Private 18168

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

Died Saturday lst July 1916.

Grave ref. Pier and Face 10 C 10 D and 11 A. Thiepval Memorial, Somme, France.

Lewis Angus Towle was born at Langley Mill, Nottinghamshire. He later moved to this area but we are not sure whether he lived either in Jacksdale or Westwood. The Soldier’s Died CD shows his place of residence as Jacksdale but the Sherwood Foresters Roll of Honour mentions a Nottingham Evening Post article referring to an LA Towle of New Westwood.

A newspaper report entitled “Selston Roll of Honour” reports that he joined the army in October 1914 and was killed on Saturday 1st July 1916. We know that he enlisted at Nottingham and was killed, age not known, in the attack on Ovillers, France. Apparently the article in the Nottingham Evening Post indicates that he may have been 24 years old at time of death.

As yet, we have been unable to trace any living relatives and therefore have no further information about him. He is the only ‘Towle’ listed on the Jacksdale Memorial but it is interesting to note that a H/275972 Private Leonard Towell of the 1st Notts S.R. Yeomanry, place of residence Laverick Road, Jacksdale, who served, is also mentioned on the Jacksdale memorial. Due to the different spelling of the name we have assumed that there is no relationship. 268909 Private Arthur Graney (fell) and 268910 Lance Corporal Thomas Wrightson (served) were also 11th Btn Sherwood Foresters.

Lewis Angus Towle is one of nine Jacksdale & Westwood casualties commemorated at The Thiepval Memorial, France, memorial to 72,000 officers and men of the United Kingdom and South African forces who died in the Somme sector before 20th March 1918, and have no known grave.

1st Jul 1916 - Lewis Angus Towle - 11th Btn Sherwood Foresters
1st Jul 1916 - John Pirdue/Purdy - 1/5th Btn Sherwood Foresters
4th Jul 1916 - Ernest Knight – 13th Btn Northumberland Fusiliers
5th Jul 1916 - Robert Archer – 1/5th Btn King’s Own
5th Jul 1916 - Reginald Francis Jones – 1st Btn Sherwood Foresters
7th Jul 1916 - David Tansey – 10th Btn Sherwood Foresters
3rd Sep 1916 - Thomas Burton – 17th Btn Sherwood Foresters
4th Mar1917 - Francis Howard Marshall – 1st Btn Sherwood Foresters
27th Apr 1917 - Horace Cartledge –2/8th Btn Sherwood Foresters

The Sherwood Foresters are commemorated on Pier & Faces 10C, 10D & 11A. Ernest Knight of the Northumberland Fusiliers is commemorated on Pier & Faces 10B, 11B & 12B.
Robert Archer of the King’s Own is commemorated on Pier & Faces 11C & 12A

Please let us know if you are planning a visit to the Thiepval Memorial in the near future and would perhaps have time to take some photographs for us, particularly of the name plaques of the above servicemen.

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