The gentleman warrior - Capt. R.W. Sherwood.        CAPTAIN ROBERT WILLIAM SHERWOOD RAF LEVIES      Captain Robert William Sherwood joined the Royal Sussex Regiment on the 6/3/1933, educated in the Army he rose through the ranks and received his commission on the 7/6/1941, in September the same year as a Lieutenant was posted to the 9th battalion RSR.   In April1942 he was posted to the Iraq Levies. After the occasional posting, he was posted to the RAF Levies parachute company on the 1/9/44.   As Lt Sherwood RAF Levies, he commanded the 2nd Assyrian platoon, 1st parachute company and was discharged in 1946 as Captain.   Captain Sherwood is described by the Assyrian Levies as a gentleman warrior who always considered his men before others. In 1944 an unfortunate incident occurred that was to leave Mr. Sherwood with bitter memories of the war that would trouble him to his last days.   Albania 1944, at 1700hrs, after the battle of Sarande, Lt Sherwood was ordered to take a recognition patrol and make contact with the British 40th commando. The patrol that included Sergeant Hormis Youkhana and three other Ranks made their way to the outskirts of Sarande. The commandos mistaking the patrol for Germans opened fire and all the men were wounded. At 2200hrs one of the Levies, with a chest wound, managed to report back to HQ and informed them of the situation. No rescue attempt was made; the wounded men lay on a dirt road until 0600 the next day, when Sergeant Youkhana managed to call out for help and were rescued by the commandos. [Sgt Youkhana, interviews page on main menu].   The following is a short biography of Captain Sherwood as written by his son Rick Sherwood.

Some members of Sherwood’s paratroopers – 2nd Assyrian platoon.               Dad was born in Rawalpindi India under British rule. His father was a Band Sergeant (Percy) and his mother (aka Proud) was a concert pianist from London. They took up ‘home’ in India under his father’s (Percy) commission. Dad grew up watching his father training Indians to be musicians in the local British Regiment Band and getting a feel for the military by always being at his father’s side. Just as an aside, the only time I remember correspond ices with my grandpa (Percy) was he sent me a red fire engine (which I still have by the way) when I was maybe 5 years old, I dragged it everywhere with me on a string! A couple of years later he wrote me a couple of letters to help me get started in music. Grandpa Percy also sent me a toy clarinet for Christmas when I was seven that began my enjoyment and life occupation with the clarinet, which I still play to this day. Anyway, even though I never met him personally he seemed to be a very kind man - like Dad was.   He grew up with his other family members: his sister Rosie, Dot and brother Jimmy (all deceased now). Dad’s life as a kid was ‘envious’ compared to our standards today - while I dreamed of hunting wild animals in a jungle as a young boy, dad actually did hunt in the jungle and would sometimes stay in the jungle for 2 days at a time worrying his parents half to death!  He also had his own elephant to play with and other animals too. Dad told a story of how one time when he and Rosie ‘were out in the jungle’ playing. they were suddenly chased by wild baboons up a tree and they were pretty scared and had to stay in that tree until the baboons got bored waiting. He lived in India until he was about aged 13 and then the whole family moved back to England.     After he was back in England, Dad returned back to school and he picked up a trade, brick laying and plastering and some cabinet making on the side. He also picked up the mouth organ and became quite proficient on it. I remember dad telling me he was part of a mouth organ band in the Middle East that got on the radio sometimes. Dad was always interested in music especially the big bands that came out of England at that time like Kenny Ball. Later on as I was growing up I remember Dad always playing music of some kind. Kenny Ball, Pete Fountain, Vera Lynne, Peggy Lee and other big bands.   The war came and Dad enlisted. He was like all of his ‘mates’ at that time - they all wanted to sign up as soon as possible to stop the enemy cold in their tracks before getting to England. Dad enlisted at age 20. The other dates are all in the document above where he served and everything.   The great thing that happened (especially for their kids!)  Was that Mom and Dad met and then later married on Christmas Eve, 1940 in Hastings while Dad was on leave for 3 days. They ‘setup home’ in Hastings at 7 Courthouse Street and that’s where Jan was born 1st and then Chris a few years later. They later moved to Latchingdon in England before emigrating.   Dad never really spoke much about the war times just a few things and areas that I’ll touch on in Dad’s view of the war. Late in his life, Dad confided in his family doctor because he could talk to him about things he did but would never burden us with some of the bad scenes that he went through.

Capt. Sherwood, dressed to jump!               Dad’s life was changed when he was wounded in action and came home. Even though Dad had a benefit and pension from the army he wanted to do something else with his life. He used his tradesman expertise to do odd jobs around Hastings then he got an idea to start his own business. He started up a toy business with one of his best friends, which flourished for a while (in fact I still have a toy helicopter Dad built me as a kid). But, after his friend suddenly left the business in a lurch, Mom and Dad thought it was time to do something ‘drastic’ for a new start in their life together. They had heard from mom’s sister about Canada and how promising it was. So, in 1954 mom and Dad left for North America by ship with a final destination in mind of Canada. They landed in Detroit and made their way up to Hamilton Ontario, Canada to be with some family (Hamilton is about 1 hour east of Toronto on Lake Ontario).    During Dad’s life in Canada he had some interesting jobs such as his first job. He was a guard at the Guelph Penitentiary. He was a great asset there due to his military training. He told me his first car he had in Canada was a Pontiac that took more oil than gas to keep it running out to Guelph and back!  He had another job as a cabinetmaker and later was promoted to be a Shipper. During this time I was born in 1955 and my sister Kathy was born a few years later. We all lived and thrived with mom and dad for years. Mom and Dad always sacrificed for their family and kids, I remember Janet in her track and field days being helped by Dad being driven everywhere. I remember Dad picking me up and taking me to all kinds of band practices as I was in High School and they saved up to send me on band trips throughout the world. Dad’s last job was very fitting a Sexton (a kind of janitor with more responsibilities) in Christ’s Church Anglican Cathedral in Hamilton until he retired at age 65. Dad had a close relationship with the Lord through out this life that he later told me started in the Middle East during the war.   During this time, Janet married and had a beautiful daughter Jennifer who herself has a beautiful daughter. Chris married and has 2 children Robert and Tina. Tina and her husband Charles just had a beautiful baby boy recently! I married Jane and my stepson [Jane’s son Jonathan] is engaged to be married next March- we very excited about the wedding!   We were all very saddened at dad’s death because he died in pain due to cancer he had in his mouth and serious other infections. He died Nov. 9th 1997 and was laid to rest on Nov. 11, very fitting way to be remembered for a soldier. He always kept a happy face through it all until the pain was bad.

Habbaniya - Capt. Sherwood second from right.       Views of the War:   Dad had very warm memories of his men; I think he loved them all. He mentioned his ‘batman’ with warmth who always took care of him and who was always there when he needed them. He spoke very highly of the ‘Girkas’ and how he enjoyed fighting with them and how they were such good fighters. He spoke of the Levies and how he enjoyed his men but he would always stop talking about them like he had to stop.   He told me of some stories of sneaking behind enemy lines and bobby trapping various parts of their camps it sounded like fun but I’m sure was rather hair raising! He also had some fun too like the time his friend Frank Brown put a ‘pee-pot’ on top of some flagpole before an important parade somewhere I can’t remember - and the officers in charge found out! What a bunch of loonies!  Frank is still alive in England in his late eighties I believe.   The part he hated the most was informing parents their sons died in action or preparing letters to go to their homes informing the parents of their son’s death.   As I mentioned above, Dad’s life changed when he was wounded and this left a deep impression on him that never left him I could tell there was always something he couldn’t tell me, he would get upset every time he talked about when he was wounded. Just before he died, Jane (my wife) had a talk with Dad and found out that he was still praying for his mates who were alive and also for that region of the world to be re-united since they were half-brothers.   Dad shared a lot of his memories with his doctor because he felt safe and I’ve never really spoke with Doctor Kraftcheck about Dad. Even though Dad had bittersweet memories, no one really knows the depth of that until you revealed those documents to me Gabriel.   Dad died on Nov. 9th 1997. His funeral very fitting indeed was Nov. 11th Remembrance Day 1997 in Hamilton Ontario.