DEPLOYMENT TO INDIA THEN MALTA

[Pubsman]

Not sure if I'm in the right forum or not, apologies if not.

My Grandfather was in the RAMC (as a Ward Orderly I guess). I am trying to put together as much as I can about his time in WW1. From what I can gather, after enlistment and training he was sent abroad to India. I'm curious to find out about what was going on in India at the time of WW1? All of what I know about WW1 centres around Europe. I believe he had hardly been in India for any length of time when the Gallipoli campaign started and he was brought back to be involved there. However, by the time they got back most of the damage was done and they were sent to Malta to serve in the many hospitals there.

I realise that India was still part of the Empire then but werethere any activities going on in India related to WW1 or was there still a large "peacetime" contingent present even although they could have been useful in Europe?

[stevem49]

Units went to India to relieve Regular Battalions which then returned to the UK/France to fight.

Steve M

[Pubsman]

Steve,

Thanks for that. Do you know how big the army was in India at that time? Also, my Grandfather's first posting was India, was this normal given the situation in Europe?

Thanks

Ian

[stevem49]

Ian

I am not an expert but would think the Indian garrison was reduced by a fair amount. Men who were in the TF and did not sign up for War service went and also men not up to the rigours of war. A number of TF Battalions were sent to India.

Steve

[Pubsman]

Steve,

Thanks again. I'm not sure if the "unit"? of the RAMC that my grandfather was in falls into any of these categories. He was a coal miner and it is thought that, when he ad some of his coal miner colleagues enlisted they were put in the RAMC because of the basic First Aid training they had just received as miners.

Thanks,

Ian

[auchonvillerssomme]

Many miners had more than basic first aid qualifications, there were strong links to the St John Ambulance Brigade.

mick

[Pubsman]

Mick,

Thanks for that. I'm not sure that the St John Ambulance Brigade had a big footing in this area of Scotland pre 1914 (Probably would have been the St. Andrews Ambulance if any). My Aunt seems to remember that my Grandfather said that the miners had received training from the local GP who had decided (for whatever reason) to initiate training of the miners.

thanks,

Ian