Private James Richard Hitchcock, Royal Warwickshire Regiment

[topsey1234]

I have been looking at the case of a distant relative of mine Private James Richard Hitchcock, Royal Warwickshire Regiment. He was born in 1892 in Coventry and was a printer by trade.

So far I have been unable to track either a service record(burnt record) or medal roll for him.

The documented story starts in 1916 when he was admitted into the workhouse infirmary on London Rd in Coventry. It had at the time facilities for both general and psychiatric patients and was used for wounded WW1 soldiers. I know this as on 8th November 1916 he was admitted from London Rd to Hatton Hospital in Warwickshire with a clear mental illness. (It was an asylum) from London Rd which is where the paper trail starts.

I have obtained a number of records from the Warwickshire Records Office but one in particular shows that he was classed as a service patient by the War Office from 1916. It says he was a private in the Warwicks.

Sadly he remained there for the rest of his life and died in November 1967 and seems to have been buried in a paupers grave at Warwick cemetery.

The admission records to Hatton Hospital seem to document quite disturbed behaviour.

My question therefore is whether he would qualify as a non commemoration as its clearly outside the qualifying periods but he does seem to have a health issue connected to his army service relating to his admission which he seems never to have recovered from as he never left Hatton Hospital.

I did have an uncle who visited him who talked about "shell shock" but that would imply service abroad. However as I can find no mention of him on a medal roll it which does make me wonder if there was any overseas service.

Checking Ancestry.com on their military records has drawn a blank so I am none the wiser to what service he had in the Warwicks, only his rank and regiment is known and some of the records record him as "late" , but if he was discharged why did the War Office class him as a service patient?

Any help or advice on what else to search would be appreciated.

[johnboy]

Do any of the records show a service number?

[ss002d6252]

The criteria are here - http://www.infromthecold.org/war_grave_criteria.asp

I would make it that he died well outside the qualifying period.

Craig

[Loader]

Not all casualties of war die on the battlefield but they lose their lives all the same. Very sad story indeed & hope you can find more info on him & keep his memory alive.

[topsey1234]

Sadly the letter I have from the Central Army Pensions to the hospital in 1918 confirming he was a "Service Patient" only records he was a Private in the Royal Warwickshires and omits the service number in the section provided. No service record found, nothing on the medal rolls. The only other place I thought of was a pension record card the WFA keep.

[PaulC78]

I don't know if you ever sought out the WFA pension records but there is a ledger for a Pte James Richard Hitchcock, 2378, Warwicks, address 15 Wright Street, Coventry. It doesn't say much else unfortunately, and I can't find any other records for that soldier.

[sueburden]

Several years ago the admission books for the Coventry Workhouse were available at the records office attached to the Herbert Museum in Coventry.  I did look at the 1916 records at the time regarding a relative.

They have a website and the telephone number is 02476 237521.

Hope this is of some help

Sue