Sergeant 27565

17^th Bn. Sherwood Foresters (Notts and Derby) Regt.

Died Sunday 3^rd. September. 1916

Grave ref. V1. F. 23 Ancre British Cemetery, Beaumont-Hamel, Somme, France.

William Rawson was the son of Mr and Mrs William Rawson of Old Westwood (Palmerston Street).
Also on the Jacksdale Memorial (served) is a Pte. Arthur Rawson, 30546 17th Btn. Sherwood Foresters. The Absent Voters Roll of 1918 gives his address as Old Westwood (Palmerston Street), indicating he may have been a younger brother or other close relative.

William enlisted at Nottingham, date unknown.
He was killed in action on Sunday 3rd September 1916, age unknown. A Free Press Newspaper report, dated 1917, states that ‘he had been missing for a long time past.’
The Sherwood Foresters Roll states that he was killed in action during the attack near Beaumont Hamel, France.
31427, Pte. Thomas Burton, 17th Btn.Sherwood Foresters, was also Killed-in-Action on the same day, during the same attack.
The community lost three men on that day, the third being 978 Sgt. William Wood Gibbons of the Royal Munster Fusiliers.
Another Jacksdale and Westwood 17th Btn. Sherwood Forester Killed-in-Action was; 27229, Sgt. William Lowe, of New Westwood.

There are also several who served in the 17th Btn Sherwood Foresters, including;
26641, Pte. Albert James Denton, of New Westwood.
30546, Pte. Arthur Wilson, of Old Westwood.
23090, Pte. Thomas Taylor, The Gables, Jacksdale.
John William Timmins, Private (later promoted to Lieutenant), of Old Westwood.

Sgt Rawson is buried at Ancre British Cemetery, Beaumont Hamel, Somme. A memorial service was held on Sunday 5th August 1917 at Westwood St. Marychurch.

The village of Beaumont Hamel was first attacked on 1st July 1916, without success. On the 3rd September 1916, a further attack was delivered between Hamel and Beaumont Hamel. It was not until 13th and 14th Novenber 1916, that Beaumont Hamel was successfully captured.

The majority of those buried in the cemetery died on 1st July, 3rd September or 13th November 1916.

There are now 2,540 casualities of WW1 at this cemetery, of which 1,335 are unidentified.

Sherwood Foresters World War One Casualties – 11,298
Source: R. Capewell ‘Discovering Military Badges.’