wounded in action versus wounded at duty?

[gem22]

The war diary of 18th Lancs Fusiliers records on 1 June 1918 the following stats:

122 ORs wounded in action

17 ORs wounded (at duty)

Can anyone explain the difference between the two versions of wounded?

Thanks

Garth

[GraemeClarke]

Hi garth

From Chris Baker in a previous post

Wounded at duty means the man had sustained a wound but did not leave his unit. That is, he received some treatment locally and soldiered on.

Regards,

Graeme

[gem22]

Graeme

Many thanks. That's just what I needed.

Garth

[Loader]

Battlefield version of "Medicine & Duty"!

[Anneca]

Would the man referred to in this incident have been Wounded in Action, Wounded at Duty or simply "Wounded"?

"When the Bn. were being moved up to Ypres they billeted for a time at Derby Camp between Poperinghe and Ypres. A humourous incident occurred on our first day there when an old Frenchman who lived nearby complained to Major Waring about the men robbing his apple tree. The Major did not take the complaint very kindly but asked the Frenchman in flowery language what his apple tree was worth and agreed to pay him 40 francs for it. The Major then told the four companies to draw lots for which would get the first shake of the apple tree. This done, the company gathered around and spread a blanket out on the ground. One fellow went up the tree and at the first shake there was a dive like a rugby scrum. One fellow got a crack on the head with a horseshoe which had evidently been used for knocking down the apples, but had become stuck in the tree. He was so badly injured that he had to go to hospital and was later sent home to England. After the four companies each had had their shake of the apple tree, there was little left on it."

Anne

[ss002d6252]

Would the man referred to in this incident have been Wounded in Action, Wounded at Duty or simply "Wounded"?

"When the Bn. were being moved up to Ypres they billeted for a time at Derby Camp between Poperinghe and Ypres. A humourous incident occurred on our first day there when an old Frenchman who lived nearby complained to Major Waring about the men robbing his apple tree. The Major did not take the complaint very kindly but asked the Frenchman in flowery language what his apple tree was worth and agreed to pay him 40 francs for it. The Major then told the four companies to draw lots for which would get the first shake of the apple tree. This done, the company gathered around and spread a blanket out on the ground. One fellow went up the tree and at the first shake there was a dive like a rugby scrum. One fellow got a crack on the head with a horseshoe which had evidently been used for knocking down the apples, but had become stuck in the tree. He was so badly injured that he had to go to hospital and was later sent home to England. After the four companies each had had their shake of the apple tree, there was little left on it."

Anne

A good question and did he get a wound stripe ?

Craig

[Anneca]

Craig, I would love to know if he got a wound stripe but his name isn't mentioned in the reminiscences relating to the incident.

Anne

[Ron Clifton]

Hello Anne

I think all cases were referred to simply as "wounded" - there was, as far as I know, no distinction as to whether the wound was incurred in action or not. I know of one officer who was definitely wounded in action but who remained on duty with his unit, and incidentally won the Military Cross for the incident.

I don't know if your man was entitled to a wound stripe, but if he had been American, he would probably have been awarded a Purple Heart!

Ron

[David_Underdown]

Ron, I think the Yanks only actually had wound stripes too in WWI, but they were retrospectively converted to Purple Hearts when that award was re-introduced.

[Anneca]

Thank you Ron, wounded it is then. I think the man must have been in the 13th Bn. Royal Irish Rifles, the incident was referred to in the writings of Captain DJ Bell after the 13th Bn. were being moved up to Ypres. Referring to holding the line before the man was wounded - "A proper hell that was, I just couldn't describe it. We held it for a fortnight and the Division lost another 2,000 men."

Anne

[KGB]

Quick question on 2nd Battalion Royal Irish Rifles. Would someone enlisting in Wexford in Dec 1914 have been placed in that battalion? Also, transfers to Machine Gun Corps, hje had a different number.

[Ron Clifton]

Hello KGB

It's difficult to be dogmatic but 2/R Ir Rifles was a Regular battalion and seems to have recruited mainly in Ulster, so I would say unlikely but not impossible. If he enlisted in Dec 1914, and for general service rather than a particular regiment, he would probably have gone to the front in the spring of 1915, and he might have been sent to whichever battalion needed replacements at the time.

When men were transferred from one regiment or corps to another, they were allocated a fresh number, as each regiment or corps had its own numbering system.

Ron

[KGB]

Hello KGB

It's difficult to be dogmatic but 2/R Ir Rifles was a Regular battalion and seems to have recruited mainly in Ulster, so I would say unlikely but not impossible. If he enlisted in Dec 1914, and for general service rather than a particular regiment, he would probably have gone to the front in the spring of 1915, and he might have been sent to whichever battalion needed replacements at the time.

When men were transferred from one regiment or corps to another, they were allocated a fresh number, as each regiment or corps had its own numbering system.

Ron

Thanks Ron, I had thought something along similar lines, what I want to research is the transfer and service of my late Great Uncle into the MGC.