Navi gation

1/5th Battalion

139th Brigade, 46th (North Midland) Division

Outline History

  • 1914: As a Territorial Battalion, the 1/5th was assembled immediately upon the outbreak of war at Derby Drill Hall. With the 1/6th, 1/7th and 1/8th, it was part of the Notts & Derby Brigade, North Midland Division.
  • 1915: Between 23rd - 28th February the Division arrived in France, the first complete Territorial Divsion to link up with the British Expeditionary Force. On 12th May the Notts & Derby Brigade was redesignated 139th Brigade and the North Midland Division was redesignated 46th (North Midland) Division. The battalion fought near Hooge, Ypres, but its first major action took place at the Hohenzollern Redoubt near Loos. In late December the Division was withdrawn from action and designated for transportation to Egypt. The Division began making its way to Marseilles and some units even embarked. During 1915 the battalion lost 84 men killed.
  • 1916: In late January movement to Egypt was stopped and the Division reassembled in France. Some time was spent in the firing line near Arras, but in June training began for the Battle of the Somme. On 1st July 1916 the 139th Brigade went over the top at Gommecourt and was cut to ribbons. The 1/5th Battalion suffered particularly badly. 184 men and 11 Officers were killed. Following Gommecourt the whole Division was withdrawn to be rebuilt. The 46th Division returned to the Somme during the winter of 1916-1917. During 1916 as a whole the 1/5th lost 280 men killed. For more details of the 1/5th Sherwood Foresters and the Battle of the Somme, see Dr. Mike Briggs' 'Chesterfield Sherwoods on the Somme' website.
  • 1917: The Divison began the year on the Somme and during the year was involved in Involved in the German retreat to the Hindenburg Line and the Battle of Hill 70. During 1917 the battalion lost 157 men killed.
  • 1918: Involved in: the Advance in Flanders, the Battle of the St Quentin Canal, the Battle of Beaurevoir, the Battle of Cambrai 1918, the Pursuit to the Selle and the Battle of the Selle. During 1917 the battalion lost 179 men killed.
  • 1919: the Division began demobilisation and most of the 1/5th men were home by June 1919. During the war as a whole the 1/5th Battalion had lost exactly 700 men killed, almost the equivalent of the number of men who sailed to France in early 1915.

Biographies of 1/5th Battalion Men