16th Battalion of the Sherwood Foresters

Date: [unknown] [unknown]
Location: [unknown]
Surname/tag: world_War_One

16th (Chatsworth Rifles) Battalion, Sherwood Foresters (Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire Regiment) was raised at Derby on the 16th of April 1915, by the Duke of Devonshire and the Derbyshire Territorial Force Association.

They moved to Buxton on the 4th of May and then on to Redmires near Sheffield on 8th of June. On the 2nd of September they moved to Hursley near Winchester to join 117th Brigade, 39th Division. They moved to Aldershot on the 30th of September and then to Witley for final training.

They proceeded to France on the 6th of March 1916, landing at Le Havre, and concentrating near Blaringhem.

On the 30th June 1916 they were in action in an attack near Richebourg l'Avoue with the Sussex battalions suffered heavy casualties. They were in action during the

• Battles of the Somme, including, the fighting on the Ancre,
• The Battle of Thiepval Ridge,
• The Battle of the Ancre heights and the capture of Schwaben Reddoubt and Stuff Trench as well as
• The Battle of the Ancre.
  

In 1917 they fought in

• The Battle of Pilkem Ridge,
• The Battle of Langemarck,
• The Battle of the Menin Road Ridge,
• The Battle of Polygon Wood and
• The Second Battle of Passchendaele.
  

In 1918 they were in action at

• The Battle of St Quentin,
• The actions at the Somme crossings,
• The Battle of Bapaume and
• The Battle of Rosieres before moving to Flanders.

They took part in

• The fighting on Wytschaete Ridge,
• The First and Second Battle of Kemmel and
• The Battle of the Scherpenberg.

The Division had suffered heavy losses and they were reduced to a cadre on the 16th of May and took on a role supervising courses of instruction for newly arrived American troops, beginning with units of the 77th American Division at Wolphus.

On the 16th of August the 16th Sherwoods transferred to 197th Brigade, 66th (2nd East Lancashire) Division, returning to action in October in

• The Battle of Cambrai and The Pursuit to the Selle. They fought in
• The Battle of the Selle and on the 21st of October the Division was withdrawn for rest moving to the Serain area.

On the 2nd of November they advanced through Le Cateau engaging in sharp fighting. On the 9th of November a number of units of the Division were selected to advance through Belgium to occupy the Rhone Bridgeheads and were placed under command of Bethell's Force.

At the Armistice the advanced units of this Force were on the line of Pont de Republique through Grandrieu to Montbliart. They advanced into Germany and remained there until demobilised.