The Sherwood Foresters in the Great War 1914-1919 | Page 7

outpost drill were carried out on the splendid
Common at Harpenden, but our training area extended to most of the
surrounding parks and farms, where the bulk of our more advanced
work in attack practice and tactical exercises was carried out. Perhaps
some of the best remembered places are "High Firs," where we first
spent a night in bivouacs, Sandridge, where there was a small range,
Rothamstead Park, Redbourn, Ayre's End, Hammond's End Farm,
Annable's Farm, Mackery End, Thrale's End Farm, where barbed wire
entanglements were put up, the like of which we never saw in France or
anywhere else, and Cold Harbour. At Sundon, not far from Dunstable,
we dug and occupied our first real trench system, which after a
preliminary skirmish at night, when rockets were used to guide the
attacking troops, had to withstand a heavy dawn attack by the Lincoln
and Leicester Brigade.
Classification practices were fired at Wardown and Galley Hill ranges,
near Luton, on thoroughly wet and disagreeable days, with ammunition
not intended for the rifle we were using, and altogether under such
adverse conditions, that good scores were impossible.
In addition to Brigade and Divisional schemes in the neighbourhood of
Harpenden we had big shows on two days at Kinsworth, near
Dunstable. Of our indoor classes, probably the most entertaining were
the French lessons given after mess sometimes by a kind friend from
the Y.M.C.A.; he did his best, but we fear that it was not quite the right
time of day to find a class of Officers in a mood for imbibing
instruction.

Meanwhile there were many changes in personnel: Lieut. James took
over A Company from Lieut. Smith, who was unfit; Capt. Appleby and
Lieut. Cursham proceeded to Dunstable to take charge of Home Service
men; Lieut. Quibell went to the Depôt at Newark; Capt. Tylden-Wright
being unfit, G Company was handed over to Capt. Allen; Lieut. Turner
took over the Machine-Gun Section on Lieut. Ashwell becoming
Assistant Adjutant; Lieut. G. Clarke was Musketry Officer; Lieut. H. B.
S. Handford, Signalling Officer; and Lieut. Piggford, Scout Officer.
Subalterns who joined during these early days included 2nd Lieuts. W.
H. Hollins, J. V. Edge, A. Hacking, E. M. Hacking, W. N. Wright, J. R.
Eddison, B. W. Vann, J. M. Gray. J. S. C. Oates, R. E. Hemingway, A.
P. F. Hamilton, and W. C. C. Weetman. Hamilton soon left us to join
the Divisional Cyclists and afterwards served with the Tank Corps,
winning the M.C. In other ranks there were also changes:
Sergt.-Instructors Hancock, Holmes and Walker went to other units, a
number of men went to Dunstable, and a good many were discharged
medically unfit, but our numbers were constantly being swelled by the
arrival of recruits who kept coming in batches at frequent intervals
from the Depôt, and made up our strength practically to establishment.
[Illustration: OFFICERS AT HARPENDEN; Nov., 1914.
Back Row: 2nd Lieut. A. F. O. Dobson, 2nd Lieut. J. S. C. Oates, 2nd
Lieut. E. M. Hacking. 2nd Lieut. A. Hacking, 2nd Lieut. W. C. C.
Weetman, Lieut. H. B. S. Handford, Capt. J. K. Lane, 2nd Lieut. J. R.
Eddison, 2nd Lieut. H. Kirby.
Middle Row: 2nd Lieut. J. M. Gray, 2nd Lieut. W. N. Wright, Lieut. H.
G. Wright, 2nd Lieut. B. W. Vann, 2nd Lieut. J. V. Edge, Lieut. G.
Clarke, 2nd Lieut. W. H. Hollins, 2nd Lieut. E. C. A. James, 2nd Lieut.
J. W. Turner, Lieut. C. Davenport.
Front Row: Capt. and Qtr.-Mtr. R. F. B. Hodgkinson, Capt. W. H.
Allen, Major A. C. Clarke, Rev. J. P. Hales, Capt. and Adjt. E. N. T.
Collin, Lieut.-Col. C. J. Huskinson, Major G. H. Fowler, Capt. J. P.
Becher, Capt. M. C. Martyn, Capt. A. L. Ashwell, Surgeon-Capt. H.
Stallard.

On Ground: 2nd Lieut. R. H. Piggford 2nd Lieut. A. P. F. Hamilton.
Reproduced by permission of H. A. Valentine, Photographer,
Harpenden.]
Lieut.-Col. G. S. Foljambe, who had joined from the Territorial Force
Reserve, was in charge at the Depôt, and later commanded for some
time the 3rd Line, with the unenviable task of getting together and
training in an extraordinarily short space of time, personnel to replenish
the 1st and 2nd Lines. Many young Officers and others who passed
through his hands in those days look back with pleasure and affection
to the happy times spent under his kindly care at Newark and Belton
Park.
Recreations in these early days were run on the usual lines. Padre Hales
had a reading room and organised Battalion Concerts from time to time,
at which much local talent was displayed, but with everyone living in
houses organised entertainment was not so necessary as we later found
it to be in isolated camps, or at out-of-the-way villages in France.
We were inspected three times during this period;