Malaria on Lemnos or gallipoli?

[stevem49]

My cousin recently returned from Lemnos. A local told her that many men died from Malaria and the cause was a salt lake which had Flamingoes on it! I have never come across Malaria in the illnesses and apparently it would be too high for an area of the disease.

Does anyone know of malaria cases on either Lemnos or Gallipoli?

Steve M

[Sue Light]

From the OH:

'Table 14 gives a detailed analysis of the causes of admission to hospital of British troops during the Dardanelles campaign in 1915, with their ultimate disposal ... '

[under heading 'malaria']

Admissions: 1,473

Deaths: 5

Returned to duty: 1,464

Discharged as invalids: 4

Sue

[stevem49]

Many thanks Sue. Interesting figures.

Mrs M says that it is not a Malaria zone now, so must have eradicted it.

Steve

[Sue Light]

That figure is very small compared to other theatres such as Mesopotamia, Egypt, Palestine, Macedonia and Africa. I guess it's impossible to tell how many men were admitted in the Gallipoli campaign with malaria who had actually contracted it elsewhere - the figures don't tell us that. There were thousands of men admitted with malaria in France and Flanders, but I'm sure most didn't contract it there.

Sue

[Terry_Reeves]

There were malarial areas in the UK in WW1 and the biggest malarial outbreak of the 20th century was in Siberia in the 1920s.

The following from the National Archives might be of interest as far as treatment went:

"At the end of 1916 and the beginning of 1917, the War Office considered and approved a scheme whereby all cases of malaria in the United Kingdom should be concentrated in each Command in special malaria wards under specially qualified medical officers, advised by special consultants in malaria, all of whom were charged with the duty, not only giving the patients the best treatment already known, but also of endeavouring to obtain by their own cumulative experience, reliable scientific results as to the best form of treatment for future use.

Hospital accommodation for malaria cases was allotted as follows:

Aldershot Command. Connaught Hospital 55beds

Northern Command. 4th Northern Gen. Hosp. Lincoln 250

Southern Command. 3rd Southern Gen. Hosp. Oxford 300

University War Hosp. Southampton 28

Eastern Command. Guildford War Hospital 400

Western Command. Liverpool Tropical School

of Medicine 150

Belmont Road Hospital

Salford Union Infirmary

Manchester 80

London District. 4th London General Hosp.

Denmark Hill. 236

Scottish Command. Edinburgh War Hosp.

Bangour 110

Irish Command Princess Patricia Aux Hosp.

Bray 108

The 4th London General Hospital and the Liverpool Tropical School of Medicine (a section of the 1st Western General Hospital) were centres where research was carried out under the direct supervision of the Command Consultant concerned.

Consultants were appointed as follows:

Lt Col Sir R. Ross..................Aldershot, eastern and Southern Commands and London District.

Lt Col JWW Stephens...........Western and Northern Commands

Major DG Marshall................Scottish Command

Capt CC de B Daly................Irish Command

At the end of 1917, Colonel Sir Ronald Ross proceeded to Salonica to enquire into the best method of dealing with very large nmbers of troops who were infected with malaria. As a result of this visit a large number of men who had suffered from malaria and in consequence were debilitated and liable to relapse were transferred to England under what was known as the “Y” Scheme." These men were not regarded as invalids but were sent to England because their retention in Salonika would be seriously detrimental to their health and to the efficiency of the force.

On arrival of these “Y” scheme men in this country, those whose condition necessitated admission to hospital were sent to the University War Hospital, Southampton, and the remainder were issued with a small bottle of quinine tablets with instructions as to there use, and sent to their homes on 30 days furlough. Those admitted to hospital were given a similar furlough as soon as they were fit to be discharged. On completion of the furlough the men returned to their re-joining units where they were subjected to a course of quinine treatment until teach man had been free from an attack of malaria for at least 60 days. Instructions were also issued that men who had suffered from malaria were not to be sent to any theatre of war where the disease was prevalent.

By July 1918 some 18,000 officers and men had been returned to England under the “Y Scheme” and of these more than 3,000 had subsequently been drafted to France.

In consequence of transfer of units from Salonika to France it had become necessary to establish concentration centres where under strict medical supervision quinine was systematically administered to men in malaria infected units, and in consequence of the pressing demand for more troops to be sent to France it was decided to establish Malaria Concentration Centres in England where men would undergo a short course of quinine treatment in one of the concentration centres there. As soon as a man became fit for category B (ii) apart from his malarial condition he was sent of draft leave prior to proceeding to France.

Concentration Centres were established in the various commands in the United kingdom as follows:

Eastern Command. Great Baddow Accommodation 700

Irish Command Portobello Barracks 50

Dublin

London District Wimbledon uncertain

Northern Command MGC - Rugely

other arms - Ripon 1400

Scottish Command Berwick-on-Tweed 400

Southern Command Larkhill 1220

Western Command Prees Heath, Shropshire 700

In October 1918 the period of leave granted to “Y Scheme” men was reduced to 10 days.

After the signing of the Armistice the necessity for Malaria Concentration Centres ceased to exist; the period of quinine treatment was reduced to one month and the centres closed.

In July 1919 a Malaria Convalescent Hospital of 1500 beds was established at Shoreham. This hospital was composed of two sections - a “convalescent” section of 1000 beds for the reception and treatment of convalescent cases to be transferred from other hospitals, and a “camp” section of 500 beds for men to be sent from the remaining concentration centres and from their units. This Malaria Convalescent Hospital finally closed in February 1920."

TR

[stevem49]

Many thanks, Sue and Terry.

Of course I was forgetting about regulars who had been in various countries of the world. The 29th Division alone must have had a number of men who had been infected in other parts of the empire.

The 1st Bn Sherwood Foresters moved to France after some 12 years in far off places.

I think the chap gave my cousin the impression that the 'Malaria' had been contracted on Gallipoli, sadly the musuem was not open when she visited, which may have enlightened her.

Once again my thanks.

Steve

[Heid the Ba]

There were malarial areas in Italy as well until they were eradicated in the 20s and 30s, it is after all a Venetial term. "Mal aria" or bad air from the lagoon, thought to cause the disease before the link to mosquitos was established.

[kenf48]

There were thousands of men admitted with malaria in France and Flanders, but I'm sure most didn't contract it there.

Sue

Accepting soldiers may have contracted the disease in the service of Empire I doubt they would have been passed fit for active service on the Western Front if they had contracted malaria in India. Fit for duty perhaps, but what kind of duty?

As mentioned above Malaria was endemic to Northern Europe in the 19th Century up to the Arctic Circle. It was certainly endemic in Northern France in the early twentieth century and occurred on the coast, estuaries, marshland and flood plains which seems is a pretty good description of the Western Front. Many of the battles we remember are named after rivers. The disease was not eradicated from these coastal regions until the 1940s, and widespread use of DDT.

Malaria, although vector borne, is essentially an environmental disease that proliferates where there is poor drainage, open sewers and insufficient opportunities for personal hygiene precautions (e.g.nets).

The transmission method was understood and no doubt the RAMC tried to introduce prevention measures in France just as they did in other theatres but again those efforts would reflect that present day pehenomena of 'prioritising resources'.

The main difference between France and Flanders and other theatres is there were so many casualties were from other causes sickness, including malaria was pushed down the list, men were killed before the symptons became apparent, they died with it rather than from it. In Salonika, and other theatres, by contrast as in previous wars, sickness was the main cause of casualties among soldiers and more men died of malaria and other diseases, rather than enemy action.

Ken

[Sue Light]

Accepting soldiers may have contracted the disease in the service of Empire I doubt they would have been passed fit for active service on the Western Front if they had contracted malaria in India. Fit for duty perhaps, but what kind of duty?

Again quoting the OH, the large analysis of 1,043,653 casualties, which represents 18.5% of admissions between 1916 and 1920 (all theatres), shows that of 33,903 men admitted with malaria, 31,312 were 'returned to duty' while 167 died, and just over 700 discharged. I'm not in to making assumptions on things about which I know little, but many (?most) of these men must surely have been returned to front line duty. And the short time that they were hospitalised, often less than two weeks may suggest a relapse of a previous illness rather than primary infection?

... and more men died of malaria and other diseases, rather than enemy action.

I accept that in some theatres more men died of disease than enemy action, but the figures show that the disease was not malaria, the mortality rate during wartime being extremely low.

Sue

[kenf48]

Again quoting the OH, the large analysis of 1,043,653 casualties, which represents 18.5% of admissions between 1916 and 1920 (all theatres), shows that of 33,903 men admitted with malaria, 31,312 were 'returned to duty' while 167 died, and just over 700 discharged. I'm not in to making assumptions on things about which I know little, but many (?most) of these men must surely have been returned to front line duty. And the short time that they were hospitalised, often less than two weeks may suggest a relapse of a previous illness rather than primary infection?

I accept that in some theatres more men died of disease than enemy action, but the figures show that the disease was not malaria, the mortality rate during wartime being extremely low.

Sue

The malaria parasite usually associated with Northern Europe was plasmodium vivax, a much less virulent form than the plasmodium falciparum found in Africa and other tropical regions.

The p.vivax parasite can lay dormant for long periods, hence my comment about soldiers dying with malaria rather than from it. Soldiers with p.vivax malaria could have suffered relapses and ironically although less acute, their symptoms would have persisted longer than soldiers with the p.falciparum strain. However as a recent celebrity has demonstrated infection with p.falciparum can be especially debilitating even without the fatal complications arising from the disease. Accounts of the treatment and prevention by the use of quinine suggest the treatment was often regarded by the soldiers as worse than the disease.

I agree with your interpretation, if every soldier infected with malaria had been sent home I doubt we would have had an Empire.

The observation I was making was that the incidence of this disease on the Western Front was just as likely to have been contracted there as not, and frequent relapses would have rendered a soldier unfit for front line duty. While browsing the records I've seen a number of men with malaria transferred to less arduous duty.

As for my final sentence that was simply a general comment on war and disease, apologies for any confusion and hope that clarifies what I was trying to say.

Ken

[stevem49]

I think I read somewhere that the Malaria mossy was in southern England at one time during the 20th Century.

My Uncle got malaria in the Korean war, was treated and returned to unit.

He did though suffer after the war and I often remember him having the shakes and sweats, as he called it.

Thanks. It has been most interesting.

Steve

[Rockdoc]

In Salonika, troops suffering from malaria were taken off-duty for treatment and rest but this was not always successful. In some parts of the Front, some of these men became so debilitated that they succumbed to a new attack almost as soon as they returned to front-line duties. In the end, thousands had to be shipped home.

Keith

[kenf48]

In Salonika, troops suffering from malaria were taken off-duty for treatment and rest but this was not always successful. In some parts of the Front, some of these men became so debilitated that they succumbed to a new attack almost as soon as they returned to front-line duties. In the end, thousands had to be shipped home.

Keith

While browsing the Service records came across this interesting snippet from the service record of Private Binns, formerly RAMC which seemed relevant to this discussion.

He transferred to the 1st Bn Yorks and Lancs on 4 Oct 1917 in Salonica from where he was evacuated and transferred to the 3rd Bn Y & L at the Depot where the note was made. His papers were marked as shown:-

It says 'affected by malaria - not to be sent to a theatre of war, other than France or Italy"

He was posted to the BEF on 14/9/1918 and on arrival on 18/9/1918 transferred 'compulsilory and pemanently' to the 16th Bn Northumberland Fusiliers.

Returning home on 16/2/1919, on demobilisation he made a 'disablity claim, malarial disability'. The record does not say whether it was paid!

It is certainly evidence soldiers with malaria were posted to the Western Front as a matter of policy but then, how could I ever doubt it?

Ken

[Guest]

Hello all (Hi Steve)

I have been researching the Derbyshire Yeomanry who served in Gallipoli and Salonika. So far I have the records of 181 men (and counting) and in every case where there are medicla discharge papers, every man had malaria. Interestingly none were given any medical pension for this despite applying for it. My grandfather was one of them and I know he suffered from recurring bouts of malaria for the remainder of his life.

I also have the Salonika Diary of a Tpr Albert Cooling who kep a diary from 1915 to 1917. He mentions having Malaria on more than one occasions and gives quite detailed accounts of being invalided and also the impact on the troops - often depleting the Regiment by 50% and forcing one of the periodic mergers with other regiments. The Derbyshire Yeomanry War History 1914-1919 also mentions the dramatic impact of malaria, particularly in the Struma Valley which was very marshy in parts.

The History of the Medical Services for the region has very detailed stats. I don't have access to my copy.

Regards

Martin G

[dundeesown]

This is part of my Grandfathers record.

eventually dying in 1933 because of the malaria.

Gary

[Rockdoc]

Serving in the Struma Valley was almost a guarantee of catching malaria. 95th AA Section was moved from hill-sites on the northern outskirts of Salonika to sites along the western bank of Lake Tahinos in early 1918. They were seriously affected and, within a relatively short time, they were moved nearer to Stavros, to positions well away from the lake. A Section was only about 45 officers and men so they wouldn't have had a lot of cover when the men started to go down.

We tend to think of mosquitoes breeding in swampy conditions and there were plenty of marshes on the line of the Struma and Vardar but the mossies didn't need extensive bodies of water. I've read, in either Under the Devil's Eye or Gardeners of Salonika, that the men were warned to fill in hoof prints since they could retain enough water for the larvae to develop and hatch. That's when you realise just what the troops were up against.

Keith

[xeroic]

Absolutely correct analysis! There were malarial areas further north in macedonia. i think the key issue here is the dryness of the area. hardly conducive to extensive malarial outbreaks.

That figure is very small compared to other theatres such as Mesopotamia, Egypt, Palestine, Macedonia and Africa. I guess it's impossible to tell how many men were admitted in the Gallipoli campaign with malaria who had actually contracted it elsewhere - the figures don't tell us that. There were thousands of men admitted with malaria in France and Flanders, but I'm sure most didn't contract it there.

Sue

[Moonraker]

On 09/08/2010 at 18:31, Terry_Reeves said:

... Concentration Centres were established in the various commands in the United kingdom as follows... Southern Command Larkhill 1220...

 

Brasher, C. W. J., et al. “A Report On Two Cases Of Encephalitis Lethargica.” The British Medical Journal, vol. 1, no. 3050, 1919, pp. 733–734. JSTOR, www.jstor.org/stable/20337856.

 

(And on a couple of other archive websites.)

 

Probably only of interest to our medical experts. The first case had been transferred from Southern Command Malarial Centre at Lark Hill, the second had only been in the army for a month and was aged only 16.

[Bryn]

I have only ever found one case of malarial death among Australian soldiers during the time of the Gallipoli campaign, and it's possible he was never actually at Gallipoli:

631 Trooper Farrier David Thomas JOHNSON, 9th Light Horse Regiment. Died of malaria at 1st Australian General Hospital, Heliopolis, Egypt, 2 August 915, aged 29. Buried in Cairo War Memorial Cemetery.

 

[Guest]

Mates,

 

I checked my records and found a number with Malaria at Gallipoli.

 

BLACKWELL    Richard Fortune    529    Pte    6 LHR    B Sqn evac to (1 AGH) hosp (malaria) 8-15 (G) RTA MU enteric relist A/Sgt Oct R AASC (12885) to A/Sgt AASC depots UK 1-17 tos 25 MG Co 9-17 to L/Cpl 5 MG Bn 7-18 to Cpl 7-18 WIA 3-9-18 R/thigh shot reported 3 wounded in fighting around Peronne F&B RTA wounded (Boer War Cpl 3 ACH (1441)
 

MOTTRAM    James     448    Pte    9 LHR    C Sqn evac to (2 AGH) hosp (malaria fever) 3-15 RTA VD disch 6-7-15 relist 7R/8 LHR DNE relist 2R/39Bn (1873) to 10 Trg Bn UK 10-16 Tos 11-16 WIA 7-6-17 gas at Messines F&B RTA wounded & MU DAH disch 27-12-17 (Boer War Far/Sgt Sth African LH (2861) AKA James Fox Mottram
 

Its unknown if these caught malaria on Gallipoli or were suffering before they landed?

 

A number of men also came down with malaria within a few months of returning from Gallipoli.

 

None appear to have died from malaria at Gallipoli.

 

Cheers

 

S.B

[alantwo]

For the Gallipoli campaign there are four British and two Australians diagnosed with malaria on HS Assaye and evacuated, none seem to have died of the disease. The two Australians were No.1623 George Gilbert MURRAY 17th Bn AIF and Captain Harry GARRETT 21st Bn AIF.

 

There are some 36 cases for March and April, but due to the time of year and the regiments that are given, it seems unlikely that they served in this theatre.

 

Regards

Alan