Guest Posted 6 November , 2018 Share Posted 6 November , 2018 His name was Thomas Chester Percival Savage. his regiment number is 29535 he was in the Grenadier Guards 4th battalion. I have a picture of him with his regiment in London dated June 1917. He was mustard gassed in France in 1918. I don't know whereabouts in France. I originally thought he was at Ypres, but that's obviously Belgium. Can anyone help me with any more information? Thanks if you can! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
andrew pugh Posted 6 November , 2018 Share Posted 6 November , 2018 Hi Steve His battalion war diary is on Ancestry, and it looks like it's one of those war diaries that mention the names of the casualties including other ranks. If you have a date of his gassing it might mention it in the diary. Regards Andy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted 6 November , 2018 Share Posted 6 November , 2018 4 minutes ago, andrew pugh said: Hi Steve His battalion war diary is on Ancestry, and it looks like it's one of those war diaries that mention the names of the casualties including other ranks. If you have a date of his gassing it might mention it in the diary. Regards Andy All I have is June 1918 in France. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tullybrone Posted 6 November , 2018 Share Posted 6 November , 2018 Hi, As Ancestry is having a free access weekend from Thursday until Monday you could have a look in the War Diary yourself. Good Luck. Steve Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted 7 November , 2018 Share Posted 7 November , 2018 He was gassed on 1st May 1918 and according to Ancestry Grenadier Guards 4th Battalion diary, they were in Hondeghem. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
andrew pugh Posted 7 November , 2018 Share Posted 7 November , 2018 Hi Steve 1975 The whole of the diary is there,including all of 1918, looks like an interesting diary.Good luck. Regards Andy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted 7 November , 2018 Share Posted 7 November , 2018 1 hour ago, andrew pugh said: Hi Steve 1975 The whole of the diary is there,including all of 1918, looks like an interesting diary.Good luck. Regards Andy I'm having problems with this form, i can make out that he was gassed on 1.5.18. But not whereabouts. Can anyone help. He's not mentioned in the diary on those dates. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
clk Posted 7 November , 2018 Share Posted 7 November , 2018 (edited) Hi, His service file is on Findmypast (link), so it will probably be on Ancestry as well. The headlines appear to be: 5.3.1917 - mobilised 5.3.1917 - joined Guards Depot 31.3.1918 - embarked Southampton 1.4.1918 - transferred to 4/Grenadier Guards from 5/GGs at Guards Division Base Depot 5.4.1918 - 'joined' Battalion (NB the war diary notes a drat of 93 men arriving on 6.4.1918) 1.5.1918 - gassed (admitted 95 Field Ambulance, and 2 Casualty Clearing Station the same day) 2.5.1918 - admitted 13 General Hospital (Boulogne) 14.5.1918 - to England Regards Chris Edit: Edited 7 November , 2018 by clk Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
clk Posted 7 November , 2018 Share Posted 7 November , 2018 4 minutes ago, Steve_1975 said: I'm having problems with this form, i can make out that he was gassed on 1.5.18. But not whereabouts. It just says "field". You'll need to cross reference to the war diary. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted 7 November , 2018 Share Posted 7 November , 2018 2 minutes ago, clk said: Hi, His service file is on Findmypast (link), so it will probably be on Ancestry as well. The headlines appear to be: 5.3.1917 - mobilised 5.3.1917 - joined Guards Depot 31.3.1918 - embarked Southampton 1.4.1918 - transferred to 4/Grenadier Guards from 5/GGs at Guards Division Base Depot 5.4.1918 - 'joined' Battalion (NB the war diary notes a drat of 93 men arriving on 6.4.1918) 1.5.1918 - gassed (admitted 95 Field Ambulance, and 2 Casualty Clearing Station the same day) 2.5.1918 - admitted 13 General Hospital (Boulogne) 14.5.1918 - to England Regards Chris Cheers Chris, that's the info i'm looking for! Steve Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
andrew pugh Posted 7 November , 2018 Share Posted 7 November , 2018 Hi Steve 1975 The 95th Field Ambulance headquarters which treated your Granddad was located at Hondeghem at location Sheet number 27?.V.4.c.2.6. this is a trench map location. They were there on the 1/5/1918. Perhaps someone on the forum will give you the correct sheet number. If you trace this map location you will know the exact location where he was treated. Regards Andy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted 7 November , 2018 Share Posted 7 November , 2018 39 minutes ago, andrew pugh said: Hi Steve 1975 The 95th Field Ambulance headquarters which treated your Granddad was located at Hondeghem at location Sheet number 27?.V.4.c.2.6. this is a trench map location. They were there on the 1/5/1918. Perhaps someone on the forum will give you the correct sheet number. If you trace this map location you will know the exact location where he was treated. Regards Andy So is Hondeghem the place where he was gassed? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
andrew pugh Posted 8 November , 2018 Share Posted 8 November , 2018 Hi Steve Its the location where he was probably treated for his gas injuries. Regards Andy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
andrew pugh Posted 8 November , 2018 Share Posted 8 November , 2018 Hi Again If you log on to a site called TMAPPER and type in the trench map reference i gave you it will show you a modern map with the location pinpointed on it. The location of the 95th Field Ambulance is located on the D161 between Hondeghem and La-Brearde. Like i said its the location where he was first treated before being passed back to the Casualty Clearing Station and then on to the 13 General Hospital at Boulogne and then to the UK. Hope this helps. I don't know if there was a set distance between the front line to the Field Ambulance, someone may know if there was. Regards Andy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted 8 November , 2018 Share Posted 8 November , 2018 10 hours ago, andrew pugh said: Hi Again If you log on to a site called TMAPPER and type in the trench map reference i gave you it will show you a modern map with the location pinpointed on it. The location of the 95th Field Ambulance is located on the D161 between Hondeghem and La-Brearde. Like i said its the location where he was first treated before being passed back to the Casualty Clearing Station and then on to the 13 General Hospital at Boulogne and then to the UK. Hope this helps. I don't know if there was a set distance between the front line to the Field Ambulance, someone may know if there was. Regards Andy So how do i put this into TMAPPER? Sheet number 27?.V.4.c.2.6. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marilyne Posted 8 November , 2018 Share Posted 8 November , 2018 Steve, Despite the way it is written - "hond" is Dutch for Dog and the "-eghem" at the back is very flemish... - Hondeghem is in France, just north of Hazebrouk. It is France but was part of the "Comté de Flandres", and some time ago was a part of the Ypres Diocese, that extended to Dunkerke... so it's France but they used to speak Dutch over there. Hence the possible mix up between the countries. Happens a lot with villages in the area. M. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted 8 November , 2018 Share Posted 8 November , 2018 14 minutes ago, Marilyne said: Steve, Despite the way it is written - "hond" is Dutch for Dog and the "-eghem" at the back is very flemish... - Hondeghem is in France, just north of Hazebrouk. It is France but was part of the "Comté de Flandres", and some time ago was a part of the Ypres Diocese, that extended to Dunkerke... so it's France but they used to speak Dutch over there. Hence the possible mix up between the countries. Happens a lot with villages in the area. M. Thanks, I've found it on the map now. The date when he was gassed(1st May 1918) and the diary excerpt of where they were correspond with each other. So I'm getting there! Haha. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
andrew pugh Posted 8 November , 2018 Share Posted 8 November , 2018 Hi Steve 1975 Well done mate! Your away now, Regards Andy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted 8 November , 2018 Share Posted 8 November , 2018 On 07/11/2018 at 17:38, Steve_1975 said: I'm having problems with this form, i can make out that he was gassed on 1.5.18. But not whereabouts. Can anyone help. He's not mentioned in the diary on those dates. On the form where it says 95 F.A. next to it it says something i can't work out. I thought it says"Shell" something but im not sure. Can anyone help? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
clk Posted 8 November , 2018 Share Posted 8 November , 2018 (edited) Hi, As a general observation FMP have better scan qualities of service files than Ancestry. Their (blown up) image of the entry is... Image source: Findmypast ...which I would guess as " Shell Gas W" - i.e. he was 'wounded' by a gas shell. Regards Chris Edited 8 November , 2018 by clk Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted 8 November , 2018 Share Posted 8 November , 2018 12 minutes ago, clk said: Hi, As a general observation FMP have better scan qualities of service files than Ancestry. Their (blown up) image of the entry is... Image source: Findmypast ...which I would guess as " Shell Gas W" - i.e. he was 'wounded' by a gas shell. Regards Chris Cheers Chris. I'll have a look. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted 9 November , 2018 Share Posted 9 November , 2018 16 hours ago, clk said: Hi, As a general observation FMP have better scan qualities of service files than Ancestry. Their (blown up) image of the entry is... Image source: Findmypast ...which I would guess as " Shell Gas W" - i.e. he was 'wounded' by a gas shell. Regards Chris So, can it be confirmed that he was gassed at Hondeghem?? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted 9 November , 2018 Share Posted 9 November , 2018 On 07/11/2018 at 17:38, Steve_1975 said: I'm having problems with this form, i can make out that he was gassed on 1.5.18. But not whereabouts. Can anyone help. He's not mentioned in the diary on those dates. Where it says "transferred to" can someone read that? It's something in French i know, maybe a town but I've tried over and over making out what it is! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Admin kenf48 Posted 9 November , 2018 Admin Share Posted 9 November , 2018 (edited) It’ not French, it says ‘Transferred Gds Div Base Depot’ which in English is Guards Division Base Depot. This was at Harfleur see https://www.longlongtrail.co.uk/army/other-aspects-of-order-of-battle/infantry-base-depots-in-france-1914-1918/ All replacements would have rotated through the Base Depot where they would have been ‘hardened’ by further training before joining an active service Battalion. He spent four days at the Depot which indicates the crisis on the Western Front as a consequence of the German Spring Offensive. Ken Edited 9 November , 2018 by kenf48 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
johnboy Posted 9 November , 2018 Share Posted 9 November , 2018 I read it astrans to 5th ches battalion next word seems a location Hordon, London ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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