Anyone with relatives in the SRY - Sherwood Rangers - on here?

(As it says on the tin )

Hi all,

Anyone with relatives in the SRY - Sherwood Rangers - on here?

Just realised it was a question (I'd) not yet asked...

So for example.... does anyone have / have scanned copies of:
Old Comrades' Association Magazine (Nottinghamshire Sherwood Rangers Yeomanry) : http://www.iwm.org.uk/collections/item/publication/400008400

Or other SRY related memorabilia etc?

All the best,

Rm.

SRY by Ramiles posted Nov 16, 2019 at 11:06 AM

Some posts I have seen from SRY relatives looking for some SRY info in the past:

Nottingham Sherwood Rangers Yeomanry 'A' Squadron : http://ww2talk.com/forums/topic/45166-nottingham-sherwood-rangers-yeomanry-a-squadron/

316773 Acting Lance Serjeant Leslie Cribben MM, Sherwood Rangers Yeomanry :
316773 Acting Lance Serjeant Leslie Cribben MM, Sherwood Rangers Yeomanry

 

Some links to info about the Sherwood Rangers

The Queen's Royal Lancers and Nottinghamshire Yeomanry Museum : QRLNY Museum

Sherwood Rangers: The Sherwood Rangers Yeomanry - SRY

SRY: SRY - Home

The History of the 8th Armoured Brigade: The 8TH ARMOURED BRIGADE

Some IWM audios (and other similar links) relating to the SRY

Stanley William Cox (gunner, A Squadron SRY) : Cox, Stanley William (Oral history) (22372)
British trooper served with Sherwood Rangers in GB and Normandy, 1943-1944
See also: James Holland's Griffon Merlin | Stan Cox

Bert Jenkins (Trooper B squadron) - Bert Jenkins served with the Sherwood Rangers Yeomanry and came ashore on GOLD Beach on D-Day. : http://www.griffonmerlin.com/ww2_interviews/bert-jenkins-british/

Ernest William Philip Leppard (Wireless operator) : Leppard, Ernest William Philip (Oral history) (19057)
British civilian with Z Bty, Battersea Home Guard in GB, 1942-1943; trooper served with Sherwood Rangers Yeomanry in North West Europe, 1944-1945

John Douglas Semken (Commader of A squadron SRY) : Semken, John Douglas (Oral history) (21050)
British officer served with Sherwood Rangers in Middle East, GB and North West Europe, 1940-1944
See also: James Holland's Griffon Merlin | John Semken (British)


Some WW2 SRY threads

The Sherwood Rangers in North West Europe: http://ww2talk.com/forums/topic/57196-sherwood-rangers-yeomanry-sry-in-north-west-europe/

(Nb. more to add in post edit) Rm.

8th Armoured Honours and Awards

8thAs H&As by Ramiles posted Dec 12, 2015 at 9:30 AM

[sharedmedia=gallery:images:29398]

 

A new book re. the SRY is about to be released: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Hard-Fighting-History-Sherwood-Yeomanry/dp/1848848919

Hard Fighting: A History of the Sherwood Rangers Yeomanry 1900 - 1946 Hardcover – 30 Apr 2016 by Johnathon Hunt

About the Author: Jonathan Hunt is a retired solicitor. He joined the Territorial Army in 1963 and transferred into the Sherwood Rangers Yeomanry Squadron of the Royal Yeomanry in 1969. He commanded the Squadron from 1975 - 1978, the Royal Yeomanry from 1979 to 1982 for which he was appointed an OBE and retired in 1995 as a full Colonel. He was the Honorary Colonel of the Sherwood Rangers from 1994 to 2004 and has been Chairman of the Old Comrades Association since 1993. He wrote the companion volume Unicorns - The History of the Sherwood Rangers Yeomanry 1794 - 1899. Married with two sons, he lives near Worksop.

This account, following on from Unicorns - The History of the Sherwood Rangers Yeomanry 1794- 1899, covers the Regiment's war service between 1900 and 1945. During the Boer War the SRY formed part of the first volunteer unit to see active service overseas fighting the Boer Commandos as cavalry. For its role in the ill-fated 1915 Gallipoli campaign, the Regiment was awarded the King's Colour and then fought Allenby's victorious campaign against the Turks. During the Second World War the Regiment initially saw service in Palestine, at the siege of Tobruk and the fall of Crete. After acting as Special Forces in Ethiopia, they were converted to armour and fought through from Alamein to Tripoli before returning to North-west Europe for D-Day and the advance to Germany. In so doing they won thirty Battle Honours and 159 awards including eighty-three for gallantry. General Sir Brian Horrocks later wrote 'no armoured regiment can show a finer record of hard fighting.' Hence the title of this invaluable regimental history.

 

Hi there
My Grandfather served in th SRY
He was killed in Geel in Sept 44
I have two of Old Comrades' Association Magazines from the 50's
I also have a fb site about the regiment in europe....

https://www.facebook.com/The-Sherwood-Rangers-in-NW-Europe-194445-1735590503341671/

k

 

The Sherwood Rangers in NW Europe 1944/45

 

Kalmcd,

In ref. to Michael Gold in the post at - see also...

http://ww2talk.com/forums/topic/59787-the-first-british-fighting-soldiers-in-paris-since-the-occupation-27th-august/

I had a glance (at your FB page ) and saw at...

https://www.facebook.com/sherwoodrangersyeomanry/?fref=nf

What appears to be a picture of him there. At...

https://www.facebook.com/sherwoodrangersyeomanry/photos/a.1735621840005204.1073741828.1735590503341671/1796009333966454/?type=3&theater

I recognised him from - I think as I said - some of the snaps in the James Holland book (in which he features quite prominently). Though not 100% sure (re. the photo). I have the book but it is not currently at hand.

All the best,

Rm.

 

Hi,
My grandma's uncle was in the Sherwood Rangers and all she knew was that he died. I've been doing some research and found that he was killed 10th September 1944 in the battle of Geel aged just 23 and he is buried in Geel (Stelen) churchyard (Antwerpen Belgium).
I've read a lot about the battle over the past few days but would really like to know more of his personal story and how he actually died......does any one have any info or advice of where to look? Also I would be very much interested in any other stories about other Rangers at Geel.
Name: Thomas Fothergill
Rank: Trooper
Service no: 4615266
Grave reference: Brit. Plot, grave 5 Geel (Stelen) churchyard.

Son of Albert and Mary Anne Fothergill; husband of Ada Fothergill.
From Belle Isle, Leeds, West Yorkshire

And this is a long shot but I have desperately trying to find out about my great grandfather, Thomas's brother.
His name was Albert Fothergill and was a Lance Corporal in the Royal Corps of Signals.
Service no, 62114
He served in Egypt, East Africa, Western Desert, Sudan, Greece, Crete, Syria and Tobruk. He won a gallantry award (mentioned in des patches) but we have no idea what for as he didn't speak about the war and died 12 years after it ended. Any info or directions to look would be incredibly helpful as I have searched and searched.

Thanks,
Georgia

 

Hello Georgia,

Good to hear from you. I don't know if you have been reading the posts on here already re. Geel (but I assume so) ?

There's a ref (here): https://twitter.com/James1940/status/712664952008544256
...to a tweet some months ago by James Holland (March 23rd 2016) of a copy of a couple of pages of Padre Skinner's casualty book for the Sherwood Rangers - that actually mentions your relative Thomas Fothergill - which I recently posted here: http://ww2talk.com/forums/topic/60178-316773-acting-lance-serjeant-leslie-cribben-mm-sherwood-rangers-yeomanry/#entry704658

And it looks like Thomas Fothergill was in B squadron of the Sherwood Rangers according to Padre Skinner's casualty book.

And here is a google translate to Gil's (Dutch) site: "Battle for the Locks" : https://translate.google.co.uk/translate?sl=auto&tl=en&js=y&prev=_t&hl=en&ie=UTF-8&u=http%3A%2F%2Fbattleforthelocks.be%2FGEEL%2Findex.html&edit-text=&act=url

Nb. In google translate it ref's "Yellow" a lot i.e "The Battle of Yellow" as google is doing a rather odd thing and translating the "Battle of Geel" and "Geel" as the "Battle of Yellow" and Geel as "Yellow" for some rather unaccountably odd reason.

But there is quite a lot about Geel there.

BTW I have found out a few things about Geel over the months and years - but I have posted most (if not all!) that I know already here - but you might consider private messaging Gil - Jonesy123 (on here) as he is a local (of Geel) and may be able to help you out a bit more.

Jonesy123: http://ww2talk.com/forums/user/33263-jonesy123/

There are quite a few (excellent) books out about the SRY - including a very recent (Apr 2016) one:

Hard Fighting: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Hard-Fighting-History-Sherwood-Yeomanry/dp/1848848919

Not sure if you have seen/read many/any of the books yet about the SRY?

All the best,

Rm.

 

'Geel' does indeed mean 'yellow' in Dutch...I suspect that Google shouldn't be translating it like that if it's written with a capital letter though.

It used to have a flax industry so the name may have come from that. The post-war Flemish tendency to 'tidy-up' spellings has produced some oddities.

 

Hello,
Thank you for your reply and also for sharing that tweet. I hadn't seen those pages!

I only discovered this site earlier today so I haven't read much but I'm making my way through it and will definitely look at your stuff.

I haven't yet found a book so thanks for the recommendation too.

I'll be seeing my grandparents tomorrow so I can't wait to show them the pages from Padre Skinner's casualty book.

Thanks for all that, I'm going to have a good look tomorrow and I'll be checking back here for sure
Georgia.

 

Hum

Another one added on to the (long!) line of books to get/read (time permitting ):

Tank Action: An Armoured Troop Commander's War 1944-45 Hardcover – 16 Jun 2016
by Captain David Render (Author), Stuart Tootal (Author)
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Tank-Actio..._SR105,160_&psc=1&refRID=5SNA5FAH431D7F5ENXDD

And seems to have (already) got some rather good reviews.

"A gripping account of the Second World War, from the perspective of a young tank commander.
In 1944 the average life expectancy of a newly commissioned tank troop officer in Normandy was estimated as being less than two weeks. David Render was a nineteen-year-old second lieutenant fresh from Sandhurst when he was sent to France to join a veteran armoured unit that had already spent years fighting with the Desert Rats in North Africa. Joining the Sherwood Rangers Yeomanry five days after the D-Day landings, the combat-hardened men he was sent to command did not expect him to last long. However, in the following weeks of ferocious fighting in Normandy, in which more than 90 per cent of his fellow tank commanders became casualties, his ability to emerge unscathed from countless combat engagements defied expectations and earned him his squadron's nickname of the 'Inevitable Mr Render'.
In Tank Action David Render tells his remarkable story, spanning every major episode of the last year of the Second World War in Western Europe, from the invasion of Normandy to the fall of Germany. Ultimately it is a story of survival, comradeship and the ability to stand up and be counted as a leader in combat."

There is an IWM interview series with David Render (British officer served with A Sqdn, Sherwood Rangers in North West Europe, 1944-1945 here: Render, David Desmond (Oral history) (22099)

And also on David Render: (Captain David Render 89, graduated from Sandhurst at the age of 18. He is probably one of Sherwood Rangers’ last surviving officers and is one of the thousands of veterans who’ve travelled to the places where they saw action using a Big Lottery Fund Heroes Return grant.): A hero returns

An article from the Telegraph re. David Render: War hero tank commander: How I cheated death - and became a champion racing car driver

And a few other articles (also from the Telegraph) that mention David Render:

D-Day survivors tell their stories

The moment a very cheeky veteran met Camilla

 

Georgia,

For further detail, there is also this: A Sherwood Ranger • Axis History Forum

Which was posted by the grandson of "Trooper William Reid," of the SRY - also Karlmcd (on here)

http://ww2talk.com/forums/user/18305-karlmcd/

...and relates a lot to the fighting around Geel where William Reid was also KIA on 10th September 1944

Especially: A Sherwood Ranger • Axis History Forum

Which mentions the direct hit on Sgt Wilson's tank and three of the crew being KIA.

 

Thanks Rich I was trying to think of something "similar" for the UK - and came up with: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saffron_Walden

"In the 16th and 17th centuries the saffron crocus (Crocus sativus) was widely grown, thanks to the town's favourable soil and climate. The flower was precious, as the extract from the stigmas was used in medicines, as a condiment, in perfume, as an aphrodisiac, and as an expensive yellow dye. The industry gave Walden its name."

And of course you can always translate "a Berliner" as a jelly doughnut (or perhaps not )

 

hi..there are no real good pics of him in the book..but hes mentioned many times.
trying to get a pic of each and every man if poss.
have 2 sqaudron pics..A and i believe B taken april/may 1944
trying to locate the others...
wrote off for footage from the IWM of A sqaud troopers driving the TIGER in Rauray...should have it soon, and looking forward to seeing it as i cant find it on the net.

 

Hi Karl,

Re. "there are no real good pics of him in the book" - you mean Michael Gold ? (Don't want to confuse Georgia (above re. her relative "Thomas Fothergill")

Karl - you could try "mkenny"? re. footage etc. if you have a specific idea what in particular you want as he might know of some of the best sources out there.

Re. sourcing pics etc. copy-write I guess tho is always a potential concern. Often a quick scan through google images finds "something" but it can be a bit like chasing one's own tail and often can get confusing and circuitous! I sometimes wish it was all rather in one place - however that said chances are that "one-place" would be the "internet" I guess

All the best,

Rm.

 

Yup..i meant Gold..am finding one or two pics of troopers from local newspaper obits from the time...and been able to send them on to sites like fallenherosofnormandy to put in their records..also findagrave ...having a great time digging into the SRY...bringing them back to life.....have i asked what ur grandfathers name even was??? sorry..

 

You are doing a very fine thing Karl

Ben Symes, he was my mum's dad and sadly passed away in 1976. Went from the 24th L into the SRY at the start of August 1944. One thing that stuck me rather was that of all that was written about them even a huge book seldom mentions more than 50 or a 100 of their actual names - and seldom puts more than a handful to a dozen or so pictures - and typically tells the tale of at most a dozen or so close friends - so sometimes you sort of forget what their actual numbers there were. I'd love some day (but daunted!!!) to try to track down all those other 900+ or so - and then the thousands of relatives that there must potentially now be Especially when focusing on "just" one life can take pretty much a lifetime in itself!

All the best,

Rm.

 

Not in ref. to M.Gold, but in general to those of the SRY, Karl, I was thinking about copy write as I was going to direct you towards the pics at:
War hero tank commander: How I cheated death - and became a champion racing car driver

Of David Render and his fellow A squadron officers there. I noticed that they credit these to the Sherwood Rangers Yeomanry Archive. Presumably p'haps... though I didn't see that particular one (when I briefly looked )

The Sherwood Rangers Yeomanry - SRY

Sherwood Rangers Yeomanry Museum
A small regimental collection which is open to the public by appointment only. Contact should be made through the Chairman of the Old Comrades Association, Mr. M. Freeman, who can be contacted at info@TheSherwoodRangers.com or via the Regimental Association website at www.TheSherwoodRangers.com " The regiment will also contribute a representative display to the new Queen's Royal Lancers and Nottinghamshire Yeomanry Museum which is planned to open at Thoresby Park in 2011.

And: World War 2 Members | The Sherwood Rangers (SRY)

It does have a photo of the whole of B squadron SRY (taken in England in 1944) though - and btw Georgia - Thomas Fothergill might be among them there? (not sure when he joined the SRY though?)

All the best,

Rm.

 

many thanks...i can name those men..i have a copy..the pic is from renders personal collection and is signed by all four men