Record of Service after Medical Repatriation

[mlschofield]

I have found the details of my late father’s repatriation from Coxyde to Boulogne by No 32 Ambulance Train in November 1917, including that unit’s War Diary entries for the particular journey. He had been diagnosed with “neurasthenia”, following which he relinquished his commission in March 1918, before being awarded the Silver War Badge in May 1918.

 

Where, if at all, might I find further details of his onward journey to the UK and subsequent treatment and service between Nov 17 and Mar 18,  prior to his relinquishing his commission and discharge.?

 

 

[TEW]

Officers' service files if still existing. Otherwise he was either shipped home from Boulogne (almost immediately) or admitted to a hospital in France for an unknown period prior to returning to UK.

Boulogne Base diary may have some details on 32 AT. As an officer he has a chance of being mentioned in a diary for a Base hospital eg in Boulogne, assuming he went to one.

TEW

 

[mlschofield]

Thank you TEW. I will try and follow those suggestions 

Regards

Mike

[TEW]

Mike,

I think I've gleaned the name of the man you're after, is he in this post?

 

Just checked for an Officer's service file with no luck. What I did find was an MH106 entry for him or maybe it's not him?

 

N. Wood 1/8 Manchester Regiment admitted to Millbank, no specific date but MH106/1692 runs 16/10/1917 - 31/12/1917. Admitted Neurasthenia, age 21. Had served 11 months with 2 months in the field. Guess what? admitted to Craiglockhart 17/11/1917, possibly 9 days initially in Millbank. Final column (Observations) states 'Palace Green'. The Long Long Trail says this;

Quote

Special Neurological Hospital for Officers, 10 Palace Green, Kensington. Opened January 1915 for officers suffering from functional neurosis, traumatic neurasthenia and the milder psychoses. By June 1918 had extended into 11 Palace Green.

 

There may well be more in the entire MH106 series at TNA. The one I've quoted is the admission & discharge book, there are 'Medical Sheets'.

There are also books for Craiglockhart MH106/1889 that should cover his time there, FindMyPast have this book but he's not showing up via a search. He may well be in there but mis-spelled or similar.

 

Actually, couldn't help but look and he is in the Craiglockhart MH106 book, admitted 27/11/1917 discharged 5/3/1918 back to Millbank. I think the order of events are' Admitted Milbank, then Palace Green then Craiglockhart then back to Millbank possibly just for discharge from hospital system.

 

Something to be getting on with!!

TEW

[TEW]

Just to squeeze this in. Looks like he arrived at Craiglockhart the same day Siegfried Sassoon was discharged.

TEW

[mlschofield]

TEW. You are absolutely right and Norman Wood is indeed the officer in question. Thank you so much for going to the trouble to find out so much information.  I did try an online search myself with the National Archives and MH106, but got a  Il result. I must have done something wrong.  I do subscribe to Findmypast so will trawl through the Craiglockhart documents to see if I can find him there. I really am most grateful to you. Kind regards. Mike

[Keith Brannen]

He is mentioned in the 1/8 Manchesters War Diary:

 

OCTOBER 10 1917 - AUSTRALIA CAMP [near COXYDE]
Working parties as yesterday - likewise training. 2LT. N. WOOD reported from Div. Wing. 2LT S.J. DAVIE killed and 1 O.R. wounded when proceeding on a train up the line for the evening working party.

 

EDIT: I see you already have the above information from the previous thread TEW mentioned.

Edited 16 May , 2019 by Keith Brannen

[TEW]

Mike,

Re-post if you have any trouble finding the entries and/or interpretting them.

 

The Millbank one came up in a simple search by name. For the Craiglockhart one I had to find the right book and browse it. MH106/1889 page 7 I think.

TEW

[mlschofield]

Thank you both to both Keith and TEW.  I do have copies of the 1/8th War Diary and had discovered the entry relating to Norman, but thank you for the confirmation.  And TEW, I have found the entries for Norman's admission to both Millbank and Craiglockhart by searching on Findmypast.  So I think that I now have the complete details of Norman's brief and somewhat tragic service.  Sadly just one of many.

[TEW]

There could be other records for him within MH106 but these are not online as far as I know. This would mean a visit and trawling through.

MH106/2285; Millbank Medical Sheets surnames N-O.

 

As he was admitted to Millbank 27/11/1917 and you have a date in Nov 1917 on AT 32 Boulogne I guess that probably means he was shipped home from Boulogne pretty?

TEW

 

[mlschofield]

Thank you TEW; it sounds like I will have to make the journey from Bristol to Kew to finally establish details of the end of Norman's war.

 

His repatriation was indeed speedy.  AT32 departed Zuydcoote at 0630 on 14 Nov and began loading, before leaving for Boulogne at 1345.  At 1430 the engine became derailed and a coupling was broken between coaches D and E.  By 1550 they were on the move again, arriving and unloading at Boulogne at 2235 on 14 Nov.

 

Incidentally, and you probably already know this, in his book "Goodbye to All That", Robert Graves claimed that the French Government charged £200 for the use of rails for each journey the ATs made from railhead to base.  This was despite the locomotives and carriages having been imported from England.

 

Regards

Mike