The 16th (Service) Battalion, Sherwood Foresters (Chatsworth Rifles), ('16th Sherwoods') was an infantry unit recruited from Derbyshire as part of 'Kitchener's Army' in World War I. It served on the Western Front, distinguishing itself at the battles of the Somme (when it defended the Schwaben Redoubt) and the Ancre (when it captured St Pierre-Divion). It fought through the Third Battle of Ypres, when one of its men won the Victoria Cross (VC), and the German spring offensives. After its losses the battalion was reduced to a training cadre for the rest of the war, helping to prepare newly arrived US troops and others for Trench warfare. It was disbanded in 1919.

Recruitment

On 6 August 1914, less than 48 hours after Britain's declaration of war, Parliament sanctioned an increase of 500,000 men for the Regular British Army. The newly appointed Secretary of State for War, Earl Kitchener of Khartoum, issued his famous call to arms: 'Your King and Country Need You', urging the first 100,000 volunteers to come forward. Men flooded into the recruiting offices and the 'first hundred thousand' were enlisted within days. This group of six divisions with supporting arms became known as Kitchener's First New Army, or 'K1'.War Office Instructions No 32 (6 August) and No 37 (7 August).Becke, Pt 3a, pp. 2 & 8. The K2, K3 and K4 battalions, brigades and divisions followed soon afterwards. But the flood of volunteers overwhelmed the ability of the Army to absorb them, and the K5 units were largely raised by local initiative rather than at regimental depots, often from men from particular localities or backgrounds who wished to serve together: these were known as 'Pals battalions'. The 'Pals' phenomenon quickly spread across the country, as local recruiting committees offered complete units to the War Office (WO). One such unit was the Chatsworth Rifles raised at Derby by the Duke of Devonshire of Chatsworth House with the Derbyshire Territorial Force Association. The battalion was authorised by the WO on 16 April 1915 as the 16th (Service) Battalion of the Sherwood Foresters (Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire Regiment).Frederick, pp. 320–2.James, p 87.Sherwood Foresters at Long, Long Trail.War Office Instruction No 56 of September 1915, Appendix IX.

The secretary of the Derbyshire TF Association, Cecil Herbert-Stepney (a retired Captain in the King's Royal Rifle Corps), was appointed as the first commanding officer (CO) of the battalion on 1 May with the rank of Lieutenant-Colonel.Sherwood Foresters at Infantry Battalion Commanding Officers.Herbert-Stepney at Lives of the First World War.

Training

16th Sherwoods moved to Buxton on 4 May, and then on 8 June to Redmires Camp near Sheffield, where it continued basic training. The battalion formally became part of 117th Brigade when that was formed on 15 July in 39th Division. It was brigaded with three other pals battalions: the 17th (Service) Battalion, Sherwood Foresters (Welbeck Rangers), the 17th (Service) Battalion, King's Royal Rifle Corps (British Empire League) (17th KRRC) and the 16th (Service) Battalion, Rifle Brigade (St Pancras) (16th RB). In September the battalion moved to Hursley Park, near Winchester, where the division was forming. On 30 September 117th Bde moved to Marlborough Lines at Aldershot, with 16th Sherwoods occupying Oudenarde Barracks. The battalions then began progressive training, at platoon, company and finally battalion level, while specialist sections such as machine gunners, signallers and bombers were formed and trained. On 8 November 16th Sherwoods carried out a route march to Witley Camp in Surrey, where training emphasised entrenching; apart from a brief spell back at Aldershot in January 1916 to carry out its musketry course with newly issued rifles, 16th Sherwoods remained at Witley for the rest of its training.Becke, Pt 3b, pp. 91–100.39th Division at Long, Long Trail.17th KRRC War Diary April 1915–June 1919, The National Archives (TNA), Kew, file WO 95/2586/2.

19th (Reserve) Battalion The battalion's depot companies were amalgamated with those of the 15th (Nottingham Bantams) and 17th (Welbeck Rangers) battalions of the Sherwood Foresters on 18 August 1915 at Brocklesby in Lincolnshire to form the 19th (Reserve) Battalion as a Local Reserve to provide reinforcements for the three pals battalions. The 19th Battalion moved to Ripon in North Yorkshire and joined 19th Reserve Brigade. In January 1916 it was at Harrogate and in July at Durham. On 1 September 1916 the Local Reserve battalions were transferred to the Training Reserve (TR) and the battalion was absorbed into other battalions of 19th (Reserve) Bde.

Service Mobilisation orders were received on 18 February 1916, and after some delays 16th Sherwoods left Witley Camp on 6 March for Southampton Docks to embark for France. It landed at Le Havre next day, and then went by train to 117th Bde's concentration area at Steenbecque in the First Army area. After further training 117th Brigade was attached to the experienced 8th Division for its introduction to Trench warfare, with 16th Sherwoods going to 23rd Bde at Estaires. A and B Companies were attached to the 2nd Bn West Yorkshire Regiment in the trenches near Laventie on 19 March and suffered their first few casualties. On 22 March they returned to Estaires and C and D Companies went into the trenches with 2nd Bn Scottish Rifles. While the battalion was at Estaires 35 men (probably ex-miners) transferred to 181st Tunnelling Company, Royal Engineers (RE). On completion of this attachment on 27 March the battalion marched to billets at Béthune, where it came under 33rd Division for further training. A and B Companies went into the trenches at Annequin South on 29 March with 20th Royal Fusiliers (1st Public Schools) of 19th Bde, and next day C and D went to Auchy. On 1 April 16 Sherwoods took over full responsibility for the trenches in the Auchy Right sector under 19th Bde. It suffered a number of casualties during this first tour of duty, after which it marched to rest billets at Busnettes near Gonnehem on 6 April. The battalion received a good report from the commander of 19th Bde, who described the men as 'a very tough lot'. 39th Division now took over its own sector at Festubert, and 16th Sherwoods moved to billets at Riez de Vinage. The battalion received a draft of 45 men from 19th (R) Bn, but also had to transfer one officer and 35 other ranks (ORs) to help form 117th Brigade Machine Gun (MG) Company. Officers and men were also detached to117th Brigade Trench Mortar Battery (TMB). The battalion moved into the trenches at Festubert on 23 April.Berkeley, p. 151.16th Sherwood Foresters War Diary March 1916–June 1919, TNA file WO 95/2587/1.

16th Sherwoods now began a routine of spells in the line at Festubert and Givenchy, alternating with spells in support or in billets, when working parties were constantly required. The battalion usually rotated with 17th KRRC. There was a trickle of casualties both in the line and among working parties from shellfire and occasional bombing exchanges with the enemy. The defences at Festubert comprised a series of 'islands' in the waterlogged countryside, and one of C Company's first tasks was to link up Islands 21 and 22. As soon as the battalion went into billets it had to find a working party of 350 men for the REs. This routine continued until 4 June when the battalion carried out its first trench raid on the German positions south of the 'Duck's Bill' near Givenchy. A party of 4 officers and 70 ORs went out at night, suffering a few casualties before they got through the barbed wire, then bombed their way right and left along the trenches. Most of the trench garrison were sheltering in their dugouts, which were bombed. The party withdrew after about 30 minutes. The casualties were 2 ORs killed and 5 missing, 1 officer and 18 ORs wounded, almost all in the early part of the raid. The battalion carried out regular patrols, which were unable to get far because the ground was marshy but one reconnaissance on 18/19 June was praised by the divisional commander. During the month 16th Sherwoods received reinforcement drafts from 19th (R) and 11th (S) Bns. On 15/16 June the battalion began an unusually long tour of duty in the Ferme du Bois trenches. On 30 June 39th Division's 116th Bde attacked the 'Boar's Head' and 16th Sherwoods provided a smoke barrage using 'P Bombs' (phosphorus grenades), receiving retaliatory artillery fire that caused considerable damage to the parapet. Nightly fighting patrols and snipers during the day regularly attacked the enemy's working parties and observation posts, and on the morning of 12 July the battalion raided the trench opposite under cover of a mortar barrage. One party succeeded in getting into the trench and caused damage and casualties, though the officer leading it was wounded and posted as missing along with 30 other casualties. After 35 continuous days in the Ferme du Bois trenches 16th Sherwoods was relieved on 20 July, having suffered 2 officers and 14 ORs killed, 4 officers and 85 ORs wounded during tour. After a rest at Gorre, the battalion returned to the Givenchy trenches on 1–5 August before going back to billets at Béthune.

Ancre

The Somme Offensive had been going on since 1 July, and on 11 August 39th Division was ordered south to join in. First 117th Bde went to La Thieuloye for brigade training, then on 23 August it began the march south, reaching Beaussart at the end of the month, where 39th Division awaited orders from Reserve Army to go up to the front. Reserve Army began a series of minor operations along the River Ancre in early September. On 3 September 39th Division was ordered to secure a few hundred yards of high ground north-west of St Pierre-Divion, to cover the flank of 49th (West Riding) Division advancing up the river valley. 117th Brigade attacked at 05.10 with 17th Sherwoods and 16th RB leading, 17th KRRC in support. 16th Sherwoods was in reserve, chiefly employed as carrying parties for the two attacking battalions. The battalion also provided 'trench control posts' and carrying parties to supply the forward dumps. The leading waves of 117th Bde had set off behind the Creeping barrage in good order. Unfortunately, the barrage had little effect on the enemy, and as soon as it lifted off the first line they manned the parapet and threw grenades as the first wave attackers closed in. 17th Sherwoods were held up by machine gun fire from the flank and 16th RB lost direction in the mist and smoke, and few entered the enemy trenches. Some of the second wave got over and even entered the second line of trenches but were met by intense machine gun and shell fire. The third wave got no further than the German front line. Several of 16th Sherwoods' carrying parties reached the German lines, and some made several journeys across No man's land under a heavy hostile artillery barrage. But by 05.40 the attack had clearly failed and most of the surviving attackers retired to their own trenches. The remaining small parties in the German front trench were bombed out. 16th RB launched a second small attack at 11.05 which briefly entered the trench before being ejected. 49th (WR) Division's attack had also failed, so at 11.50 39th Division called off any further attacks. Although not as heavy as those of the three assaulting battalions, 16th Sherwoods' casualties were considerable: 1 officer and 12 ORs killed or died of wounds, 4 officers and 78 ORs wounded, and 6 missing. After spending the night in Mailly Wood, the battalion returned to Beaussart, where it received a draft of 44 reinforcements.Berkeley, pp. 182, 194–5.Hare, pp. 156–8.Miles, 1916, Vol II, pp. 278–82, Sketch 35.

Schwaben Redoubt