Page 131 - MERCIAN Eagle 2011

RHQ Nottingham
RHQ has had another busy year; alongside usual business they have now taken on Worcester and a new Assistant Regimental Secretary. Ms Cindy Baines experienced the Worcester Reunion and the Crich Pilgrimage within her first 2 months of arriving in post giving her a whirlwind introduction to life with The Mercian Regiment and its antecedents.
Tribute to the men of the 5th Battalion Sherwood Forester Regiment By Major (Retired) H J C Loveday Td Ba Dl
As we approach the fifth anniversary of the formation of the Mercian Regiment
it is perhaps appropriate to mark the passing of the old Territorial Battalions of our Regiment. The 4th
ranks killed and thousands wounded. In the introduction of the Battalion’s War History, the Divisional Commander wrote commending all the four Sherwood Forester
Battalion’s traditions.
In the inter-war years, the 5th Battalions
twice won the Daily Telegraph Cup for the best attendance at annual camp. After service with the B.E.F. in France in 1940 the Battalion was sent to Singapore, arriving three weeks before its fall, and after taking casualties, to spend the rest of the war in captivity suffering grievous losses.
Revived in 1947, the 5th Battalion amalgamated with its sister Battalion the 8th and in 1960 it was represented within the 3rd Battalion the Worcestershire and Sherwood Foresters Regiment until its subsequent disbandment.
As we move further into the 21st
century and commend the courage
and professionalism of our regular and remaining Territorial Battalions, we should not forget the role of the old Territorial Battalions during the two Great Wars of the 20th century nor let their memory fade.
Battalion The Mercian Regiment proudly carry on the best traditions
of our former Territorial Battalions and with a
far more demanding peacetime commitment.
The battle of Bellinglise led to the final defeat of the German Army
Battalions of the 139 Brigade and the 5th Battalion. He wrote ‘it was evident that the training in England on mobilization and its early war experience in France had produced a unit which could
However, in the
case of the County of Derby and no doubt similarly in other counties, we are now represented at territorial level by one Infantry Company only based in Mansfield.
Looking back to the formation of the Territorial Army from the old Rifle Volunteers in 1908, Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire supported four battalions the senior of which the 5th Battalion The Sherwood Foresters, had its headquarters in Derby. After early mobilization the 5th arrived in France on 25th February 1915 as part of 139 Brigade, 46th North Midland Division. From then until the end of the war they were almost continuously in action.
On the 1st July 1916 the launch of the Somme offensive, the battalions taking part in the attack on Gommercourt lost its Commanding Officer with 22 other officers and 469 other ranks killed, wounded
or missing. The Battle of Bellinglise
which commenced at Pontreut on 24th September 1918 involved the crossing of the St Quentin canal and led to the final defeat of the German Army. 139 Brigade played a prominent part and the Divisional Commander wrote ‘the storming of the St Quentin Canal, the capture of the Bellenglise and the subsequent advance will make one of the most glorious stories of the history
of war’. The original oil painting of the St Quentin Canal still hangs in the Officers’ Mess, Foresters House, Nottingham.
The 5th Battalion earned two Victoria Crosses and 28 Military Crosses and a huge number of Distinguished Conduct Medals and Military Medals in the 1914-18 war at a cost of 37 officers and 701 other
march, shoot, dig and fight; they are highly disciplined and imbued with an undaunted spirit unshakable by the ups and downs of war.’ The history concludes with the note that at the time of writing (1930) the 5th then composed mainly of the sons and nephews of those who made the history possible
were worthily maintaining the
St Quentin Canal painting
St Quentin Canal
THE MERCIAN EAGLE
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