Officer POWs from Bourlon Village 25 Nov, 1917

[Tom Lang]

I'd like to ask the Forum for any help on tracking which German POW hospital wounded British Officer POWs were taken.

The officer I'm interested in is Captain William Alexander Gibb Stevenson, 14th Bn Highland Light Infantry.

He was transferred from 'D' Coy to 'B' Coy on 25 March, 1917 and took command.

He was the Company Commander of 'B' Coy and was one of three Coys that were cut off in Bourlon Village on 25 Nov 1917 (Bn War Diary).

The Battalion War Diary lists him as 'Missing' at the end of the month of November, 1917.

I have information (St Andrews University Roll of Honour) that he Died of Wounds as a POW on 20 December, 1917.

The SNWM entry shows his death as "(in German hands)".

So any help would be much appreciated.

Kindest Regards.

[Doug Johnson]

Since he is buried at Valenciennes that is presumably where he died. He was obviously seriously wounded as he was kept there for some weeks and not moved back to Germany. The hospital would not have been a PoW one but one where both prisoners and German wounded were treated.

Doug

[Doug Johnson]

This is an extract from another officer's PoW report. It is an early report so the situation will have changed by 1917.

Valenciennes. Dec. 23, 1914 – May 28, 1915

On December 23^rd, 1914, German Red Cross ambulances arrived and moved all the wounded to the hospital at Valenciennes College des Jeunes Filles. This hospital was also run by French doctors and nurses, and the German medical officer in charge visited us once in every ten days or so.

Doug

[Tom Lang]

Hello Doug,

Thanks for your responses.

I'm going to try and find his Service Record at TNA.

Kindest Regards,

Tom.

[Tom Lang]

I have now got a copy of Capt. Stevenson's Service Record from the TNA.

It shows he had a bullet wound to the head and another to the throat - though the German doctor gives the cause of death as dyptheria.

Other British Officer POWs attended his funeral.

Kindest Regards,

Tom.