HMHS Assaye - Look Ups

[alantwo]

On 24/07/2021 at 16:22, charlie962 said:

As you say, Alan, must be types of Malaria. Others on page have same CL ?, or BT= Benign Tertian or MT = Malignant Tertian.

@Dai Bach y Sowldiwr will know ?

 

On 24/07/2021 at 16:43, Dai Bach y Sowldiwr said:

It looks like Cl to me.

If we're talking Malaria, then maybe 'Malaria Cerebral'?

What is the context here? Did any/ many die?

Cerebral malaria has a pretty poor prognosis.

Thanks both. We’ll await a response from the postee, the man in question appears to have got home safely and married in 1923.

Alan

[Guest]

Hi 

Thank you so much we did not know he had been ill and onboard , until another gentleman informed me and gave me the hospital ship name. We know he has a certificate thanking him for taking part in the expedition in Alexandria? That’s all we know He was in Royal Engineers . He did get home safe was an amazing wonderful grandad but he never spoke of the war years I wish I had of asked more and pushed it . 
so interesting finding this out though 

Many  Thanks 

[Guest]

Hi Alan,

I've taken the liberty of posting this interesting newspaper article (from Trove) that ties in with your "Assaye" thread.  It may prove useful to another researcher.  The man in question was:

Daniel Robert Williams, No. 1210, B Company, 28th Australian Infantry Battalion, 7th Australian Infantry Brigade (temporarily attached to Godley's NZ & A Division when Dannie wrote his letter).  He was probably at the Apex when the incident occurred.

Kalgoorlie Miner (WA : 1895 - 1954), Tuesday 23 November 1915, page 4
A Close Call.— Private Dan Williams writes to his parents, Mr. and Mrs. A. Williams, 3 Bourke-street, Kalgoorlie, as under:— "H.M.S. Hospital Ship "Assaye," Oct. 5.— You will be surprised to hear that I am on board the hospital ship. I will explain how I happen to be here. I was in the saps with four others and had just finished dinner and was reading a letter of Jim's (private James Williams) in the "Miner" when a shell and a bomb dropped together near us killing one and wounding another. A piece of shrapnel went right through the "Miner" I was reading, just missing me by an inch. I am going to keep the paper as a souvenir of the closest shave I have yet had. Well, to carry on, when they dropped I was thrown about seven feet away from the scene of the explosion. When I came to it was to find out that I had gone deaf. I was put aboard the hospital ship. The doctor on board said he could do nothing for me here and they are sending me onto the base hospital. I do not know, whether I will be always deaf. I can't hear a shell going off at present. I am closing now as my ears are giving me all I want in the way of pain. Good bye and love to all at home. Your loving son, Dannie."

---------------------------------------------------------------

Leslie Kemnitz Stuart, machine gun section, 19th Australian Infantry Battalion, 5th Australian Infantry Brigade, 

https://transcripts.sl.nsw.gov.au/page/item-01-leslie-kemnitz-stuart-diary-18-march-1915-4-march-1916-page-303

Sunday 3 October, 1915: Have been given clearance certificate which will take me off the Peninsula. I am sorry in a way because I don't like leaving my pals but I am too jolly weak to do anything.  Mac & Bernie helped me down to the beach hospital. Mail came in today. Had a letter from Beryl & Hilda. I am very disappointed at not getting one from the Mater. As soon as I got to the beach hospital Beachy sent a shrapnel along which spattered all over the cases that we were behind & hit one man in the arm, just a few yards away & later killed a man in swimming. Went aboard S.S. Hospital Ship Assaye. Had a bit of stiff luck, lost my watch, may be lucky enough to get it back.Met Bunny Abbot & Arthur Taylor.

Monday 4 October, 1915: Very heavy bombardment in the Anzac zone by both sides. Am very comfortable here. The food is first class & everyone tries to do all they can for you.  Have had a shave & bath. I hope I don't catch a cold (?). Am just lying about all the time yarning & reading.

Tuesday 5 October, 1915: Left Anzac for Lemnos at 5.45. Sailed along the Gallipoli Peninsula & had a view of it.  It is enormously strong.  Saw an army dirrigable airship. It followed us to Lemnos. Arrived in Lemnos 10 p.m.

 

Edited 14 September , 2021 by Guest
error re. the Bn: s/be 28th and not 26th.

[alantwo]

On 13/08/2021 at 10:20, jay26thBn said:

Daniel Robert Williams, No. 1210, B Company, 26th Australian Infantry Battalion, 7th Australian Infantry Brigade (temporarily attached to Godley's NZ & A Division

Many thanks Jay, it all helps to add colour.

Regards

Alan

[paul scaplehorn]

Hi Alan,

            my great grandfather is listed on the admission book for HMHS Assaye- NO681 10027 Albert Scaplehorn 1st battalion Border Reg. listed with a gunshot wound to the thigh

Untitled.pdf

[alantwo]

On 30/08/2021 at 20:08, paul scaplehorn said:

Hi Alan,

            my great grandfather is listed on the admission book for HMHS Assaye- NO681 10027 Albert Scaplehorn 1st battalion Border Reg. listed with a gunshot wound to the thigh

Untitled.pdf 2.25 MB · 1 download

Hi Paul

Thanks for your post and welcome to the Forum. The extract below is from the 1st Border Regiment War Diary for the day your great grandfather was admitted to HMHS Assaye, it's possible that he was one of the 11 men wounded, albeit the diary refers to 'C' Company and the Admission Book has 'A' Company. [Extract from File 407, 29th Division War Diaries, NA, Kew]

Kind regards

Alan

[mutley]

Alan,

Ive just come across this thread after having already sent you a PM. Could I ask you to check to see if there is any mention of the following:

21107 Pte R Fitzakerley 6th Bn York & Lancaster Regt

21121 Pte W E Pitts 6th Bn York & Lancaster Regt believed to have been wounded with a GSW to the shoulder some time around 23-26 Nov 1915

388 Pte B Sheerin 6th Bn Leinster Regt

Many thanks

Mutley

[alantwo]

Hi Mutley

Thanks for your message and pm. Since I first posted this topic the Admission and Discharge Books have become available to view on the Find My Past web-site, alternatively they can be seen at The National Archives at Kew, which is what I did. Having checked my information, none of the three men appear in the HMHS Assaye records, the ship appears to have been in the Cape Helles area at the time, as a couple of men from 66th Brigade RFA were admitted about that date. As you will be aware 21121 William Edwin Pitts has a service record available on FMP and Ancestry and he states he received a GSW to the left forearm at Suvla on 23rd November, unfortunately a hospital ship is not mentioned. The Battalion War Diary indicates two men were wounded that day, but not who they were.

It is 'possible' that Pitts was admitted to HS Lanfranc which anchored in Suvla Bay on 24th November at about 1830, though without some form of qualification it is difficult to be sure.

I hope that helps.

Kind regards

Alan

[mutley]

Alan, 

many thanks for your prompt response. I have reviewed Pitts' record and there are two different dates mentioned for his wounding, sadly the other chap has no surviving record and I lose track of him until he turns up in France with the 10th Bn. 

Thanks for looking, much appreciated.

Mutley

 

[James862]

Hi Alan,

I hope you're keeping well and before I begin, thank you for this thread. Its been great to read and no doubt has been a great support to many.

I am looking for information regarding my Great Grandfather - Robert Roe (2153) who landed with the 7th Battalion, Royal Munster Fusiliers at Sulva Bay on the 7th August 1915. He was listed as wounded on the War Office Casualty List on the 21st September 1915 but I can't find details as to the injury or how long he was out of action. I know he rejoined the Battalion and was later transferred to the 6th Battalion where he was wounded again and spent time in the Military Hospital in The Citadel in Cairo on the 25th May 1918 before being reassigned to the Royal Army Supply Corp before being discharged in 1920 and returning to Dublin, Ireland.

Any colour you could add would be greatly appreciated.

thanks,

James

[alantwo]

Hi James

Many thanks for your post and welcome to the Forum. I’m away at the moment drinking Italian wine. I fly back tomorrow, so please bear with me and I’ll be more than happy to see what I have.

Kind regards

Alan

[James862]

Lovely stuff Alan! Enjoy the break! Much appreciated 

[alantwo]

Hi James

I wasn't able to find anything for your Great Grandfather in the HMHS Assaye Admissions and Discharge Books. If he was wounded on or around the 21st September, Assaye was certainly in the area because it admitted four other men from the 7th RMF, two ill and two wounded. I also checked the Times Digital Archive and I haven't been able to find his name. One of the wounded men No.1997 Private J Ryan is recorded in both the Admission Books, 21/9/15, and the TDA, 2/10/15, page 4. The TDA on this day records another 55 or so men wounded and 4 killed from the Battalion.

The Battalion War Diary is an interesting read if you haven't seen it, and whilst only officer casualties are named, it does illustrate the steady loss of men often through snipers. At one point the Brigade War Diary refers to the loss of 10 to 15 men per day across its four Battalions.

Sorry I could not be of more help.

Kind regards

Alan

 

[James862]

Hi Alan, thanks a million for this. I'm attaching the casualty report from the Irish Examiner on the 22nd Sept where he's listed. He was also featured in the Evening Herald in 1917 as having been wounded in Salonika. I also found a report of him being wounded and receiving treatment in the Military Hospital in Cairo in 1918. He came survived with a 40% disability pension after transferring to the RASC until 1920. 

 

In terms of Gallipoli, might it have been the case that he wasn't taken off the beach and was treated in the field before returning? Any other steer you might be able to give me in terms of the other records would be greatly appreciated. Can't seem to find the right rabbit hole for this one haha

Hope you had a nice holiday.

[alantwo]

Hi James

The holiday break was good thank you, it was booked pre-Covid thus a bit of a catch up.

With the absence of an Attestation it is usually at this point Forum members tend to suggest looking in local newspapers, but you have already done that. Great to see the photograph of Robert Roe and just as an aside my Grandfather was also at Chocolate Hill at the same time as your Great Grandfather though in different regiments.

At the time the 31st Field Ambulance was an Advanced Dressing Station at Chocolate Hill and the 30th FA was at 'A' Beach, the latter certainly received wounded and sick officers from the 7th RMF and therefore probably Other Ranks. It is possible that his wounding was not serious and that after visiting a FA he wasn't evacuated, but if he appears on the list you kindly provided it suggests something a bit more serious, at least something worth recording. In the War Diary for the 30th FA, the only men discharged were those that had been sick, the wounded all appear to have been transferred/evacuated. Unfortunately the WD for the 14th CCS also at 'A' Beach has very little detail to confirm this.

You are probably already aware of the Casualty List thread in the Other Great War Chat section of the Forum which has turned up numerous 7th RMF. You could also try posting in the Soldiers and their Units section of the Forum, it is possible that your query has not been seen here and there will be others better qualified than myself who will be able to help.

You may be interested in this book Gallipoli Diaries: 7th Bn Royal Munster Fusiliers 1915 eBook : Adjutant, M Gillott, Editor: Amazon.co.uk: Books It will be cheaper than an Ancestry membership, which is where the War Diaries are now available on-line. Sadly the editor Martin is no longer on the planet otherwise I'm sure he would have tried to help.

I did take a look at the National Army Museum website where they have some 11,000 entries for men of the RMF, there is one Roe but it is George and not Robert.

Beyond this I think you can only do what the Anzacs did and keep digging, something may come up and if it does let us know.

Kind regards

Alan

[James862]

Thanks a million for this Alan. Massive help! I hope your Grandfather made it through too.

 

[alantwo]

Thanks James, yes he did, thanks to HS Assaye and the nurse of the Mediterranean.

Alan

Edited 13 August , 2022 by alantwo

[AndrewSid]

Alan,

Really grateful if you could do a look up for me. Father in law recently disclosed his medals and shrapnel ball that was dug out of his chest following wounding at Gallipoli.

He was, I believe, wounded on the 10th September 1915 whilst with the 7th Battalion Royal Munster Fusiliers. 

Thomas  Henry Upham     7/225

He survived the war after being posted into the MGC after recovering.

thanks 

Andy

[alantwo]

Hi Andy

Many thanks for your post. HS Assaye appears to have left for Alexandria on 8th or 9th of September, thus there is nothing in the records I have for your casualty on the 10th.. He does however appear in The Times casualty lists for wounded on the 11th October 1915, p4, please see extract below. You may already be aware that the Brigade War Diary mentions that the 7th RMF were in reserve trenches and were enfiladed by artillery on that day with 10 casualties; the Battalion's War Diary states 2 killed and 7 wounded.

I hope that helps.

Alan

 

Above extract The Times, 11/10/1915, p4.

[AndrewSid]

Alan,

Many  thanks for checking.  Looks like he just missed the boat!

Very kind re causality list.  I found it last night after a bit of date help from Gunner87.  Very fortunate in that his Star roll has his date of wounding.  Saves me digging through the other men in the list for clues. I’ve been through the war diary and as you say the wounding fits an artillery barrage and subsequent causalities. I haven’t looked at the Brigade one yet so thanks for the steer.

The Battalion had  a short and very violent existence.  After arriving on the 07th of August  they suffered continuous  casualties.  There were only 3 of the thirty officers left by the 22nd of August.  The CO being relived of command leaving to sole remaining Captain in charge.