Fred Rabbitt

1st Battalion Sherwood Foresters (Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire Regiment) War Diary 8/7/16 - '(Fricourt Wood and Lonely Copse) About 8.45 a.m, orders received for Companies in shell hole line to withdraw a few men at a time. Breakfasts were eaten on the road by Lozenge Wood and Companies occupied Patch Alley, remaining there all day. In the afternoon information was received that the enemy had evacuated Contalmaison and that out troops held Bailiff Wood. A new attack was ordered to capture and consolidate the village starting at 5.15.pm, About this time the enemy commenced a very heavy barrage which prevented some units from getting up. Both reports (re Contalmaison and Bailiff Wood) proving untrue, the attack a complete failure. Heavy shelling continued for some time, and things did not quieten down until quite late in the evening. H.Q., Company and details were shelled heavily in Crucifix Trench, Major Venner being killed and Lts Burrows and Mason wounded.' At some point in the day Fred Rabbitt was killed. He is buried in Dantzig Alley British Cemetery Mametz Somme France. 9.M.2 Research by John Morse

The Retford Times 1/9/1916 'Pte Fred Rabbitt was killed in action on July 8th last. Pte Rabbitt who was 29 years of age, enlisted in the Sherwood Foresters on September 6th 1914 and went through his training at Crown Hill Barracks, near Plymouth, He was drafted out to France in the following December and went into the trenches for the first time on Christmas Eve. The deceased soldier had 19 months fighting in France without having been wounded, though he had been in hospital suffering from frost bite and the end came as above stated, his death which was instantaneous, being due to shell shock. The news was first conveyed to his relatives by his school chum, Pte T Barker, these two having spent the whole of their service in France together. The official letter was received from the War Office a few days later. It is interesting to note that he was the second soldier and the first married man to volunteer from the parish and also after only three months training, he was the first Edwinstowe soldier belonging to Kitchener’s Army to be drafted to France. Touching reference was made to the deceased soldier at the Parish Church by the Vicar, the Rev E V Bond, who said “No words can adequately express our sympathy with his wife, mother and family in their bereavement. He was was one of those quiet unassuming men whom we in the parish, and in fact England, can ill afford to lose. One of the very first to volunteer, although a married man, we know from his comrade, T Barker, who was with him at the last, how bravely he did his duty and how nobly he died. He was a member of our Bible Union and Parish Church Choir possessing a natural alto voice, a regular Communicant, and a man of prayer. Apart from the great sacrifice which he, with so many others, has made for his country, and ‘Greater love hath no man than this, that he lay down his life for his friends, we believe that his salvation is assured but we must mourn for ourselves and let us not forget his example.’ Submitted by Colin Dannatt