Epilogue

The battalion disbanded in Austria in March 1946, exactly seven years after being formed. This chapter briefly summarises the subsequent history of the regiment’s TA battalions and the post-war activities of battalion veterans, in particular the highly active Battalion Association.

The post-war regimental history is from Barclay (1959), supplemented by Housley (1997). Personal details come from various obituaries, particularly those in the Regimental magazine, Firm and Forester, from the IWM Sound Archive, and from the genealogy sites ancestry.com and findmypast.com. There is further information on the Battalion Association in the Nottinghamshire Archive.

Notes

pp. 249-50 Post-war regimental history from Barclay’s history, p. 161, Housley, First Contact, pp. 76–77, and Anon, The Sherwood Foresters: A Brief History, p. 18–19 and end paper.

p. 250 ‘Death of Colonel Everard’, Bulawayo Chronicle, Saturday 9 August 1980, p. 1.

pp. 250 Hefford obitiaries in Daily Telegraph, 29 September 1995, p. 25 and The Times, 2 October 1995, p. 23.

p. 251 NCA DD/SF/28, Anon, ‘Lt-Col J.R.Welchman’ (n.d.).

p. 251 Stott CBE citation, WO 373/72/22, and obituary in Firm and Forester 8/3 (Apr. 1985).

p. 251-55 Further obituaries in Firm and Forester 8/2 (Oct. 1984) (Hine) 8/3 (Apr. 1985) (Hammond), 11/1 (Apr. 1990) (Tulloch), and 11/3 (Apr. 1991) (Sullivan), 14/4 (Nov. 1997), 14/4 (Nov. 1997) (CAW Williamson), 16/3 (Nov. 2001) (Newell) and 17/1 (May 2002) (Hinde). Peter Litton’s post-war career from London Gazette Supplement 4 December 1959 p. 7668; 29 December 1964, p. 6; 1 March 1977, p. 2828; and 14 March 1983 p. 3626. Brian Keith-Lucas details from his obituary in the Independent, Wednesday 20 November 1996; and entry in the Oxford Dictionary of National Biography (2004).

p. 252 Crews obituary on <www.crich-memorial.org.uk/obituries/obituries.html>[accessed 03 December 2022, also IWM Tape #19987, Reel 23. Five out of six teachers at St Peter’s who served in the war survived, and all were made housemasters on their return.

p. 252 Information on Synot from Passenger List and Australian Electoral Rolls, ancestry.com.

p. 252 Johnny Wright from IWM Tape #19079, Reel 7; Daventry Weekly Express date n.k. (article posted on ancestry.com).

p. 252 Stanley White’s details are from his death certificate.

p. 253 Frank Mardell’s story from IWM Tape #16400, Reels 7–8.

p. 253 Len Stevenson’s obituary in Firm and Forester 16/3 (May 2001); Don Wallis obituary is on <www.crich-memorial.org.uk/obituries/obituries.html>.

pp. 253-56 Further post-war stories from IWM tapes: Hampton (#13260, Reel 7), Edwards (#16087, Reel 4), O’Sullivan, (#20789, Reel 32), Reynolds, (#13563, Reel 5), Higton, (#18618, Reel 12), Orme, (#21600, Reel 22), O’Sullivan, (#20789, Reel 32), Charlesworth, (#13454, Reel 15), Plowright (#15590, Reel 15), Newham (#13124, Reel 12), Coombs, (#22080, Reel 5), Offiler, (#16352, Reel 7). Wally Binch and the Veterans Association from IWM tape #12941, Reel 11; and Nottingham Evening Post and News, Tuesday 28 July 1970, p. 8. Fred Hirst information from ancestry.com, believed originally sourced from his autobiography A Green Hill Far Away. Information on Harold Mellors supplied to the author by his son Tony Mellors, 25 May 2023.

p. 257 Buxton-Oignies twinning story from ‘Friends of Oignies: About us’ <https://www.friendsofoignies.com/about> [accessed 25 Jul 2023].