Elijah Garrett was born in Brimington around 1895, the son of Elijah and Martha Garrett, of 41, Burnell St. Elijah went to Chesterfield to voluntarily enlist into the 2/5th (Terrtorial) Sherwood Foresters as Private 4294 during the first few moths of the war. During training he was promoted to be a Lance Corporal (see picture left). The 2/5th were plaed in the 178th (2nd Notts & Derby) Brigade of 59th (2nd North Midland) Division.This was a Division made up of territorials who had not opted to serve abroad, and new recruits learning the ropes before being posted to a 1st line battalion. In April 1916 the Division was moved to Ireland to help quell the Easter Rising.

However, Elijah had already gone to France, for a posting with the 1st Sherwood Foresters. The 1st Sherwoods (24th Brigade, 8th Division) were one of the regiments two professional battalions and had suffered high casualties in the war thus far. Elijah arrived in France on 10th November 1915 earning the entitlement to a 1914-15 Star to add to the Victory and War Medals that would be awarded upon the war's conclusion. During 1916 the territorial forces went through a period of renumbering and Elijah, now a full Corporal, was renumbered as 241437 in line with the standard for the 5th territorial battalions, even though he was no longer with them.

Elijah would have fought on the Somme in 1916 and in 3rd Ypres (often, but incorrectly, referred to as Passchendaele) in 1917. In 1918 Elijah and the 1st Sherwoods were involved in regular actions at St. Quentin, Rosieres, Villers-Bretonneux and the Aisne.

Between 26th August and 2nd September 1918, as part of VII Corps, the 8th Division found itself sucked into the fringe of the Battle of the Scarpe. The 1st Sherwoods were in Beale Trench near Oppy Wood, just west of Neuvireuil. At 11.30 a.m. German artillery began pounding the Forester's trenches, which turned into a intense barrage at 1.50 p.m. At 2.00 p.m the barrage lifted and the Germans launched an infantry attack on both flanks of the 1st Sherwoods.

"The whole of our line was now attacked, the enemy coming over the trenches on the right, while those advancing on the left bombed up the communication trenches; hand to hand fighting then ensued and heavy losses were inflicted by both sides, but the enemy attacks were checked, and he was repeatedly driven back....many gallant deeds were performed. The losses incrred by the battalion amounted to 21 N.C.O's and men killed, 3 Officers - Second Lieutenant's E. King, A.F. Gerrard and R.D. Belton - and 58 other ranks wounded, while 4 men were missing".

The commanding Officer received the following letter from Major-General Heneker, "I wish you would convey to all your officers and men who were in the line when the Boche attacked you so heavily on the 28th inst., my thanks for the gallant fight they put up. I can always rely on the 1st Sherwood Foresters to do the right thing."

Elijah never heard this praise as he was one of the 24 men killed. He is buried in Orchard Dump Cemetery, Arleux-En-Gohelle, France.

Quotations taken from H.C. Wylly, 'The 1st and 2nd Battalions The Sherwood Foresters In The Great War'

Thanks to Rupert Drake for making the photograph available to me