NZ - Archway - Casualty Form - help

[jacksdad]

Thanks for that TEW

The surname is Shephard with an h, if that makes any difference?

And sorry the MGC unit was the "29th M G Battn" (from his WW2 NZEF mil file)

 

He had a small bullet size scar on his back left shoulder and a large exit wound on his front. so I imagine that he would have been on the list as this seems a serious wound for a WW1 situation and sufficient to be hospitalised.

 

I have to admit I have tried several times to find out where Granddad served, but have been defeated in my poor knowledge of the MGC, which seem a difficult crowd to research, but your post about casualty lists lit up another route I could try.

 

I have not tried the WD of the 29/MGC but next time I am in England I will do this at the archives. I tried a number of years ago, but had no luck, firstly I was naïve in my attempt at Kew, and  secondly whilst I spent two days at Kew  I did not at that time know the Unit he was in (later found this in his WW2 records) and so I ordered a number of MGC WD but it was, to be fair a valiant, but totally misguided attempt, as I had no idea how big the MGC were.  I tried to find his military file but it was one of the many burnt lost files.

 

I took another tact a few years ago, working laterally, I researched the CWGC for all the deaths in the MGC from men within a similar (118239) number as granddad who had died, I don't know if my theory was correct but I thought that there was a reasonable probability that they signed up at a similar time and the locations of their death/burial would give me an idea of the probable deployment area, as the long long trail website suggested that they could be in both Palestine and W-Front.

 

His WW2 Mil File he states he served 2 years in WW1 with the 29 MG Battn and that ties in with his age (born  Oct 1898) and enlistment in Oct 1916, maybe deployment 1917, from what I have read that is in line with the 29th M G Battn.

 

Is it possible to check for a D A Shephard in the casualty lists that you have access too and maybe possible other spelling variations?

 

Thanks again Roger

[jacksdad]

On 06/08/2016 at 00:37, TEW said:

Roger,

 

There is the official WO casualty list which would include MGC. I've had a look and not seen a Donald or D or D. A. Shepard from the MGC in the list.

 

There are 2 reasons this might be;

His injury was not serious enough to end up on the list.

The injury was either between May-Aug 1917 or post April 1918.

Up to about May 1917 the lists were issued to the press and initially appeared in The Times. For some reason they stopped producing lists for ORs around May 1917. The WO then started an official publication which could be bought publicly from Aug 1917.

thegenealogist website has transcribed the WO lists, taking them either from The Times or from the official publication from Aug 1917. I'm not sure if it's a work in progress but they have only transcribed up to about May 1918. The rest of 1918 is available in book form in the British Library ( I think). Probably not an option for you!

 

Have you tried the diary for 28/MGC or doing a name/number search on Findmypast?

TEW

Hi Tew

 

Can i be a pain and just get you to double check on the spelling for my granddad?

D A Shephard

 

Cheers Mate

Roger

[TEW]

Yes, will do and check some other sources.

TEW

[ZXQ]

It is amazing to see that the casualty form can be interpreted into such details.

I am working on a project to prepare files for 3 great uncles of my husband. Three brothers went to WW1 and only one came back. His name is WROBLFSKI, Albert - WW1 6/746. I have trouble to understand his casualty form. He seems had multiple hospital admissions and injuries. I would be very appreciated if jacksdad or TEW or someone can help me understand where Albert had been and what battles he fought for. My family will be very grateful for such help. We are hoping to visit the battle fields that they fought on. Other two brothers did not have much records in the forms. William Wrobleske was killed at Chunuk Bair 8th Aug 1915 and Francis Wrobleske might be killed at battle of Polderhoek in Polygon sector 28 Dec 1917.

[TEW]

I'm going around in circles trying to access a search function on the new website.

They mention an outage on Thursday 13th July which might be today (Wednesday here?).

Can you post a link to the full service record?

TEW

[TEW]

Found it at last, link to full service record. See pages 6 & 7

Images courtesy of Archives new Zealand (no Longer called Archway).

For battles or actions he was involved with you'd need to find the appropriate unit diary which I think is Canterbury Infantry Regiment.

Seems he was wounded twice and there is mention of VD in late 1917. Wounded left thigh Sept 1915 Dardanelles and then Right Knee Sept 1916 in France. Some of these details come from other sheets in his record.

As a guide to columns : Date of Casualty is the date of the event, ignore 1st Column which is just Date. The Remarks column is normally of little use but this does have some details of his injuries EG. A9549 SW L Thigh. There are internal references in the remarks column that mean little today but I can spot H2162 which would be a list of sick and wounded. B213 which is a weekly battalion strength form, there's an A36 which is a hospital admission/discharge form which is (I think) the same as the later W3034.

From whom received should be self explanatory but may have some abbreviations, Record of promotions etc. specifies the event, place of casualty, again self explanatory and date of casualty are the main columns.

As one example: 28/9/1916 he was admitted to XV Corps CCS (Casualty Clearing Station) with Gunshot wound Right Knee, reported on form A36. XV Corps CCS is not particularly helpful as there may have been several CCSs assigned to XV corps but he was evacuated back to 8 General Hospital the same day.

I think I should check through the rest of his record, in the mean time you could specify which bits or columns you need help with.

TEW

 

 

 

 

[TEW]

Just to add a little more.

XV Corps CCS had me perplexed. Seems that one field ambulance of the NZ division plus others formed a Corps Collecting Station at BECORDEL SUBWAY (62d.F.7.a.8.2) so this is not a Casualty Clearing Station although a Corps Main Dressing Station was also located at BECORDEL.

The evacuation from BECORDEL should be by No. 27 MAC (Motor Ambulance Convoy), unfortunately although they mention cars going to and from BECORDEL they don't mention where they went. Anyway he was admitted to No. 8 General Hospital, Rouen on the same day (28/9/1916). Rouen Base only mention Ambulance Train Arrivals;

27 AT arrived at Rouen 2.45am 28/9/16 from Edge Hill.
20 AT arrived at Rouen 3.30am 28/9/16 from Corbie.
15 AT arrived at Rouen 22.35pm 28/9/16 from Edgehill.

Despite the form saying he Embarked for England per HS [left blank] 3/10/1916 there were no sailings that day from Rouen, the Western Australia is mentioned as departing 4/10/1916. Possible he was loaded onto the ship before midnight and the ship sailed early on the 4th, no diary for the vessel so I can't verify this.

Finally for now, a snippet from XV Corps DDMS diary for 27/9/1916 (date of his injury) giving the objectives for the NZ division.

TEW

[ZXQ]

Thank you TEW very much for spending time on this. Your explanation is extremally helpful. I will have a carefully read about your writing. I was not online for a couple days due to Covid-19 positive.

Edited 15 July , 2022 by ZXQ