The 8th Battalion Sherwood Foresters in Norway April 1940

Discussion in 'WW2 Battlefields Today' started by Steve Foster, Dec 13, 2011.

  1. clive7

    clive7 Member

    Hi Dadbilly,

    I only joined the site yesterday, my dad, Harold Gilbert was wounded/captured at Tretton,
    just found out your Dad is in the same photo,(your Dad is marching at the rear, mines 3rd from rear!!
    Hows That!! Magic!
    Dad did go back to Norway a few years ago, at the invitation of the people of Lillehammer, where they were 'Treated like royalty',...
    and why not! Have photo which I will get scanned to you later.
     
  2. clive7

    clive7 Member

     
  3. clive7

    clive7 Member

    Hi Dadbilly/wife,

    My Dad, harold Gilbert is in the same photo as Billy.
    I wonder if the "Work farm in Prussia" was in fact Upper Silesia, on the Czech/Poland border, where my dad was also inprisoned?
    It was a working camp,..doing timber-cutting.
     
  4. Steve Foster

    Steve Foster Senior Member

    Hi Clive,

    Isn't it amazing that two people have spotted their fathers in just one of the Forester platoons. If you would like to read another thread on a separate forum I have written try this: http://nuav.rforum.biz/t624-8th-bn-sherwood-foresters-last-stand-at-tretten. It has all of my photographs plus a lot of the documents I found at the National Archives and Imperial War Museum.

    Regards

    Steve
     
    pswood, stolpi and clive7 like this.
  5. Steve Foster

    Steve Foster Senior Member

    Remembering seventy three years ago today when the men of the 8th Battalion Sherwood Foresters and their sister battalion from 148 Brigade, the 5th Leicestershire Battalion made their stand at Rindheim farmhouse, Tretten, Norway.

    Of the 668 men of the 8th Sherwood Foresters who deployed to Norway, only approximately 200 were picked up at Andalsnes by the Royal Navy, and only 42 of those were not wounded. The remainder were either killed, wounded or captured during the five day engagement with the German Division "Pelengahr" whilst attempting to stem the German advance North from Oslo.

    Steve
     
  6. clive7

    clive7 Member

    Hi Steve,
    yes, it is pretty coincidental, I guess,....I noticed in one of the previous 'Dadbilly' posts that Kirkby-in-Ashfield was mentioned, Dad came from Mansfield, only a couple of miles away,..so is it possible that platoons were picking soldiers from the same area??
    What's the secret to getting photos on to this site? Have tried a few times and failed, but that could be down to 'operator error' LOL!


    Thanks, Clive
     
  7. Steve Foster

    Steve Foster Senior Member

    Clive,

    Your father was most probably in "C" Company which was based in Mansfield and Sutton-in-Ashfield; his Company Commander was Captain M Redmayne. The photograph of the marching platoon heading away from Tretten station was part of C Company. B and C Companies plus half of HQ Company formed "East Force" when the Battalion was split to fight on each side of Lake Mjosa and was commanded by Lt Col Ford, the battalion CO. "West Force" comprised of A and D Companies and the other half of HQ Company and commanded by Major Roberts, the battalion 2 i/c. East and West force joined together for the Brigade action at Tretten on 23 April 1940.

    A Company was based in Nottingham at Carlton, B Company at Newark and D Company Worksop. HQ Company, Battalion HQ and 148 Brigade HQ was also at Newark. My father was originally in B Company but was transferred to the Brigade Staff; he formed a fighting platoon from Brigade Staff other ranks whilst in Norway.

    Being a Territorial battalion, each Company would probably only meet each other at annual camps and would only have come together during the training for Norway at Barnard Castle in Durham.

    As for posting pictures, click "More Reply Options" bottom right under this post. A new page comes up with icons for attaching files at the bottom left. Click "browse" and it will allow you into your photographs to attach. Each photo must be under 2mb with a total per post of 10mb. I find .jpeg formats are the easiest to attach.

    Hope that helps
    Steve
     
  8. clive7

    clive7 Member

    reunion.JPG reunion.JPG sherwood foresters 040.jpg



    Hi Steve,

    once again, many thanks,

    Have (hopefully) attatched photo's of Harold Gilbert and

    Sherwood Foresters reunion in Lillehammer 1986
    H. Gilbert is back row, 2nd left.

    Regards
    Clive
     
  9. Steve Foster

    Steve Foster Senior Member

    Great photographs Clive, I expect dad knew most of the people at the reunion. He was all jacked up to attend and very excited about it but then had to go into hospital at the last moment.

    My biggest regret is that I did not take him back to Norway or Stalag XXa before he died in 1989.

    Steve
     
  10. clive7

    clive7 Member

    Sorry,..I missed one!

    Part of 'C' company
    8th battalion

    Harold Gilbert top right. Copy of sherwood foresters 039.jpg
     
  11. lysm77

    lysm77 New Member

    I'm Clive7's daughter. I have a scanned image of his previously posted photo of Pte Harold Gilbert of B Company. This one without flare from the glass. Harold Gilbert sepia 6x8.jpg
     
  12. lysm77

    lysm77 New Member

    Sorry, not B company, he was C company.
     
  13. Steve Foster

    Steve Foster Senior Member

    Below I have attached some photographs of Dad prior to the Norway deployment on 18 April 1940.

    The first is him with his Dad, Harry and sister Hilda, taken in Newark on leave from Barnard Castle in December 1939.

    The second is of Dad and some his platoon whilst training at Barnard Castle.

    The third is of Mum and Dad getting married in February 1940 at Barnard Castle, just a few weeks after they had met. They were married for two months before he was wounded and captured at Tretten and they did not see each other again until May 1945. Mum moved from Barnard Castle to Newark for the whole of the war to live with her Father in Law, Harry, in Bowbridge Road. She worked for the war effort at Ransome and Marles, Newark making ball bearings.

    She met every train that came into Newark with the survivors of the battalion and was told by someone who knew dad that he had seen him lying dead in Tretten churchyard. She thought that was the case until she received her first post card from Dad in Stalag XXA in May 1940.

    Steve

    Dad, Hilda and Harry.jpg

    148 Brigade Staff.jpg

    Mum and Dad marriage.jpg
     
  14. pswood

    pswood Member

    It is several years since I attempted to find a comprehensive site covering the 8th Batt involvement in Norway 1940, so, I was both surprised and pleased to discover this one.

    My father, the late Pte Samuel Wood, 4969967 was with 'C'(?) Company but I am not sure. He told us a few stories of his experiences but never elaborated on them unless pressed.

    He lived in Buxton and joined the Territorials in 1929, giving his age as 18 although he was actually 17. Summer Camp was at Carburton If I recall correctly and I have a picture of him at that camp.

    He was in India and Cyprus before the war.

    Born 14/1/1912, died 26/4/90: 50 years and 3 days after they withdrew from the fighting! He mentioned Lillehammer and Dombas but I don't remember any mention of Tretten.

    He told us the name of the ship they went out on but I would like to know the identity of the boats that took them out and back, having forgotten.
     
  15. Steve Foster

    Steve Foster Senior Member

    Hi PS,

    Ships involved:

    HMS Arethusa: B Coy, C Coy and two thirds of HQ Coy plus 1 Coy of Leicesters

    HMS Galatea: A Coy, D Coy, one third HQ Coy, 1 Coy of Leicesters and Brigade Staff

    I have put all of the information I have researched on another website which deals specifically with the war in Norway. All of my photographs and researched documents are on there - take a look http://nuav.rforum.biz/t624-8th-bn-sherwood-foresters-last-stand-at-tretten

    Regards

    Steve
     
  16. pswood

    pswood Member

    Hello Steve,

    Thanks for your speedy response and the information about the destroyers! So, it was the HMS Arethusa... :)

    That picture put up by clive7...my two brothers and I are 90% certain that my father is top left. We wonder if Clive can confirm this? 'C' company would be right.

    Your site at nuav gives another superb insight into 1/8 Battalion Norway operations which represent a campaign largely passed over in WWII history, probably because of events which took place a month later, then, the Battle of Britain.
    I didn't know it was so expansive and had never heard of Tretten.

    BTW. A bit of wishful thinking here but do you know if the Norwegian Government has since bestowed the Norwegian Defence Medal on British NCOs and other ranks for their service in April 1940? The terms of issue seem applicable and the minimum service period of 5 days would have been achieved. Apparently, this medal is still being issued but has been thwarted in many cases because of difficulties in identifying and contacting potential recipients. The King Haakon medal was issued to many officers.
     
  17. Steve Foster

    Steve Foster Senior Member

    Hello again PS,

    Excuse me for calling you that but do not know your name.

    I think you are right about eligibility of the Norwegian Defence Medal which they call the "Deltakermedaljen 1940-1945". This website has details of it http://en.ww2awards.com/award/194 I had never heard of it and I am sure Dad hadn't.

    I expect your dad did easily enough days to qualify if he made it back to blighty, the minimum qualification period is 5 days actually ashore in the country. Dad landed on 18 April and was captured on 23 April so he may just be eligible.

    I have contacted the Norwegian embassy tonight by e mail to ask how to apply on behalf of my father. If you google the Norwegian Embassy, their e mail address is on there. It will be frowned on if I put it on this forum.

    Thanks again for the tip off,

    Regards

    Steve
     
  18. pswood

    pswood Member

    Hello Steve,

    Could be a very interesting development re the medal if eligibility is appropriate to the BEF in Norway. I think the five day terms should not be written in stone for people who had actually confronted the Germans and some latitude should certainly be considered when assessing such applicants for issue - in my view. Thanks for the 'heads-up' re contacting the Norwegian Embassy.

    The policy of issuing British medals has always been to keep them to a minimum but I think the 1939-45 Star should have had a Norway bar. Late in the day now but the Arctic Star has recently been issued, and long overdue, too.

    In 1988 I successfully tackled the Army Medal Office about my father's Territorial Efficiency Medal which they had said he wasn't entitled to during the war but had issued him with the ribbon! After I queried this, they duly sent the medal after receiving the required documentation. Only 44 years late but it proves that it is always worth a try!

    Regards,

    Pete.
     
  19. Steve Foster

    Steve Foster Senior Member

    Pete,

    Whilst I had the bit between my teeth last night, I e mailed the Medal Office at Imjin Barracks which is part of the SPVA. I acknowledeged that the Norwegian Defence Medal is not a British medal but enquired how I could claim it retrospectively for dad; they may know.
    The medals office web site is here http://www.veterans-uk.info/medals/claiming.html

    Will give you a heads up if the embassy or medals office reply.

    I think dad had trouble claiming his medals after the war, like your dad he has the TA efficiency medal (see my logo above) but had to apply for the France and Germany medal as a special issue. This was eventually awarded due to the time he spent on the run in Germany from his POW camp in Poland.

    Steve

    I
     
  20. pswood

    pswood Member

    Thanks Steve,

    I will follow this up when I return next week-end in respect if the Norwegian Embassy link.

    I once wrote to the French embassy re a WW1 French award and they duly replied with information after making a search. I'm sure you will receive a reply in due course from the Medal Office. Hope we can get something positive from either source of enquiry.

    Regards,

    Pete.
     

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