Pte Wm Brabazon 1st AIF - 'Name that tune!'

[Mike Cross]

An undated ink drawing made in Gravesend Hospital 1916-18. The words read:-

I can not write, nor can I draw

Such talent I've neglected

But blast my hide and dirty paw

Poor Tubby has reflected

So just a tune for old times sake

To humer our nurse Harvey

'How I wish I had a cig-garet'

Perhaps someone can identify the tune, if it is a tune.

MC

[Paul Nixon]

Hi Mike

You presumably know that you can view a copy of Brabazon's service record on-line at:

http://naa12.naa.gov.au/scripts/imagine.asp?B=3107340&I=1

Looks as though he was admitted with a hernia to Chatham Military Hospital in February 1917, subsequently transferred to 3rd Aux Hospital in June 1917, returned to Australia in April 1918. I've only skimmed the record (there are 61 pages) but a more thorough reading should be able to pin him down quite accurately to when he was at Gravesend. According to his attestation papers he was 20 years and five months old on January 21st January 1916.

If you have other Australians in your album you should be able to find out similar information.

Best wishes

Paul

[Mike Cross]

Paul

It is some time since I did any meaningful research on these soldiers and I had no idea that such a magnificent archive was now available. Thank you so much for pointing this out. I will look at my other Australians later. It seems possible that my nurse spent time at Chatham as well as Gravesend - another avenue to pursue.

I enjoyed reading about Pte Brabazon until I learned of his death aged 23 in 1919. He died without receiving his gratuity and his medals were issued to his widowed mother against a statutory declaration in 1922. I will read through his records again more slowly.

Thanks again

Mike

[Paul Nixon]

Mike

You are welcome. Having spent more hours than I care to remember researching a nurse's album myself, I know what a joy it is to find records that help build up a picture of the soldier patients.

As for your nurse, possibly she did spend time at more than one hospital. It is also possible though that she was just at Gravesend. I know nothing about these two hospitals but in the case of my nurse who nursed at two auxiliary hospitals in Sussex, no reference to those hospitals is found in the service records of soldier patients that I have uncovered. The 2nd Eastern General Hospital in Brighton (which was a TF hospital) was her patients' first port of call but subsequent movements to VAD hospitals run by branches of the British Red Cross Society do not get a mention. I guess as far as the authorities were concerned, these hospitals which were affiliated to the 2nd Eastern General, were just an extension of it, so no need to record separate details.

Inciidentally, if you have Canadians in your album too you may also be able to find out a little more about them on line. Over 800,000 pages of attestation papers of Canadian servicemen have been scanned and can be viewed on-line here:

http://www.archives.ca/02/020106_e.html

The service records are available but you will need a researcher in Canada to dig them out for you.

Happy hunting.

Paul

[Broznitsky]

The service records are available but you will need a researcher in Canada to dig them out for you.

Not quite, Paul. Once you have found your man and his attestation papers, then it is a simple matter to have the NAC photocopy his service records (for a small fee) and have them mailed to you. I have had several men done this way.

You need a researcher when you get into Nominal Rolls, Part II Daily Orders, and Casualty Lists of battalions. Or Circumstances of Death for individuals.

Go here for more info about ordering service records.

Have fun!

Peter in Vancouver

[Paul Nixon]

Thanks Peter

You are quite right. I went down the researcher route when I was seeking information - albeit three or four years ago now when I think this information was less publicly accessible than it is now. (Well that's my story and I'm sticking to it).

Best wishes

Paul

[Kate Wills]

Mike,

Returning from break to continue our study of Schubert's String Quintet in C major D.956, I presented your illustration to our music teacher, who was on the staff of Welsh National Opera. He played it several times on the piano, but none of us could name that tune. However, Phillip thought it might well be a bugle call, and said that one of his relations had been a regimental drummer, and many of the bugle calls were known by a set of words (sometimes repeatable, I suspect) that fitted the call. "How I wish I had a cigar-ette" is just the sort of everyday phrase that would have been applied to a particular call by a succession of new recruits, to distinguish it from, for example, "come to the cookhouse door".

So, sorry not to be able to give a definitive answer, but it does seem to be a feasible explanation. Now we need an expert.

Could any bugle call experts please come to the Pals Forum "too-too-to toot-to too..!!!"

Back to Schubert...

[Terry_Reeves]

Kate

Can't help directly, but you are quite right about words being used to mimic bugle calls as a training aid. My grandfather, who served the latter part of his WW1 service at the RE Horse Transport Depot, recalled the the call to stables thus:

All those are are able

Come to the stables

Look after your horses

And give them some corn.

I believe Gale and Polden published a book of bugle calls prior to the war. Might be worth an internet search.

Terry Reeves

[Mike Cross]

Kate

I like your suggestion - it does seem quite possible. My musical knowledge is zero but maybe there is someone out there who knows the answer. I did try the words in Google but without success.

Mike