Border Regiment at Cape Helles

[Hett65]

By his army record, Pte 19362 Benjamin Etherington 1Bn Border Regiment was wounded at Cape Helles on the 24th December 1915, he was wounded in the right thigh and right elbow which had a compound fracture. He later had part of his right leg amputated at Hospital number 20, and amputation through the thigh at Hospital 141. Problems I have with this is that by 'Sir John de Roebeck's Evacuation Despatch' he states that the Cape Helles evacuation was completed by the 19/20th December, so how come Etherington wounded on 24th. Checked history of Border Regiment without success, also I have checked out the Long, Long Trail and a site on the RAMC but cannot find the name or location of the hospitals. Just wondering whether 20 is on Malta as he was sent there and then on to England on a hospital ship. Can anyone assist me with these queries.

John

[Guest]

It does look like 24th 12. It's a pretty badly burnt record. It also his own recollection, so he could have date wrong?

It may have been an accident?

So many questions

Cheers Mike

[michaeldr]

Problems I have with this is that by 'Sir John de Roebeck's Evacuation Despatch' he states that the Cape Helles evacuation was completed by the 19/20th December

There is some misunderstanding here as Helles was not evacuated until the night of 8/9 Jan 1916

edit to add; per the War Diary on the 24th Dec 1915 at 1145 'Enemy heavily shelled our front line trenches'

see WO 95/4311 image ref 407, which is a very reasonably priced download IIRC

Edited 29 September , 2012 by michaeldr

[Guest]

De Roebuck was either confusing Suvla with Helles (Suvla was evacuated on 20th Dec 1915) or it is a transcription error. The 6th (Service) Bn Border Regtwas at Suvla from 6/7th Aug to 18th Dec 1915. The last troops left Suvla on 20th Dec 1915. The 1st Bn having been moved from Helles to Suvla in August left Suvla on the 24th Sep and returned to Helles on 2nd Oct after some rest at Imbros. They stayed at Helles until the very end. The 1st Border Regt was evacuated on the night of the 8th/9th Jan 1916 from Helles. Interestingly when the magazine was blown up on departure, 5 men were injured. The Border Regt were among the very last troops to leave Helles.

According to "Glory is No Compensation - the Border Regiment at Gallipoli 1915" by Ralph May, Pte Etherington was part of a Draft to the 1st Bn Border Regiment on 14th Sep 1915: It also records he was listed on the Times Casualty Lists of 20th Jan 1916.

1st Bn Border Regt War Diary 15th Sep 1915: "SUVLA BAY: Draft of one Officer D E Robinson (rejoined, convalesced from wounds) and 99 rank and file from England joined the Battalion" The battalion war diary later records for that during the week ending 25th Dec 15 casualties were one Officer and 3 ORs killed and 8 ORs wounded - quite a small number by the standards of the earlier months, so your man was particularly unlucky.

MG

[Hett65]

Mike, Michaeldr & Martin G.

Thanks for your input and information about the 1Bn Border Regiment at Helles. I will give this information to the family of this man who returned to England a broken man having had his leg amputated, and on returning found his wife to be had just died from illness, he never married.

John