Sherwood Forester to Royal Flying Corps

[johntde]

This is on the 'Poetry of the First World War' site (https://www.scuttlebuttsmallchow.com/listbri3.html). It concerns a Sherwood Forester who evidently was billeted with my grandparents in Monkwearmouth, Sunderland. I have a book of childrens' stories that he gave to my mother (then 8), before going to France with the RFC. Also a hat badge given to her as a present. Evidently the 3rd Bn was a reserve battalion. So what was it doing in Sunderland, and how would one of its officers have been billeted with what would have been a rather poor family?

"2nd Lieutenant Francis St Vincent MORRIS (1896-1917). Born 21 February 1896, Blackwell Vicarage, Ashbourne, Derbyshire, the youngest son of Canon and Mrs Morris. Educated Brighton College, where he was at school when the War started. At the end of summer term, 1915, he was gazetted 2nd Lieutenant in the 3rd Battalion Sherwood Foresters, the same regiment in which his father had served as chaplain. Once he realized his chances of getting to France were not favorable, he transferred into the Royal Flying Corps. A few weeks after his arrival at No. 3 Squadron, in France, in April 1917, he crashed during a blizzard at Vimy Ridge, fracturing both legs, one of which had to be amputated. He died on 29 April, three weeks after his crash, while under anaesthetic during a second surgery. He was 21. 2nd Lt Morris was buried at St Sever Cemetery, Rouen."

AIGR (All Information Gratefully Received)

John

[emmteeyess]

Evidently the 3rd Bn was a reserve battalion. So what was it doing in Sunderland, and how would one of its officers have been billeted with what would have been a rather poor family?

". Once he realized his chances of getting to France were not favorable, he transferred into the Royal Flying Corps.."

AIGR (All Information Gratefully Received)

John

Possibly, the reserve battalion were posted to coastal defences around the Sunderland area. This was a major ship building port and coal mining area and certainly the DLI did duties in coastal defence before being posted to France.
There was a barracks in Hendon, Sunderland, which might not have been big enough for all incomers and so officers may have been billeted out.
Usworth airfield on the outskirts of Sunderland (see Wikipedia - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/RAF_Usworth) was the base for no. 36 Squadron RFC and may have attracted your man MORRIS for his chance to get to France.

Pure conjecture on my part, but it would fit into the situation in Sunderland at the start of WW1

Cheers, MTS