What regiments did Matlock or people from elsewhere in Derbyshire normally joined in WW1?
They joined a variety regiments, though many joined the Sherwood Foresters. To give you examples from my own family, one was in the Grenadier Guards as he was over 6′ 4″ (there was a height stipulation) and later went into the Royal Flying Corps as one of the earliest recruits. Another had been in the Derbyshire Yeomanry but, as they were not due to go to France until 1915, he chose to join a regiment that was to go to France at the very outbreak of war. They’d all thought the war would be over quickly and they’d be home by Christmas. Some men and boys from the little villages may all have joined one regiment – these were sometimes known as ‘Pals’. In one Derbyshire village, all the young lads joined together after being encouraged to do so from the pulpit and most were wiped out within around four months. A whole generation of the village’s young men.
