HMHS Assaye - Look Ups

[alantwo]

1 hour ago, stuannmc said:

Thankyou for your very quick reply.
Would you know how I could find out what other hospital ships were in the area the same time? 

Thanks again, I appreciate your time and help. 

 

No problem, I couldn't sleep and saw your post.

 

The hospital ships that took part in the campaign are listed on the Helles Memorial as seen in my photograph below. Sorry I cannot help with which of them were in the Suvla area at the time, hopefully an expert will be along shortly to assist.

 

Regards

Alan

 

 

[stuannmc]

Thankyou! Appreciate your time! 

Sunny afternoon here in Melbourne, hope you can sleep now!!

[ROBERT 171]

On 14/10/2013 at 16:08, alantwo said:

There are nine Admissions and Discharge Books for HMHS Assaye held by the National Archive for the Gallipoli campaign which I have photographed. The hospital ship evacuated casualties from Cape Helles, Anzac and Suvla Bay, including my Grandfather. I believe they are the only records of this type held by the National Archive and although there are only nine books they hold over 6000 names of Other Ranks casualties; with brief details of Name, Regiment, Rank and injuries etc. A few medical operations were also carried out on board which are also briefly listed by type and the outcome. The casualties are mostly British, Irish and Anzac though I have, for example, found an entry for the Zion Mule Corps and one Turkish Prisoner of War who is not named, only the injuries being cared for. If death occurred whilst on board this is also recorded and in rare instances the Latitude and Longitude are given of the burial at sea.

Given the total number of casualties, 6000 is only a very small number, however if any forum member believes they may have an interest in a casualty on HMHS Assaye, please let me have as much known information as possible and I will take a look. Please remember that these are not digitised records and I will need to look through them by hand, which may take some time. To narrow down the options a little I’ve listed below the approximate dates when the ship was taking casualties on board.

Kind regards

Alan

30th July to 6th August 1915.

16th August 1915.

23rd August 1915.

26th August and 27th August 1915.

8th September 1915.

20th September and 21st September 1915.

2nd October to 4th October 1915.

24 November to 27 November 1915.

8th December to 10th December 1915.

18th December to 20th December 1915.

2nd January to 6th January 1916.

wondering if you could help me here, bit of a dispute over incorrect records , my GF 

#8318 ROBERT FERGUSON Dcoy ROYAL SCOTS FUSILIERS was shipped out injured aboard HMHS ASSAYE, there was also another soldier injured 

#8312 ROBERT FERGUSON Ccoy ROYAL SCOTS.... my GF according to local papers say he had contracted fever and was shipped to Alexandria.. the following week the paper retracted the comment and stated that he had been wounded when a shell exploded near his periscope .... FWR are showing 8318 my GF as being in the RS with his wound not defined... can you please find any info on any ROBERT FERGUSON who were shipped out on HMHS ASSAYE.... i need to get to the bottom of this, thank you ROBERT   

[alantwo]

Hello Robert

 

Thanks for your post. I did find one of your casualties (No.8318) and the details are below. There does not appear to be a Robert Ferguson with the number 8312. There are 26 men of that name in the Medal Index Cards for the Royal Scots, but none seem to fit the bill. Perhaps check the information you have and I can take another look for you.

 

For No.8318 Robert Ferguson I have:

 

Index No: 897

Regiment, Battalion or Corps: 1/4th Royal Scots

Squadron, Battery or Company: C

Regimental Number: 8318

Rank: Private

Surname, First Name or Initials: Ferguson, R.

Completed Years of Age: 19

Completed Years of Service: 1

Completed Months with the Field Force: 7

Diseases: NYD [Not yet diagnosed]

Date of Admission: 2/1/16

Ward: M

Religion: Presbyterian

 

 

The ship left Gallipoli 4/1/16 and all the casualties were transferred to Alexandria on 9/1/16.

 

NYD suggests an illness not yet diagnosed rather than a wound, three other men from the Battalion were also admitted. At the time of his admission to Assaye the Royal Scots were out of the line in a rest camp. He could have been wounded because none of the peninsular was particularly out of range of Turkish fire, but it was not until 5th December that they returned to the firing line.

 

It is just a thought but perhaps the two numbers and the report are the same man, merely being mis-transcribed or mixed up along the way, however let me know if I can help further.

 

Regards

Alan

 

Cropped image, my photograph of MH 106/1915 held at the NA

Edited 1 April , 2020 by alantwo
Omitted reference to casualties

[MaxD]

Robert

 

The image posted by Alan is the one you have been looking at already.  He also confirms my post on your other thread that there is no 8312 Ferguson Royal Scots (or RSF) which you attribute to Forces War Records - I don't see him there.

 

Max

 

See thread 2/7 Northumberland Fusiliers

Edited 1 April , 2020 by MaxD

[alantwo]

24 minutes ago, MaxD said:

Robert

 

The image posted by Alan is the one you have been looking at already.  He also confirms my post on your other thread that there is no 8312 Ferguson Royal Scots (or RSF) which you attribute to Forces War Records - I don't see him there.

 

Max

 

See thread 2/7 Northumberland Fusiliers

 

Thanks Max.

 

Following your post I took a look at the other topic you highlighted in Soldiers and their Units, I hadn't realised I had commented on this subject eighteen months ago. edit: sorry it was two and a half years ago.

 

Regards

Alan

Edited 1 April , 2020 by alantwo

[Guest]

Can you see if there was a Walter John Curling who died on the 5th Jan 1916 RMLI regimental #5736 on theHMHS Assaye?

 

TIA

 

Stephen

[seaJane]

26 minutes ago, StephenB0035 said:

Walter John Curling who died on the 5th Jan 1916 RMLI regimental #5736 on theHMHS Assaye

Don't know about ASSAYE but his service record at https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/D7744999 confirms that he died of wounds on that date, if you haven't seen it already.

(and welcome to the forum, by the way!)

 

seaJane

[alantwo]

On 30/05/2020 at 20:50, StephenB0035 said:

Can you see if there was a Walter John Curling who died on the 5th Jan 1916 RMLI regimental #5736 on theHMHS Assaye?

 

TIA

 

Stephen

The man you are looking for is not within the records I have for HMHS Assaye. However the link to his service record suggested by seaJane and presently free to download from the NA does sound like a good idea.

 

Alan

 

[CQMS Vernon]

I should be grateful if you would look up my Gt Uncle  Private David Wilkinson 14391 8th Battalion (Duke of Wellingtons) West Rising Reg who was wounded on 21stAugust 1915 at Hetman Chair and transported to Alexandria where he died and buried at MC Chatby.A letter from Hospital to his sister states that it was 50hrs before he was picked up which would probably make it at least the 23rd when he arrived at the beach.I note from another post that HMHS Assaye was embarking casualties on that date and a few days later.

His friend Pte Edwin Spencer was wounded in the same attack and evacuated on HMHS Salta but died at sea can anyone direct me to any information as to where the Salta was heading?

Thanks

Neville

[alantwo]

Hi Neville

 

Thanks for your post and welcome to the Forum. Regretfully I do not have anything for your Great Uncle in the records I have, but good look luck with your search, perhaps try a post in the Soldiers and Their Units section something may come up.

 

Alan

[CQMS Vernon]

Thanks Alan,I'll follow up your suggestion.

Neville

[seaJane]

On 16/07/2020 at 15:45, CQMS Vernon said:

can anyone direct me to any information as to where the Salta was heading?

Looks as if she was on the Suvla Bay-Malta run a week earlier, so probably the same again when Pte Spencer died:

 

Edited 19 July , 2020 by seaJane

[Guest]

My uncle Charles Wolfenden of the Royal Marines Medical Corps, Rank Private, Service Number 3958 was admitted to HMHS Assaye on January 4th 1916.  Does the log include any further information?

 

Thanks in advance

Best Regards

Gavin

[alantwo]

Hello Gavin

 

Thanks for your post and welcome to the Forum. The officers and men I have admitted to HMHS Assaye on the 4th January 1916 are within Admissions and Discharge Books, MH106-1915, MH106-1936, and MH106-1953, unfortunately I don't have anyone of that name or number. There is one Royal Marine recorded, but it's not the man you are looking for.

 

It is possible that he is recorded within MH106-1954 HMHS Assaye : Naval, which has representative medical records of servicemen between 24 November 1915 and 31 December 1919, but I don't have that record. I am aware that Find My Past have HMHS Assaye records, perhaps try there or try another post in the medical services section of the Forum, I'm sure someone will be able to help.

 

Presumably he wasn't to severely wounded or ill as he was attached to the Divisional Engineers at the end of January and departed Mudros on 1st June 1916.

 

Good luck with your research.

 

Kind regards

Alan

[Guest]

Hi Alan,

 

I'm new to this forum and I read with interest some of the original posts on this thread.

 

I've been researching the 26th Australian Infantry Battalion's role at Gallipoli (12 September to 12 December 1915).  My wife's grandfather was an original of A Coy (No.2 Platoon, No.6 Section) and was shipped off the Peninsula on board the Nevasa on 21 October 1915 due to enteric fever.  

 

It's a shame that the Nevasa's admission's and discharges book was destroyed.  It would have added something to our research if it existed.

 

I have, however, discovered two A Coy originals who were on board the Assaye, from the Anzac theatre of war. These were:

 

Private Herbert Taylor (No.1 Platoon, No.2 Section), boarded on 2 October 1915 (diarrhoea); and

Private Ian Ronald Nairne (No. 4 Platoon, No.14 Section), boarded on 3 October 1915 (gun shot wound).  He, along with his platoon, were detached from the 26th Bn and attached to the 8th Australian Light Horse Regiment (3rd Australian Light Horse Brigade) for about two months.  During that time, they were busy making saps and trenches in no-man's land.  

 

You probably already have their names, but hopefully this information may assist their descendants / close relatives.

 

Regards,

 

Jay.

Edited 6 September , 2020 by Guest
added sickness and wounds.

[alantwo]

Hi Jay

 

Many thanks for your post and adding to the background information on Taylor and Nairne. Taylor seems to have been quite a character and having looked at his service record he has a number of disciplinary actions against his name. He also appears to have been discharged in 1916 only to re-enlist a year later. The HS Assaye records indicate that Nairne's service was one month with the field force before he was wounded. A bit I can add is that the Assaye records indicate that the bullet was removed in an operation on 8th October whilst on board ship. Having arrived in England on 20th, he appears to have made a recovery from the operation, but was to die of wounds whilst in action with 26th Bn a few months later on 26th May 1916 and he is buried in Wimereux Cemetery, France.

 

Thanks again. it all helps.

Alan

 

 

 

[Guest]

Thanks Alan.

 

Regarding Taylor, I can also add that during July and August 1915, when the 26th Australian Infantry Battalion were training in Egypt (Polygon Camp, Abbassia), he was mostly AWOL or in detention.  This information was gleaned from the nominal / muster roll of A Coy, a copy of which is held by the Australian War Memorial in Canberra.  He was also caught pissing against an A Coy hut the following year.  I got the impression that Army life didn't suit him.

 

As for Nairne, he was lucky to be survive the Gallipoli nightmare.  Two of his No.4 Platoon comrades were killed in action on 20 September 1915 while digging saps towards the Turkish lines, between Table Top and Rhododendron Spur.  My records show that he was first admitted to the 3rd Australian Light Horse Field Ambulance (No.1 Post) on 30 September 1915, and then to the 16th British Casualty Clearing Station (No.2 Post).  I guess the doctors on land weren't able to remove the bullet.   The poor soul rejoined his unit only to be the first A Coy original to die at the Western Front from shrapnel wounds to the neck and head, received on 16 May 1916.

Edited 6 September , 2020 by Guest

[Caroline Hannam]

On 22/11/2019 at 11:11, alantwo said:

Hi Caroline

 

Welcome to the Forum. How can I help, is there someone you are looking for?

 

Kind regards

Alan

Hi Alan 

I've just seen this, and it's almost a year ago! Apologies. I don't think I got it, or replied! My Great Great Uncle was Joseph Richard Barton and he died of wounds on 21st September 1915 on Assaye. I wondered if you had any more information please. I can see from your previous post that makes sense with the dates people were taken onto the ship. 

Thank you for your help in advance, all the best, Caroline. 

[alantwo]

19 hours ago, Caroline Hannam said:

Hi Alan 

I've just seen this, and it's almost a year ago! Apologies. I don't think I got it, or replied! My Great Great Uncle was Joseph Richard Barton and he died of wounds on 21st September 1915 on Assaye. I wondered if you had any more information please. I can see from your previous post that makes sense with the dates people were taken onto the ship. 

Thank you for your help in advance, all the best, Caroline. 

 

Hello Caroline

 

For Private Barton I have

 

Index No: 1945

Regiment, Battalion or Corps: 1/3rd Royal Scots

Squadron, Battery or Company: [Blank}

Regimental Number: 324

Rank: Private

Surname, First Name or Initials: Barton, J.

Completed Years of Age: 31

Completed Years of Service: 1

Completed Months with the Field Force: 1

Diseases: GSW Thigh

Date of Admission: 20/9/15

Date of Discharge by Death: 22/9/15

To Sick Convoy: [Buried] Suvla Bay

Ward: A

Religion: CE

Observations: Bullet penetrated (?)

 

My notes:

The date of death differs from that recorded by the CWGC and in the UK Army Register of Soldiers Effects.

 

The wording in the observations is unclear to me thus I’ve attached a cropped image for someone more knowledgeable to interpret. For reference I took the image of the NA file MH106/1911 held at Kew.

 

Kind regards

Alan

 

 

[Caroline Hannam]

38 minutes ago, alantwo said:

 

Hello Caroline

 

For Private Barton I have

 

Index No: 1945

Regiment, Battalion or Corps: 1/3rd Royal Scots

Squadron, Battery or Company: [Blank}

Regimental Number: 324

Rank: Private

Surname, First Name or Initials: Barton, J.

Completed Years of Age: 31

Completed Years of Service: 1

Completed Months with the Field Force: 1

Diseases: GSW Thigh

Date of Admission: 20/9/15

Date of Discharge by Death: 22/9/15

To Sick Convoy: [Buried] Suvla Bay

Ward: A

Religion: CE

Observations: Bullet penetrated (?)

 

My notes:

The date of death differs from that recorded by the CWGC and in the UK Army Register of Soldiers Effects.

 

The wording in the observations is unclear to me thus I’ve attached a cropped image for someone more knowledgeable to interpret. For reference I took the image of the NA file MH106/1911 held at Kew.

 

Kind regards

Alan

 

 

Thank you Alan, this is very kind of you. I was hoping to go to the Helles Memorial this year as I was due to be working in Istanbul. Sadly it wasn’t to be. Another time.  Much appreciated. 
Caroline. 

[alantwo]

1 hour ago, Caroline Hannam said:

Thank you Alan, this is very kind of you. I was hoping to go to the Helles Memorial this year as I was due to be working in Istanbul. Sadly it wasn’t to be. Another time.  Much appreciated. 
Caroline. 

 

 

Hello Caroline

 

There are many of us who would like to return to the peninsular. As you will find many images of the memorial on-line, I thought I would add a view from the memorial to the southeast across the Straits.

 

Alan

 

Edited 10 November , 2020 by alantwo
Ref: My photograph June 2019

[Caroline Hannam]

19 hours ago, alantwo said:

 

 

Hello Caroline

 

There are many of us who would like to return to the peninsular. As you will find many images of the memorial on-line, I thought I would add a view from the memorial to the southeast across the Straits.

 

Alan

 

Thank you Alan. 

[Guest]

Can you see if there is a RMLI soldier from my family listed on the HMHS Assaye? 

RND, 2nd RM Battalion

CURLING, Walter J, Private, RMLI (RFR 859), 16807 (Po), DOI.

He died on the 5th Jan 1916 although as he died of wounds he may have been admitted a day or two earlier.

[horatio2]

38 minutes ago, StephenB0035 said:

He died on the 5th Jan 1916 although as he died of wounds he may have been admitted a day or two earlier.

Possibly.

However, bear in mind that RND commemorations on the Helles Memorial are for men who were buried on the peninsula but whose graves are lost. If he died in ASSAYE and was buried at sea he would be commemorated on the Portsmouth Naval Memorial. It is possible that he d.o.w. in ASSAYE and was taken ashore to be buried in a now lost grave.

 

If you have not yet seen them, his papers (2 sets) in ADM 157 at Kew may give more details.  

https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/results/r?_q=walter+john+curling&discoveryCustomSearch=true&_cr1=ADM+157&_hb=tna

Edited 18 November , 2020 by horatio2