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Remembered Today:

Malaira hospitals


axial1680

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My grandfather James Connell 6btn RMF was in Gallipoli and Salonika, then later Egypt. He was in hospital in early 1918 and eventually transferred to the ASC. I have his service record and there are references to hospitals, some only ink stamps. Theres a letter saying he was a malaria case from Malta. Then a letter giving him a weeks home leave in April 1918 from the Herbert hospital in London. Later theres a document saying he was at Fovant hospital on Hampshire. What I was wondering is are there any hospital records in existence that can tie down dates etc.

Thanks,

Paul

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Previous searches on similar enquiries have (if I recall correctly) shown that there was a major clear-out of WWI hospital records in the early 1920s (and medical records will be closed for 100 years in any case).

 

If you have the names of individual hospitals you can try searching the Hospital Records Database click here but I'm afraid I don't hold out much hope. Good luck, all the same.

 

sJ

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Thank you very much for that seaJane,

I had a quick look and there are some records for the Herbert hospital in Woolwich.

Regards,

Paul

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Wellcome Library seem to have material for The Royal Herbert Hospital. Can't see an admin/discharge register though or case files.

Interesting (but not helpful to Paul) that they have Register of Courts Martial of personnel and patients 1882-1960; status - available.

 

I see it's an ancestry image from his record in post#1. Found his numbers 3014 RMF & T/445124 ASC but can't find any records on ancestry, can you provide a link to the set of records, there may be more in there than you realise. He may also have 2 sets on FMP under 3014.

 

I'll add that he was reported missing 17/9/1915 from 6/RMF and then on 24/11/1915 he was 'Previously Reported Missing, Now Reported Not Missing'. No other details available.

 

Forces War Records have a 1917 hit for 3014 J. Connell of the Royal Irish Fusiliers which maybe an original error as they're pretty good on transcriptions; subscription needed.

 

TEW

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FMP records are for him, seen the same image as post#1.

 

Not a lot of mentions of hospitals though. Served with MEF 9/7/1915 - 28/1/1918 then home (posted to Depot) until 16/9/1918 when he had 7 days furlough. Posted 3rd Battn. 17/4/1918. Transferred to ASC 1/11/1918. Then Home again until dispersal in Early 1919.

 

So his Hospital treatment took place between 28/1/1918 and 16/9/1918. His first award for pension was 9/9/1919 which was for dysentry.

 

There is one medical sheet dated June 1918 which is for a Lab report on specimens. This and another sheet appears to say 'Disease = Acne' but another sheet gives Ague (Malaria). Perhaps someone mis-read it. Makes one wonder if they were sampling for the correct condition.

 

He died in May 1920? Wonder what his death cert states.

 

Otherwise a colourful service record.

TEW

Edited by TEW
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Hi Tew, the Wellcome records for the Royal Herbert Hospital will be those listed on the Hospital Records Database which Wellcome co-ordinates with TNA.

 

sJ

 

 

Edited by seaJane
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That's him TEW,

You have already told me stuff I didn't know after reading it, especially Ague, also some of these dates, so basically he was home in hospital for around 9 months, he died on 9th May 1923. On his widows Irish Free State Air Corps pension claim, (which she didn't get) it states he caught pneumonia on the 29th January 1923. On his death certificate it states he died of Tuberculosis of the lungs 4 months, heart failure certified.

It says a malaria case that cant carry a pack, I know I had bad acne on my back in my 20s and it would have been bad trying to carry a pack. I do get from the tone of the records at the end that he didn't take too kindly at being ordered around by someone in London that probably hadn't seen any action. They are on Ancestry too but the service number has a digit missing. FMP have totally the wrong address for him!

Anything else you can gain from reading through those would be most welcome. As a point of interest his younger brother Simon had joined up under age under at least two false names and the service was classed as fraudulent, he re joined the Connaught Rangers, still using my grandfathers name James and was involved in the 1920 mutiny in India. Simon just seemed to disappear after 1939, not a trace anywhere!

Thanks for looking through that for me, just need to convince Dublin City council where his grave is so I can put up a headstone, also going to order some replica medals as no one has ever seen his at all, but they weren't returned.

Thanks again.

Paul 

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Paul,

The period 28/1/1918 and 16/9/1918 is the only possible time frame for any treatment, that's not to say he spent all that time in hospital.

 

There are members who could decipher the lab report page to see what they were taking specimens of and what the tests and results were.

 

Odd that 2 important sheets clearly state acne and one other has hand corrected it to ague. But that his first award was for dysentry.

 

Fovant was a transfer centre not a hospital. I must have missed the April 1918 letter mentioning Herbert Hospital and I don't recall seeing where he had to go in June 1918 for the tests.

 

Still can't find his record on Ancestry, what number are you using? There is another James Connell 1668 listed as Royal Nwnsher (Munster) Fusiliers who also had Malaria.

TEW

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Tew its under James Connell 301, type in James Connell born 1895, the Herbert Hospital was on a stamp on one of the pages, also he must have been in hospital in Malta too. He must have still been in Jerusalem when he obviously got that bad he had to go to hospital. I have tried to follow where he was by following the 6th battalion and reading books on Gallipoli and Salonika. He joined up the day before his 19th birthday in Dublin. Looks like it took a while to get used to army life. I do wonder what the disobeying orders was after Gallipoli?

Kind regards, Paul

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Paul,

 

Ok, found it now and can see the Herbert Hospital sheet.

Looks like the Lab report is a test on 'pustule contents' for presence of Staphylococcus Aureus. The test showed a good growth of Staphylococcus Aureus. A quick google on that shows;

It is the leading cause of skin and soft tissue infections such as abscesses (boils), furuncles, and cellulitis. Although most staph infections are not serious, S. aureus can cause serious infections such as bloodstream infections, pneumonia, or bone and joint infections.

 

But not necessarily indicating acne; another google quote It is still unclear whether S. aureus is actually a causal agent in the pathogenesis of acne.

 

Perhaps someone thought he had acne and sent him for this test which proved to be a Staphylococcus Aureus infection?

 

His 'First Award-Soldier' sheet gives his disability as Ague & Dysentry but the Ague looks like it's been overwritten and maybe said Acne at one point or vice-verse.

 

With an absence of hospital sheets it's difficult to be sure if he definitely had malaria or some kind of enteric / paratyphoid fever or if the the Staphylococcus Aureus was causing a blood infection giving similar symptoms which apparently can include fever & chills.

TEW

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I get you with all of that TEW,

It certainly must have been pretty serious to have been in hospital or certainly away from front line service for all that time. It does say malaria on the sheet higher up here. Obviously whatever it was it wasn't very nice and must have been picked up in Salonika or the Palestine campaign as I think by the dates he would have ben in the march into Jerusalem. It would be before transfer to Marseilles. I presume he was posted to the Western Front in the September 1918 after his furlough. That would be the first time he had been home since April 1915 from what I can see.

Thanks,

Paul

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A funny point that happened. I first knew of Army service from his death cert. Then after getting his widows pension claim and his Irish service record saw he had been in the British army. One night about two years ago I was looking for any record of him on Ancestry. I looked at James Connell but it said St Annes, I thought oh that's in Lancashire and went on to the next one, my broadband went off for a couple of minutes so I looked again and saw it was him! I would have found it eventually but it was still a bit strange.

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I found an official description of Furlough on forum.

 

1679 – Leave of Absence : Warrant Officers, Non – Commissioned Officers and Men retained with the Colours for Duration of War.

(G.R.O. 13 July 1916)

Men who had been wounded, after recovering, and before returning to a Base Depot or training establishment, were granted furlough.

 

Have also spotted one of his sheets mentions Addington Park War Hospital, Croyon with date of 23/2/18. This hospital is specifically for infectious diseases.

He may have been in Addington until April 1918 when he was given furlough.

 

Home 14/9/14 - 8/7/15

MEF 9/7/15 - 28/1/18

Home 29/1/18 - 16/9/18, with a period of furlough 6/4/18 - 15/4/18 showing on Army Form W.3016

Furlough (home) 17/9/18 - 23/9/18

Transferred 667 Coy. RASC 1/11/18

Home 24/9/18 - 11/3/19 Class Z Army reserve.

First Pension Award 9/9/19

 

Not seeing anything to suggest he served in France or left England after his arrival 29/1/18

 

His service record shows another number - 30043 and his Attestation sheet seems to indicate he originally joined the 6/Royal Dublin Fusiliers 14/9/14. But this is not apparent on his Services Sheet which simply gives '14/9/14 6/RMF'. Perhaps an original error?

 

I can't see the 30043 number on anywhere except the front cover sheet.

 

TEW

 

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Thanks for explaining all that TEW, just been in Ireland over the weekend and visited his grave.

I would think his mother would have been pleased to see him during his furlough, having been at a more remote area of the war. The disease he had seems to have been a pretty nasty one! This is his photo from early 1923 in the Irish Free State Air Corps, not long before he died.

Kind regards,

Paul

Grandfather modified.jpg

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