‘The Strafing’ (1916) by Christopher Nevinson, who served with the Friends Ambulance Unit on the Western Front.
Image courtesy of Museum Vor Schone Kunsten, Ghent, Belgium.

Local servicemen who lost their lives

July 1st 1916

2nd Lieutenant Robert Blatherwick, 10th Battalion, West Yorkshire Regiment (Prince of Wales’s Own), 62nd Brigade, 21st Division. Killed at the Battle of Albert in the vicinity of Fricourt.

Private Cecil Ingram, 12th Battalion, Yorks and Lancaster Regiment, 94th Brigade, 31st Division. Killed at the Battle of Albert in the vicinity of Mark Copse and Roland Trench.

July 7th 1916

Corporal George Nowell, 10th Battalion Sherwood Foresters (Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire Regiment) 51st Brigade, 17th (Northern) division, killed at the Battle of Albert during the attack at Quadrangle Support.

July 14th 1916

Gunner George Brewster, 12th Siege Battery, Royal Garrison Artillery. Killed in action near Bronfay Farm.

July 20th 1916

2nd Lieutenant Robert Hallam, 15th Battalion, Sherwood Foresters (Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire Regiment) 105th Brigade, 35th Division. Killed in action near Maltz Horn Farm and Arrow Head Copse.

August 5th 1916

Private Charles Paine, 24th Infantry Battalion, 6th Brigade, 2nd Division, Australian Imperial Force. Killed at the Battle of Pozières.

August 8th 1916

Sergeant John Ould, 24th Infantry Battalion, 6th Brigade, 2nd Division, Australian Imperial Force. Died of wounds sustained at the Battle of Pozières.

August 28th 1916

Sapper Harold Pell, 1st Life Guards, 3rd Cavalry Division. Missing in action.

September 3rd 1916

Sergeant William Barratt, 17th Battalion, Sherwood Foresters (Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire Regiment) 117th Brigade, 39th Division. Killed in an attack between Hamel and Beaumont Hamel.

September 16th 1916

Private Walter Dawson, 9th Battalion Sherwood Foresters (Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire Regiment) 33rd Brigade, 11th (Northern) Division. Killed during the push on Thiepval Ridge.

October 10th 1916

Private Charles Tytherley, 2nd Battalion Sherwood Foresters (Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire Regiment), 71st Brigade, 6th Division. Killed at the Battle of Le Transloy.

October 18th 1916

Private Thomas James, 1st Battalion, East Lancashire Regiment, 11th Brigade, 4th Division. Killed at the Battle of Le Transloy.

November 13th 1916

Lieutenant John Richards, 1st Royal Marine Light Infantry, 63rd (Royal Naval) Division. Killed at the Battle of the Ancre.

For more information, go to the men’s biographies in the Radcliffe on Trent Roll of Honour and How Radcliffe on Trent servicemen died.

Local servicemen wounded during the Battle of the Somme

July 7th -12th 1916

L/Sergeant Leonard Rushmore, 13th Battalion, Northumberland Fusiliers. Shell shock after fighting at Mametz Wood. Died in 1919.

October 1st -18th

Sidney Bell, 10th Canterbury Reinforcements, New Zealand Expeditionary Force. Discharged following injuries at the Battle of Le Transloy. Died January 1918.

Local serviceman taken Prisoner of War

Lieutenant John FIllingham Bishop, 1/7th Battalion Sherwood Foresters (Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire Regiment), 139th Brigade, 46th Division, captured at Gommecourt.

Local Servicemen present at the Battle of the Somme

The Battle of the Somme was fought by the armies of the British and French empires. The British Army was subdivided into Armies, commanded by Generals. Each army comprised a number of Corps, in turn made up of around 4-5 divisions. Corps were commanded by Lieutenant Generals and divisions by Major Generals. Each division contained three brigades which in turn were made up of four battalions. A division was a self-sufficient fighting formation and also incorporated artillery, engineers, army service corps, army medical corps and a veterinary section. There were 51 British Army Divisions present at the Battle of the Somme. The Battle was fought mainly by the Third, Fourth and Reserve Army.

The Third Army was commanded by General Sir Edmund, Allenby, the Fourth Army by General Sir Henry Rawlinson, and the Reserve Army by General Sir Rupert Gough.

Most of the infantry from Radcliffe on Trent and Holme Pierrepont served in divisions which were present on the Somme. It is not possible for us to say precisely whether an individual serviceman was on the Somme unless we have specific information (such as his death during the period). Whether an individual infantryman participated in any specific battle during the five month period of the Somme depended on which division he was in and when he entered France. However even if we do know that his division was involved in a particular conflict we cannot be sure of any individual’s participation without further evidence because he might have been on leave or in hospital; we can only infer a probable presence.

Read more about Radcliffe on Trent servicemen on the Somme.

The list below shows divisions which participated in the major battles on the Somme in 1916 and in which Radcliffe on Trent infantry served. It is NOT a full list of all the divisions on the Somme; it only applies to Radcliffe on Trent infantry men.

Drawing by member of Grange Art Group, Radcliffe on Trent, based on photograph taken on the Western Front.

To find out if a particular Radcliffe on Trent infantry man was likely to have been on the Somme, go to the Radcliffe on Trent Roll of Honour, check his biography for dates of service and cross reference his division with the list below. Men’s divisions are given on the Radcliffe on Trent Roll of Honour after their battalion, regiment and brigade.

Fourth Army (General Rawlinson)

II Corps (Lt. General Jacobs)

11^th (Northern) Division, present at the Battles of Flers-Courcelette, Thiepval

23^rd Division – present at the Battle of Bazentin

25^th Division- present at Battle of Pozières

34^th Division – present at the Battle of Bazentin

39^th Division – present at the Battle of the Ancre

49^th (West Riding) Division – present at Battles of Pozières, Flers-Courcelette

50^th (Northumbrian) Division – present at the Battle of Morval

III Corps (Lt. General Pultaney)

8^th Division – present at Battle of Albert

15^th (Scottish) Division-present at Battles of Pozières, Flers-Courcelette, Le Transloy

23^rd Division – present at Battles of Albert, Pozières, Flers-Courcelette, Morval, Le Transloy

34^th Division – present at Battles of Albert, Pozières,

50^th (Northumbrian) Division) – present at Battles of Flers-Courcelette, Morval, Le Transloy

V Corps (Lt. General Fanshawe)

2^nd Division – present at the Battle of Ancre

3^rd Division – present at the Battle of Ancre

39^th Division – present at the Battle of Thiepval

63^rd (Royal Naval) Division – present at the Battle of Ancre

VIII Corps (Lt. General Hunter-Weston)

4^th Division – present at Battle of Albert

31^st Division – present at Battle of Albert

XIII Corps (Lt. General Congreve)

2^nd Division – present at Battle of Delville Wood

3^rd Division – –present at the Battles of Bazentin, Delville Wood

24^th Division – present at Battle of Delville Wood

31^st Division – present at the Battle of Ancre

XIV Corps (Lt. General Cavan)

Guards Division – present at the Battles of Morval, Le Transloy

4^th Division – present at the Battle of Le Transloy

5^th Division – present at Battles of Guillemont, Flers-Courcelette, Morval

6^th Division – present at Battles of Flers-Courcelette, Morval, Le Transloy

16^th (Irish) Division – present at Battles of Guillemont, Ginchy

24^th Division — present at Battles of Delville Wood, Guillemont

XV Corps (Lt. General Watts)

5^th Division – present at Battle of High Wood

7^th Division – present at Battles of Albert (captured Mametz), Bazentin, High Wood, Delville Wood, Guillemont

17^th (Northern) Division – present at Battle of Albert (captured Fricourt)

21^st Division – present at Battles of Albert, Bazentin, Flers-Courcelette, Morval, Le Transloy

New Zealand Division – present at Battles of Flers-Courcelette, Morval

Third Army (General Allenby)

VII Corps (Lt. General Snow)

37^th Division – present at Battle of Albert,

46^th (North Midland) Division – present at Battle of Albert (at the Gommecourt diversionary attack)

Reserve Army (General Gough)

X Corps (Lt. General Moorland)

25^th Division – present at Battles of Albert, Bazentin

32^nd Division – present at Battles of Albert, Bazentin

36^th (Ulster) Division – present at Battle of Albert

49^th (West Riding) Division – present at Battles of Albert, Bazentin

I ANZAC Corps (Lt. General Birdwood)

2^nd Australian Division – present at Battle of Pozières,

Canadian Corps (Lt. General Byng)

2^nd Canadian Division – present at the Battles of Flers-Courcelette, Thiepval