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The Great War (1914-1918) Forum

Private Clark Poole, Coldstream Guards


Mark Hone

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A pupil of mine, very keen on History, has brought in some papers relating to his ancestor 19342 Private Clark Poole who was admitted to 24th General Hospital in Etaples on 10th October 1917 suffering from a serious gunshot wound to the face. In February 1918 he was transferred to 538 labour Company, which I gather was quite common for men suffering facial wounds but who were otherwise sound in limb.

I am assuming that Private Poole was wounded during Guards Division's attack north of Langemark on 9th October and I would like to take my pupil as close as possible to the scene of the action on next year's school battlefields tour. Unfortunately the papers I have do not specify which battalion he was in. From the brief description in McCarthy it seems likely to have been 1st or 3rd Coldsteams but would anyone be able to shed further light?

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Mark

Clark Poole has papers available on Ancestry.

A quick check shows:

21/02/1916 Attested and to Army Reserve.

04/10/1916 Mobilised and Posted to 5th Bn. Coldstream Guards.

26/05/1917 Posted to 1st Bn. Coldstream Guards.

08/08/1917 Posted to 3rd Bn. Coldstream Guards.

10/10/1917 Wounded, severe GSW to Face.

17/10/1917 Posted to 5th Bn. Coldstream Guards.

20/02/1918 Transferred to Labour Corps.

05/03/1919 Transferred to Class Z Army Reserve.

21/02/1916 to 25/05/1917 - Home

26/05/1917 to 16/10/1917 - BEF (France)

17/10/1917 to 05/03/1919 - Home

Regards

Steve

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transferred to 538 labour Company, which I gather was quite common for men suffering facial wounds but who were otherwise sound in limb.

Mark

Was this for some sort of "social" reason, do you know? Keeping disfigured men together and possibly out of the way of others?

John

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War diary shows a large number killed / wounded in a large attack - dont have time at moment sorry to copy but send me an email and ill send over when get chance

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Thanks-I got hold of the War Diary from, the National Archives site. It's not terribly detailed about 9th October. I'm going to work through the other battalions in the brigade to see if their accounts of the action add further background; the 2nd Coldstreams WD seems prima facie to be more detailed.

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