Lewis Crescent Hospital, Brighton

[Guest jo.leek]

Struggling to solve the mystery of my Great Grandfather John Kimble who served with the Suffolk Regt. He died at home in Ipswich of tuberculosis but he was given a military funeral & is commemorated on the town's war memorial. In a newspaper report of the time it mentions he had been an inpatient at Lewis Crescent Hospital, Brighton for some considerable time. His service records were in the Burnt Collection so we have not been able to establish whether he ever got to Belgium / France or if he was admitted prior to crossing the Channel because of ill health. Can anyone shed any light on this mystery please?

[SteveE]

Overseas service would have entitled him to, at the very least, one medal and would have been recorded on a Medal Index Card. On the face of it, as he doesn't have a Medal Index Card, I'd say it doesn't look as if he served overseas.

CWGC details:

Name: KIMBLE, JOHN

Initials: J

Nationality: United Kingdom

Rank: Private

Regiment/Service: Suffolk Regiment

Age: 36

Date of Death: 26/11/1915

Service No: 17134

Additional information: Husband of Catherine Webb (formerly Kimble), of 3, Stones Court, Ipswich.

Casualty Type: Commonwealth War Dead

Grave/Memorial Reference: D. 19. 34.

Cemetery: IPSWICH CEMETERY

SDGW gives the additional detail that he was with the 10th Battalion.

Regards

Steve

[Sue Light]

There were a number of military hospitals in the Kemp Town area of Brighton, almost all for officers, but the one you refer to I believe was at Nos.15 and 16 Lewes Crescent (note spelling) - lovely large Georgian houses overlooking the sea to the east of the town - Google will find them. Having said that, I know absolutely nothing else about it - sorry!