Raymond Wilson Hoyte

He was the son of William Henry and Henrietta Mary Hoyte, 20, Private Road, Nottingham. Raymond Wilson Hoyte’s brother fought with 10th Sherwoods for the first two years of the war, then served on brigade or divisional staff. He wrote the Battalion History of 10th Sherwood Foresters.

Commemorated on the Arras Memorial. On the morning of Thursday 21st March 1918, whilst serving as an officer in 2/7th Sherwood Foresters, Raymond was one of twelve officers killed in the Battle of Bullecourt, some distance south of Arras. Fourteen others were either wounded or taken prisoner on the first day of the German Spring offensive in 1918, their last gamble to try and break through and win the war. The battalion was attacked from the flank and the front by overwhelming numbers and were overrun. The battalion’s positions in the line near Bullecourt were attacked at 9.40am this day and totally overwhelmed. Within the hour the battalion was completely surrounded and virtually ceased to exist. The casualty toll was horrific with 12 officers and 159 other ranks killed and 12 officers and 470 other ranks taken prisoner. Hoyte was a school contemporary of Lance Corporal Frederick George Tinker, 2/7th Bn Sherwood Foresters, who was killed the same day as Hoyte. Both are commemorated on the Arras Memorial.