; most are buried in Foncquevillers Military Cemetery or are listed on the Thiepval Memorial to the missing of

16284-626: Was assigned a role in the defences around London. The division was given warning orders to embark for France about 30 October, but these were later cancelled. Meanwhile the men went through intensive training, the brigade marching to new quarters at Braintree, Essex in mid-November. King George V inspected the division on 19 February 1915, and gave permission for the Notts & Derby Brigade to change its title to Sherwood Foresters Brigade. Soon afterwards, embarkation orders arrived. The North Midland Division began landing in France in late February 1915 and by 8 March had completed its concentration –

16422-584: Was at 05.50, when the Staffordshire moved out behind a creeping barrage , quickly captured the German front line trenches, crossed the canal, and consolidated on the first objective (the 'Red Line') under the protection of a standing barrage. The other two brigades then crossed the canal, and when the barrage began to roll forward again at 11.20, the Sherwoods jumped off from the Red Line with 6th Bn on

16560-522: Was awarded a DCM for erecting barricades under heavy fire. The rebels in Dublin surrendered on 29 April and the 2/6th rejoined 178th Brigade at Kilmainham. On 3 May 2/6th Bn provided 450 men for No 1 Mobile Column under its CO, Lt-Col H.S. Hodgkin. The column marched to Longford and then through the counties of Roscommon , Leitrim , Longford , Westmeath and part of Meath , looking for arms and rebels. It covered 200 miles in three weeks. During

16698-579: Was carried out. On 7 December the British were back on the line that they would hold for the coming winter. When the BEF was reorganised in January 1918, the 2/6th Sherwood Foresters received a large draft of men from the disbanded 2/8th Bn. The German spring offensive opened on 21 March while the division was in the Bullecourt sector of the line, 178th Bde holding the right sector with 2/6th Bn on

16836-467: Was changed only after the dethronement of Napoleon III. This was common practice in all conventional Western armies until the late 19th century, as infantry tactics and military thinking had yet to catch up with technological developments. In the years after the Napoleonic Wars, line infantry continued to be deployed as the main battle force, while light infantry provided fire support and covered

16974-649: Was converted again, becoming the 149th (Sherwood Foresters) Light Anti-Aircraft Regiment, RA and transferred to the 55th (West Lancashire) Infantry Division in Home Forces before joining British Second Army for the Allied invasion of Europe Operation Overlord . The regiment landed in August 1944 and served through the North-West Europe campaign , particularly at the Allied Siege of Dunkirk and

17112-526: Was first assigned to the 218th Independent Infantry Brigade (Home) , formed for Home Service in the Yorkshire Area, but was soon reassigned to be the lorried infantry component alongside the artillery of 8th Support Group in the newly raised 8th Armoured Division . In 1942, the division went round by sea to Suez, but, on arrival in July, it was broken up and 14th Foresters were sent to join the 9th Independent Armoured Brigade , with which it fought at

17250-445: Was later taken over by the 3/6th Bn. Mirroring its 1st-Line parent, the battalion formed part of 2/1st Notts & Derby Brigade in 2nd North Midland Division; these were later numbered 178th (2/1st Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire) Brigade and 59th (2nd North Midland) Division respectively. Training was carried out at Luton, Dunstable , and later at Cassiobury Park , Watford . There was a shortage of weapons and equipment. Eventually,

17388-523: Was mobilised in the 148th Infantry Brigade alongside the 1/5th Battalion on the outbreak of war, attached to the 49th (West Riding) Division . It fought in Norway in 1940, and then served as a garrison in Scotland and Northern Ireland. In 1942, the brigade was reorganised as a Training brigade. The 2/5th (Derbyshire) Battalion was formed as a 2nd-Line duplicate of the 1/5th Battalion, raised in 1939 when

17526-468: Was no more than 50–100 yd (46–91 m). It should be borne in mind that ordinary linear infantrymen were poorly trained in aimed shooting, due to the expense of gunpowder and lead (modern reenactors achieve much better results by firing smooth-bore muskets). Line infantrymen were trained in rapid reloading. The recruit was expected to load 3 rounds a minute, while an experienced soldier could load 4–6 rounds per minute. In battle conditions, this number

17664-496: Was no time to train the unit. It went to hold the line on the Passchendaele Ridge , from where it was sent on 12 April to reinforce 19th (Western) Division on Kemmel Ridge which was the focus of the renewed German attack. On 17 April (the 1st Battle of Kemmel ) the Sherwood Foresters, without artillery support, held off fierce attacks by means of rifle and Lewis gun fire. The 2/6th Bn was relieved by French troops

17802-479: Was not used offensively again until September 1918, spending its time in tours of duty holding the front line in quiet sectors. The reorganisation of the British Expeditionary Force (BEF) on the Western Front in early 1918 led to the disbandment of the 1/7th Sherwood Foresters, a draft of whom were sent to reinforce the 1/6th Bn. After the 2/6th Bn was disbanded in July ( see below ) the 1/6th

17940-440: Was one of the last units to leave Dunkirk and be evacuated from France . The 9th Battalion left 46th Division in December 1940, and shortly afterwards became the lorried infantry element alongside the artillery of 1st Support Group in 1st Armoured Division . However, on 1 November 1941, the battalion was converted to the armoured car role as 112th Regiment Royal Armoured Corps . In common with other infantry units transferred to

18078-401: Was raised for Home Defence in 1940 and disbanded in 1941. The 16th Battalion was formed by the re-designation of the 70th (Young Soldiers) Battalion in September 1942. The new 16th battalion transferred to the 162nd Infantry Brigade and later the 222nd Infantry Brigade . On 1 January 1943 the 16th Battalion was re-designated as the 1st Battalion. In 1940, the 70th (Young Soldiers) Battalion

18216-640: Was redesignated the 6th Reserve Bn of the regiment. After the outbreak of the Easter Rising ( see above ) the Reserve Bns of the Sherwood Foresters moved to the Lincolnshire coast, building and manning anti-invasion defences. On 1 September the 6th Reserve Bn was absorbed by the 5th Reserve Bn at Grainthorpe . The Home Service men of the TF battalions of the Sherwood Foresters had been formed into

18354-485: Was reduced and after the first few minutes of combat, no more than 2 rounds per minute could be expected even from well trained troops. The bulk of the line infantry had no protective equipment, as armor that could provide protection from musket fire were considered too expensive and heavy. Only the former elite troops could keep by tradition some elements of protection, for example, the copper mitre caps of grenadiers. Initially, soldiers equipped with firearms formed only

18492-419: Was sent to India, where it was converted to the armoured role as 163rd Regiment Royal Armoured Corps . In common with other infantry battalions transferred to the Royal Armoured Corps, the personnel of 163 RAC would have continued to wear their Foresters cap badge on the black beret of the Royal Armoured Corps. 163 RAC was stationed at Rawalpindi under command of 267th Indian Armoured Brigade . However, there

18630-743: Was serving in the Middle Eastern theatre and fought in the North African Campaign and the Western Desert Campaign on the outbreak of war, and was assigned to many different brigades and divisions until late June 1942 when, fighting in Tobruk , the battalion was captured. The few survivors of the battalion returned to the United Kingdom. In September the 1st Battalion was reformed, by the redesignation of

18768-566: Was simply referred to as the 6th Bn. The division was given the most difficult task in the Battle of the St. Quentin Canal on 29 September 1918: it had to cross the canal itself, where it constituted part of the Hindenburg Line. The crossing was to be made by the 137th (Staffordshire) Brigade , with 138th and 139th Bdes following up and then attacking towards the second objective. Zero hour

18906-474: Was stationed at Holme Pierrepont Hall , near Radcliffe-on-Trent, Nottingham. Like all other Young Soldiers battalions, this was formed to take volunteers around the ages of 18 and 19 who had not yet reached the compulsory age of conscription , which was 20 at the time. In September 1942, the 70th was redesignated as the 16th Battalion. In 1948, the regiment became part of the Midland Brigade, known as

19044-591: Was suitably modified ("Canadianised") and adopted as the G&;SF badge. In 1970, with the Sherwood and Worcestershire amalgamation, Her Majesty The Queen graciously granted the continuation this alliance, and again in 2007 with the WFR/Stafford/Chester amalgamation. The G&SF Regimental Colour has a Sherwood Foresters Lincoln green facing, Lincoln green over hunting scarlet (maroon) are its colours, and

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