Deciphering medical information on a military record

[Robyn FitzGerald]

Hello. I need a little help deciphering some information, which may be medical, on my grandfather's military records, please.

Frederick Murray Hannaford (NZEF #56434, 1st Battalion, 3rd NZ Rifle Brigade) http://ndhadeliver.n..._pid=IE13529748

He was wounded on 15/11/1917 in the field (1st Battalion 3rd NZRB, D Company). On 27/3/1918 he was wounded again, shot in the face.

Please see Image 3 of his military record. I can't work out exactly what they're saying about his wounds. It says wounded in the face and then it says something else - bruised? buried? burned?

See also Image 6 & Image 15 (see 1/4/1918 entry also) about the same wound. Any ideas what the extent of his wounds were?

See Image 16 - what does the event on 29/1/1919 say? And where is it he was taken on strength at on 16/6/1919? And what happened on 28/7/1919? These references may be about his health/fitness, but I'm not sure.

I would appreciate any suggestions that you may have.

Thank you,

Robyn

[BillyH]

Image 3. I'd go for "buried"

BillyH.

[Dai Bach y Sowldiwr]

Image 3. I would read the entry as 'buried'.

Image 6. Can't see any medical information here??

Image 15. " 27/3/18. GSW(=Gunshot Wound = Could be shell shrapnel wound or other explosive event rather than being shot) face and burned(?)

"1/4/18 (Pretty illegible! - His/Hit face burned/buried off (?)

Image 16. Seems to be a lot of geographical place names. " 29/1/19.???? Group Details Sth. Brocton" not really legible to me.

If it is Brocton, that's a village on the edge of Cannock Chase in Staffordshire.

I think there were some camps in that area.

Does that fit with your other information?

However the other places mentioned (p15) are Clapton (East London), and Codford (Wiltshire) where there was an ANZAC camp-https://travelrat.wordpress.com/2008/07/25/anzac-chalk-carving-codford/

[Robyn FitzGerald]

Image 3. I would read the entry as 'buried'.

Image 6. Can't see any medical information here??

Image 15. " 27/3/18. GSW(=Gunshot Wound = Could be shell shrapnel wound or other explosive event rather than being shot) face and burned(?)

"1/4/18 (Pretty illegible! - His/Hit face burned/buried off (?)

Re Image 6: See the "remarks" column on 27/3/18 when he's admitted to #24 General Hospital - it says something about his face wound.

I did read about another soldier, Private Herbert Gadd, who was buried at Mailly Maillet on 27/3/1918, the same day that my grandfather was wounded at Mailley-Maillet. Perhaps they were involved in the same incident of being buried.

http://100nzmemorials.blogspot.co.nz/2011/09/private-herbert-gadd-pokeno-memorial.html

But on reading another article about Pvt Gadd, it sounds as though he was buried in a shell hole because he had already died from being shot i.e. he wasn't killed by being buried.

My mother said that her father didn't seem to have any facial scars in later life, so I thought that might eliminate burns as being the wound suffered.

Thanks for your help, I really appreciate it.

Robyn

Image 3. I'd go for "buried"

BillyH.

Thank you. That's where I'm leaning too.

Robyn

[rksimpson]

Hi Robyn

Page 3 - Could it mean bruised? Buried does not make sense, unless he was buried by a shell??

It does seem to say buried on page 6? and gow face?

Page 16 says GSW and buried S (shell?)

page 16 - marched in to ?? details ?? Brocton.

marched out to OPDY CPD? Cant find abbreviations that would suit?

regards

Robert

[Dai Bach y Sowldiwr]

Re Image 6: See the "remarks" column on 27/3/18 when he's admitted to #24 General Hospital - it says something about his face wound.

Apologies, I missed that column.

Yes, that's the clearest writing of them all.

Clearly says "GSW face + Buried"

[Dai Bach y Sowldiwr]

marched out to OPDY CPD? Cant find abbreviations that would suit?

I read it as " Marched out to Sling./Shing. (Educ'l) 28/1/19 26/1/19 Brocton"

(There is a reference further down of him being taken on at the Educational Establishment).

There are quite a few Wiltshire Great War camp experts on this forum.

I bet they could solve the geographical queries in a flash.

[TEW]

Image 16

29/1/19. Looks like No/1 A group details ????? Brocton. Note, 'A group' is also mentioned 8/1/19 at Sling in image 4.

16/6/19 Taken on light? CPD?

28/7/19 ??/8 OPD y CPD

Whatever OPD and CPD are, it only applied for the period before he left for home, 'something something Depot, 'something posting depot' perhaps seems more likely. Surprised that Torquay Discharge Depot is not involved.

Edit: Officer Posting Depot?? Commander Posting Depot??? Guesswork.

TEW

[Robyn FitzGerald]

Image 16

29/1/19. Looks like No/1 A group details ????? Brocton. Note, 'A group' is also mentioned 8/1/19 at Sling in image 4.

16/6/19 Taken on light? CPD?

28/7/19 ??/8 OPD y CPD

Whatever OPD and CPD are, it only applied for the period before he left for home, 'something something Depot, 'something posting depot' perhaps seems more likely. Surprised that Torquay Discharge Depot is not involved.

Edit: Officer Posting Depot?? Commander Posting Depot??? Guesswork.

TEW

Thanks again Tew. I'll look at these suggestions tomorrow.

Robyn

[Robyn FitzGerald]

I haven't really made any progress with the medical details, but I think I've got a little further with other aspects mentioned above. See Image 16 - in chronological order, from 8th Jan 1919 onwards only, as I think I had already worked out the rest correctly:

8/1/1919 Promoted Sergeant & appointed Temporary Warrant Officer 1st Class & appointed 3rd Grade Instructor

28/1/1919 Marches out to Sling (Education/educational)

29/1/1919 Marched In "A" Group Details Sling ex Brocton (he had been promoted to Sergeant, “A” Group NZ Expeditionary Force, Sling on 8/1/1919).

30/1/1919 Struck off Strength of Unit & Taken on Establishment of Education Dept.

16/6/1919 Taken on Strength *something*(must have been moved to some other unit)

28/7/1919 *something* (embark?) *OPDYCPD* - I still don't know what this means. As TEW said, maybe something about Command Depot or Posting Depot. Anyway, I guess he left Sling approx. 16/6/1919 and went somewhere else awaiting his return to NZ. Does that make sense?

8/8/1919 Embarked on the SS Tainui at Plymouth, for New Zealand.

I wonder what he was teaching at Sling Camp. He was a blacksmith in NZ before and after the war. I wonder if he was involved in making the Bulford Kiwi?

[Dai Bach y Sowldiwr]

I think the 16/6/19 entry says "Taken on High CPD"

And the 28/7/19 entry says "Empd. OPD Y(or possibly X) CPD.