Sherwood Foresters Memorial

24 October 2009

In the Great War over 11,000 men of the Sherwood Foresters died on active service on the Western Front. Even though men of the counties of Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire made this great sacrifice there was no lasting Memorial anywhere in France or Belgium to the Regiment.

An appeal was made to town and parish councils in the two counties and money was raised through donations to install a memorial alongside others in Flanders.

The stone memorial of Derbyshire Sandstone is engraved with a Sherwood Foresters Badge and has the text as follows:

IN MEMORY OF
OVER 11,000 ALL RANKS OF
THE SHERWOOD FORESTERS
(NOTTINGHAMSHIRE AND DERBYSHIRE REGIMENT)
WHO LAID DOWN THEIR LIVES
ON THE WESTERN FRONT
BETWEEN 1914 AND 1918

The memorial was transported to Belgium and permanently erected at the Tyne Cot Cemetery on the Passchendaele Ridge. Tyne Cot Cemetery was chosen as it is the largest Commonwealth War Graves Commission Cemetery in the world.

The Sherwood Foresters Western Front Memorial was unveiled on Saturday 24th October 2009 by the Lords Lieutenant of Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire. The event was attended by over 500 guests from the UK in addition to the many Belgian dignitaries.

The Sherwood Foresters Western Front Memorial
at Tyne Cot Cemetery

Soldiers in 1914/18 Period Uniforms at the
Sherwood Foresters Western Front Memorial

Lords Lieutenant of Nottinghamshire (Sir Andrew Buchanan BT)
and Derbyshire (Mr Willie Tucker) at the Opening of the
Sherwood Foresters Western Front Memorial

Photo's courtesy of Brian Brown