CAPTAIN JOSEPH TOLSON 1/6th SHERWOOD FORESTERS (NOTTINGHAMSHIRE AND DERBYSHIRE REGIMENT).


CAPTAIN JOSEPH TOLSON 1/6th SHERWOOD FORESTERS (NOTTINGHAMSHIRE AND DERBYSHIRE REGIMENT). DIED OF WOUNDS 28th OCTOBER 1917, AGED 32


Although, born in Wilmslow, Cheshire in 1885, Joseph Tolson moved to Ilkley with his parents when when he was just a few years old. His father Charles Guthrie Tolson was a worsted manufacturer who came from a wealthy family who originated in Huddersfield. Along with his wife Anna and daughters they moved into a house called Blackstone on Hangingstone Road.


Joseph was sent as a boarder to the famous public school at Rugby where he excelled at sport. At the age of 18 he left school and went into business with his father who was a senior partner in the firm of Tolson and Chisnell. the firm began trading in cotton fabric and moved their offices to Bale Street in Manchester. Now a junior partner Joseph was sent abroad to seek new markets for the firm and he spent time in China and Japan as well as in Scandinavia where firm had many contacts.

By now the Tolsons had moved back to Cheshire where in 1907 Joseph married Florence Wheeler and together they set up home in Whaley Bridge just across the border in Derbyshire.

Joseph seems to have become convinced that war with Germany was inevitable and determined to become involved should conflict occur enlisted in a territorial battalion of the Sherwood Foresters. On 11th September 1912 he was gazetted as 2nd Lieutenant in the 6th Battalion and with the commencement of war in 1914 immediately elected to serve overseas.
The battalion arrived in France in February 1915 and just 2 months later on the 26th April Joseph was badly wounded near to Mount Kemmel and evacuated back to England.Although, unfit for active service he returned to the regiments depot in Derbyshire in July of that year. It was only in late October 1915 that he would return to France now promoted to Lieutenant.

Joseph would now spend the next two years with the Sherwood Foresters and would take part in every major battle in which they were involved. Promoted to captain in command of 'B' Company and the senior company commander in the battalion he managed to avoid serious injury throughout this time.

It was on the 18th October 1917 that Josephs luck ran out. The Sherwoods were in the front line at a feature known as Hill 70 in the Lens Sector. The hill had recently been captured by the Canadian Corps and as they moved north to Ypres the Sherwood took their place. Joseph decided to inspect the enemy barbed wire in front of his companies position and in broad daylight crawled out into 'No-Mans Land'. The Germans must have spotted him and he was shot. Brought back to the British lines he was moved back to the nearby 1st Casualty Clearing Station. Sadly, whilst being treated Joseph contracted pneumonia and died on the 28th October 1917.

His divisional commander would white of Joseph "He was a gallant lion-hearted English gentleman, loved and respected by the whole Battalion and a very valuable officer." His Colonel would say of him "I have lost a great friend and the Battalion a splendid officer, whom we cannot replace”.

Today Captain Joseph Tolson lies in the British Military Cemetery at Chocques and is remembered with pride on our war memorial in Ilkley.






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