Post World War 2 (1945-1970)

By mid 1945 the 1st Battalion had been re-formed and was training as part of 61 Light Division to move out to take part in the final defeat of the Japanese. However, with the end of hostilities, its role was changed and instead it joined the Army of occupation in Germany. The 2nd Battalion remained in Palestine seeing further active service during the post war disturbances there. Meanwhile TA and Service Battalions were disbanded.

As the old colonies and territories of the British Empire were granted their independence, the size of the army was reduced. In 1948 the 1st and 2nd Battalions were amalgamated to form one Battalion, although for a further short period following the Korean War, the 2nd Battalion was reactivated (1952-1955). During the post-war period the 1st Battalion served first as a lorry-borne infantry battalion in Germany and then as garrison troops in Egypt. Early in 1953 the Battalion moved to Libya where they became a motorised battalion equipped with armoured tracked vehicles. Service in the same role in Germany followed.

In 1958 the Battalion reverted to a normal infantry role and took part in the closing stages of the jungle fighting against the communists in Malaya. Then, after a further period in Singapore, the Battalion returned to UK in 1961.

In December 1963 following an emergency over-Christmas move to Cyprus, the Battalion found itself in a United Nations peace keeping role once again keeping the Turks and Greeks apart. In 1964 1 Foresters moved again to Germany as a mechanised infantry Battalion and served there until returning to UK in early 1970. It was during this period that Nottingham, Derby, Chesterfield, Ilkeston, Mansfield, Newark, East Retford and Buxton in turn bestowed their 'Freedom' on the Regiment further cementing ties with their County Regiment.

The wartime system of conscription was continued through to the early sixties with national servicemen augmenting the soldiers of the peacetime Regular Army. The national servicemen served for 2 years with the Regular Army and then a further 2 years with the Territorial Army. Many however became TA Volunteers.

The Territorial element of The Sherwood Foresters consisted of the re-formed 5th Battalion based in Derbyshire and the 8th Battalion in Nottinghamshire, while the old 6th and 7th (Robin Hood) Battalions continued in the form of 575 (The Sherwood Foresters) LAA Regt RA and the 350 (The Robin Hood Foresters) Light Regt RA. Unfortunately all of these were reduced in size by subsequent Defence cuts, the 5th and 8th Battalions being finally amalgamated to form the 5th/8th Battalion.

As the strength of the Army diminished it was decided to group regiments together into administrative brigades with common basic depots. Initially The Sherwood Foresters were grouped with the Royal Warwickshire, Royal Lincolnshire and Royal Leicestershire Regiments in the Midland Brigade; this was renamed the Forester Brigade in 1958 when the Royal Lincolnshire Regiment left the group. A Forester Brigade cap badge and buttons were introduced but regiments retained their own collar badges. The Regimental Depot at Normanton Barracks, Derby, became an outstation of the Brigade Depot at Leicester and finally closed in 1963.

In 1963 a further regrouping occurred and the Foresters found themselves linked with the Cheshire, Worcestershire and Staffordshire Regiments in the Mercian Brigade based on Lichfield A new common cap badge was introduced but regiments reverted to their old buttons.

The grouping was again changed in 1969; regimental cap badges were restored and The Sherwood Foresters found themselves in the present Prince of Wales's Division whose HQ and Depot is at Lichfield.