russtobin Posted 14 August , 2018 Share Posted 14 August , 2018 Could anyone please help me in trying to work out what is happening in the attached photograph? My family owns the original embroidered sheet shown in the photograph but we don't know how. We know that the sheet was created at the North Staffordshire Infirmary in 1917 by wounded servicemen. We had family living opposite the NSI in the mid thirties. In the photo it looks like the sheet was being displayed or maybe sold/raffled. Also in the photo you can see the words "Houp La" - Houp La was a silent movie released in 1928 I think. There are also other activities going on in the background behind the sheet. I don't own the photograph - it came from another forum member. Any help greatly appreciated. Regards Russ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Heid the Ba Posted 14 August , 2018 Share Posted 14 August , 2018 It looks to me like a fete with the sheet being displayed, possibly to be raffled. The houp la (or hoop la) would be a stall where you throw hoops over pegs to win prizes. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ajsmith Posted 14 August , 2018 Share Posted 14 August , 2018 Houp La! is also a musical comedy which premiered in 1916. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dai Bach y Sowldiwr Posted 14 August , 2018 Share Posted 14 August , 2018 The soldiers are wearing hospital blues aren't they? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TEW Posted 14 August , 2018 Share Posted 14 August , 2018 Certainly look like blues. Each square has a named man with his battalion or unit, shame no number! One could still find a proportion of service/pension files from the squares that should ID North Staffordshire Infirmary. Perhaps a family member bought it at the raffle, Can't make out what the 2 labels say beside each man's head. TEW Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jim Strawbridge Posted 14 August , 2018 Share Posted 14 August , 2018 Needlework was a recreation taught to wounded and recovering men in hospital. It counter-acted boredom and could be undertaken in groups giving a sense of community. What I think has happened here is that individual soldiers completed small samplers and these were stitched together to form a prize at a fete - probably a raffle. I would ignore Houp La, the musical comedy. In the context here it will be the "game" outlined in post #2. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Heid the Ba Posted 14 August , 2018 Share Posted 14 August , 2018 I wondered about hospital blues but thought they had lighter coloured lapels. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Admin DavidOwen Posted 14 August , 2018 Admin Share Posted 14 August , 2018 24 minutes ago, TEW said: Can't make out what the 2 labels say beside each man's head. Looks like the figure 6 on the bottom right of the right handed one, perhaps 6d a ticket? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peterhastie Posted 14 August , 2018 Share Posted 14 August , 2018 There is a similar one here Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andrew Upton Posted 14 August , 2018 Share Posted 14 August , 2018 5 hours ago, Heid the Ba said: I wondered about hospital blues but thought they had lighter coloured lapels. The original/early style did, later simplified versions did not: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
russtobin Posted 14 August , 2018 Author Share Posted 14 August , 2018 This is how it looks today...or part of it anyway. Thanks for the replies so far. Regards Russ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dai Bach y Sowldiwr Posted 14 August , 2018 Share Posted 14 August , 2018 (edited) This man possibly?: S. Hudson Pte. 40319 Sydney F. Hudson 19th Bn. Welsh Regiment Edited 14 August , 2018 by Dai Bach y Sowldiwr Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Heid the Ba Posted 15 August , 2018 Share Posted 15 August , 2018 Thanks Andrew. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve hiscox Posted 15 August , 2018 Share Posted 15 August , 2018 Hi russ Bit of a long shot but my gt grandfather fred brown was from tipton and wounded. Do you have a list of the names? As I said..a bit of a long shot. Regards Steve Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
horatio2 Posted 15 August , 2018 Share Posted 15 August , 2018 Able Seaman James Park GILLESPIE, Clyde Z/7147, RNVR, served in Hawke Battalion RND (and later in Nelson and 63rd Machine Gun Battalions). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
russtobin Posted 15 August , 2018 Author Share Posted 15 August , 2018 There is a complete list that I'll post shortly. In the mean time I'm attaching a couple of photos of the sheet. Regards Russ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
russtobin Posted 15 August , 2018 Author Share Posted 15 August , 2018 Here is the list Pte S Hudson 8 Coy Welsh Rgt Pioneers Rifleman C Mernagh 4th Royal Irish Rifles Pte J Waugh Northumberland Fusliers AB J Gillespie 1st Hawke Royal Naval Division Pte Hexley 2nd Royal Warwickshire D Sully 15th Divisonal Motor Transport Pte. R Campbell 13th Royal Scots Pte. W Lee 2nd Batt Suffolk Regt. Pte. J Divall 10th Batt The Queens Own Pte. G Wilkins 22nd Middlesex Regt Pte A Burniston 26th Royal Fusiliers Pte J Playford ?? Regt Pte A Rowe 8th Batt East Sussex Regt Pte J Pinnock 3rd London Regt Pte C Hunt 3rd Worcestershire Regt Sgt J Holliday Tyneside Scottish Pte C Panter 1st Northants Regt Pte Hawker 17th Notts and Derby Pte H Pearce The Devon Regt 8th Batt L/Cpl A Willats 17th Batt Middlesex Regt Pte J Houseman West Yorks Pte J Eaglesfield 1 S.Staffs Regt Sgt A L Loft East York 8th Batt Pte W Young 9th Glasgow Highlanders RFLN C Harvey 1/9th London Regt (QVR) Sgt R H Cass RE Pte B M Pipps 1st Batt Royal Fusliers Pte F Chitty 19th Batt The Welsh Regt Pte JA Chitty 2/8 London Royal Fusiliers Gunner J S McLeod RGA Heavy Batt Pte C Bowles 121Machine Gun Corps Cpl. H Heal 1st Batt Royal Warwick Regt Pte E Coin 2nd Batt RMLI RND Pte H J Placy 1st Field Ambulance Sgt R E Machan 32nd Royal Fus Sgt J Rooke 1st Yorkshire Regt Rifleman H Earnshaw London Rifle Brigade Pte S Cameron OAS L/Cpl S Cage 1st Somerset Regt Pte Hewer 1st Batt Royal Berks Pte W Ormald Gordon Highlander Pte W Knipe 9th West Riding Pte W Moir 1st Gordon Highlanders Pte W H Rothwell 1/5th L N Lancs Regt Pte W Moir 1st Gordon Highlanders Pte W Green WRFA RAMC TF Pte A Wilson 1st Royal Sussex Regt Pte JC Braybrook 1st London Regt RF Cpl J Grace 7th Manchester Regt Pte W Hargreaves 12th Manchester Regt Pte H Plunkett 2nd Royal Irish Pte J McDonald 1st Batt HLI Sgt J Sims 8th West Riding Pte J Leary 50th Division RAMC Pte A Wilkinson 12th Manchester Regt Pte Mill?? 6th Batt ASH Arg Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
horatio2 Posted 16 August , 2018 Share Posted 16 August , 2018 15 hours ago, russtobin said: Pte E Coin 2nd Batt RMLI RND No man of this name in the RMLI. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Admin DavidOwen Posted 16 August , 2018 Admin Share Posted 16 August , 2018 7 minutes ago, horatio2 said: No man of this name in the RMLI. I read it as CAIN. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
horatio2 Posted 16 August , 2018 Share Posted 16 August , 2018 (edited) 24 minutes ago, DavidOwen said: I read it as CAIN. No E CAIN RMLI. Edit: Probably Private Edward GAIN, Plymouth/948(S), RMLI. Surivived WW1 (demobilised) but died in WW2. K.i.a. as an Assistant Steward Merchant Navy when the SS ALMEDA STAR was torpedoed off Scotland by U.96 on 21 January 1941. His brother Walter GAIN Plymouth/1009(S) was k.i.a. with 1st Royal Marine Battalion 19 August 1917. Edited 16 August , 2018 by horatio2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Admin DavidOwen Posted 16 August , 2018 Admin Share Posted 16 August , 2018 6 minutes ago, horatio2 said: No E CAIN RMLI. E Cain in RND Cain, Ernest (no apparent overseas service or wounding) http://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/D7264282 Cains, Ernest recorded as served in France with various battalions, wounded (gassed and died) http://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/D7291027 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
horatio2 Posted 16 August , 2018 Share Posted 16 August , 2018 2 minutes ago, DavidOwen said: E Cain in RND Cain, Ernest (no apparent overseas service or wounding) http://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/D7264282 Cains, Ernest recorded as served in France with various battalions, wounded (gassed and died) http://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/D7291027 Unfortunately neither man was a private in the RMLI. Both were able seamen in the RNVR and neither of them served in RMLI battalions of the RND. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Admin DavidOwen Posted 16 August , 2018 Admin Share Posted 16 August , 2018 Just now, horatio2 said: Unfortunately neither man was a private in the RMLI. Both were able seamen in the RNVR and neither of them served in RMLI battalions of the RND. Thanks for checking. Wonder who was the man concerned then? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
horatio2 Posted 16 August , 2018 Share Posted 16 August , 2018 Just now, DavidOwen said: Thanks for checking. Wonder who was the man concerned then? Edward GAIN (See post #20) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Admin DavidOwen Posted 16 August , 2018 Admin Share Posted 16 August , 2018 3 minutes ago, horatio2 said: Edward GAIN (See post #20) Well done, I can see it now. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Create an account or sign in to comment
You need to be a member in order to leave a comment
Create an account
Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!
Register a new accountSign in
Already have an account? Sign in here.
Sign In Now