26th Stationary Hospital, Ismailia, Egypt WW1

[suffolk]

Can anyone help with finding a Major in the R.A.M.C. who had just qualified as a doctor in 1914.  He was sent to the Dardanelles  in a matter of weeks after 19.4.15.  - originally a Lieutenant  but a Major by the time his medals were applied for in 1921.     He had the usual trio for WW1.   (Area 2(b).)   I can only find a medal card - he was a temporary captain in May 1916, and the medal card marked "Major" -  with mistake in his name:  William Hastings Hardy (they had Wiliam Hardy Hardy).  It is not known where he enlisted.  He at one time brought the wounded home on a hospital ship.    Thank you.  

[Lanayca]

If you can find out the hospital ship name the ships log could give you an insight (available from national archives). My grandfather was ramc on HMHS nevasa running between Bombay , Persia and Dardanelles.

[PRC]

The birth of a William Hastings Hardy was registered in the Basford District on the Nottinghamshire \ Derbyshire border in the July to September quarter, (Q3), of 1892, so he wouldn’t have been likely to fully complete his medical training by the outbreak of war.

 

On the 1901 Census of England and Wales an 8 year old William H Hardy, born Nottingham, was recorded living at 7 Yew Tree Avenue, Nottingham. This was the household of his parents, Theodore B, (aged 37, Church of England Clergyman & Schoolmaster, born Exeter) and Florence E, (aged 39, born Ireland). As well as William they also have an 11 year old daughter, Mary E, (born St James Norlands(?), London).

 

By the time of the 1911 Census of England and Wales the family were living at The Grammer School, Bentham, Lancaster, Yorkshire. Parents Theodore Bayley Hardy, (47) and Florence Elizabeth, (born Belfast, County Down), have been married 22 years and have had 2 children, both then still alive. They were also both single and still living at home. Mary Elizabeth, (21), was an Arts Student, while William Hastings, (18, born Nottingham), was a Medical Student.

 

As an officer he didn’t enlist but applied for a commission. He may have already been serving in his University’s Officer Training Corps – although not quite sure where he would be studying.

 

 

The Supplement to the London Gazette dated 12^th June 1915 records him as promoted temporary Lieutenant in the Royal Army Medical Service effective 12^th May 1915. His qualification is given as M.B. rather than M.D \ M.D & F.R.C.S.

https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/29191/supplement/5726/data.pdf

 

Unless he continued to serve after 1921 or he was recalled in WW2, (in which case his records would be held by the Ministry of Defence), it does not look like his service records have survived – at least as far as the National Archive catalogue is concerned.

 

BTW – his father:-

 

Theodore Bayley Hardy, VC, DSO, MC (20 October 1863 – 18 October 1918) was a British Army chaplain and a recipient of the Victoria Cross, the highest award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to British and Commonwealth forces. In addition to the VC, Hardy had been awarded the Distinguished Service Order and Military Cross, making him one of the most decorated non-combatants of the First World War.

 

He was an Assistant Master at Nottingham High School from 1891–1907, at which one of the Junior School's houses is named in his honour. He was married to Florence Elizabeth Hastings, who died in 1914.

 

Hardy was aged 51 when war broke out, and was priest at Hutton Roof in the Lake District. He volunteered at once but was turned down as being too old. Eventually, in August 1916, he was accepted for army service as a Temporary Chaplain to the Forces, 4th Class and attached to 8th Battalion, The Lincolnshire Regiment

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Theodore_Hardy

His daughter Mary Elizabeth Hardy also served in France. She was a nurse at the Red Cross Hospital at Dunkirk

 

There is at least one book about him and another on the way. The authors may have picked up information about William in passing.

http://www.huttonroof.org.uk/church/2008HardyService.htm

 

The 1964 UK Probate Calendar has a William Hastings Hardy of Riverglen, Delgany, County Wicklow, which could potentially be your man. He died on the 24^th March 1964. Probate was granted in the London Court on the 23^rd October 1964 to Eleanor Florence Hardy, widow. His estate in England was valued at £1,241.

https://probatesearch.service.gov.uk/Calendar?surname=Hardy&yearOfDeath=1964&page=7#calendar

(Note  it can only be taken for granted that Eleanor was a widow – it should not be assumed that she is his widow! I couldn’t find a likely wedding in England & Wales, but someone with access to FindMyPast may be able to track them down if they were in the UK on the 1939 National Register.)

 

This notice appeared in the Irish Times of the 13^th May 2005.

 

HASTINGS HARDY - May 11, 2005, Patricia Florence of Dundrum, Dublin 14, in the tender care of St John's House, Merrion Road, devoted only daughter of the late Dr and Mrs William Hastings Hardy of Croydon, Surrey and Delgany, Co. Wicklow;

http://notices.irishtimes.com/?_fstatus=search;keywords=HARTNETT%20Florence;page=32;type=all_notices

 

(My emphasis)

 

Considering where his father was living and working at the oubrak of the war, it may be worth trying the Kendal or Lancaster newspapers to see if you can find out any more. Ideally that would involve a trip to relevant County Archive \ Library.

 

Hope some of that helps,

 

Regards,

Peter

 

[sotonmate]

There are two places his file reference may have been listed, in the WO338 Indexes WO338/9/8 and WO338/23/5, but he is in neither.

Other NA notes on Temporary (Hostilities Only) Medical Officers state that most of these files were destroyed in the 1920s.

[suffolk]

On 25/07/2017 at 22:01, sotonmate said:

There are two places his file reference may have been listed, in the WO338 Indexes WO338/9/8 and WO338/23/5, but he is in neither.

Other NA notes on Temporary (Hostilities Only) Medical Officers state that most of these files were destroyed in the 1920s.

Thank you, Sotonmate.  I was aware that many of the files were destroyed.         Suffolk.

[suffolk]

On 25/07/2017 at 20:56, Lanayca said:

If you can find out the hospital ship name the ships log could give you an insight (available from national archives). My grandfather was ramc on HMHS nevasa running between Bombay , Persia and Dardanelles.

Lanayca - thank you for the information on your grandfather's service on the hospital ship   HMHS   Nevasa    which I will look into.       Suffolk.

[suffolk]

PRC:    I missed your suggestion of checking the 1939 register for Dr. William Hastings Hardy and his wife Eleanor Florence Parkes (Hardy), with their only daughter Patricia Florence - (belong to FindmyPast and got this resu.    This found them in Croydon, where Dr. Hardy practised for many years.   They apparently also had a home at Delgany in Co. Wicklow, as Eleanor's parents were Irish (but emigrated to Canada after some years in England).     Research excellent, confirming all my findings.  I am very grateful.  Suffolk.   

[alf mcm]

The Medical Register for 1919 shows that William Hastings Hardy qualified from Queen's University, Belfast in 1915. He had his name put on the register on 14th April 1915.

 

Regards,

 

Alf McM

[suffolk]

Thank you alf mcm.  Yes, I knew where Dr. Hardy qualified.    Both his own mother, and his future wife, were from Ireland.    Suffolk.

[suffolk]

PRC:   Thank you very much.  All research duplicated as I have.  Thank you for correcting me about the Doctor (at Queen's University, Belfast) who would have applied for a commission, rather than enlisting.There  are telegrams from his sister (serving as a V.A.D. in Dunkirk) to her brother Dr. William Hardy at Ismailia, confirming her father's awards.  I do not have the name of the hospital ship, but know that he applied for his medals from Manea, Cambridgeshire, and then went to practice in Croydon.   All confirmed of his subsequent death, his wife's death and his daughter's death (all buried in a joint grave in Delgany, Co. Wicklow, Ireland).  Splendid research from you in a very short time!

Rev. Hardy had only one surviving brother, Rev.  Ernest Wiliam Hardy, at St. Mary's church, Thetford in

1930.  He was also a chaplain to the forces, and died at Wayland, Norfolk in 1946.      I am grateful for confirming all.          

Suffolk.

[PRC]

 

On 29/07/2017 at 07:19, suffolk said:

 

Rev. Hardy had only one surviving brother, Rev.  Ernest Wiliam Hardy, at St. Mary's church, Thetford in

1930.  He was also a chaplain to the forces, and died at Wayland, Norfolk in 1946.           

Suffolk.

 

This one from the 1947 Probate Calendar ?

 

[suffolk]

PRC;    thank you for finding the Rev. Ernest Wm Hardy of 22 Raymond Street, Thetford.  This was the Rev. Theobold Bayley Hardy's only surviving brother.  His wife Mary wrote  Hardy, V.C.,  An Appreciation, in 1919.       I have a precious digitalised copy of this.    It has been an interesting exercise.   

 

Suffolk.

[keithmroberts]

The sister of Dr William Hastings Hardy, Mary Elizabeth Hardy served as a VAD and was present to see him awarded his VC. According to David Raw, the author of his biography Its Only Me,  she was also present at his death.

 

See also this GWF thread.