Dave_R Posted 29 July , 2019 Share Posted 29 July , 2019 I've got some photo's of my Grandfather in what is described on the back of one convalescent home Walton On Thames (not written at the time I would say). Looking online I see the New Zealand had a hospital in Walton but from the pictures I can find the pillars and shutters don't match. Can anyone help with identifying where this might be? Do the uniforms provide any clue (there's a couple of Anzac looking caps to my uneducated eye)? Walton was near my Grandfather's home. I'm assuming all are taken at the same place. The family story says he was a victim of poison gas. In the middle photo he's in the chair on the right Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alf mcm Posted 29 July , 2019 Share Posted 29 July , 2019 Hello Dave, Welcome to the forum. Excellent photographs. No. 2 New Zealand General Hospital was in Walton-on-Thames. If you can provide your Grandfather's details {name, regiment, date of birth, service number if you know it etc.} we may be able to find his service records, and they may give a clue as to where the photograph was taken, Regards, Alf McM Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave_R Posted 30 July , 2019 Author Share Posted 30 July , 2019 Thanks. This I hope is his medal card. He was born in Devon 26 Jan 1890 but moved to Surrey it seems some time after 1911. He got married 8 March 1916 in Hersham (next door to Walton) so have never been clear whether that was after he was invalided in the war. Haven't known enough to interpret what the card is telling me so hopefully someone can decipher. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alf mcm Posted 31 July , 2019 Share Posted 31 July , 2019 Hello Dave, Thanks for the details. Unfortnately, it seems that Charles service records have not survived. The medal record card shows that Charles enlisted as Rifleman in the King’s Royal Rifle Regiment and landed in France with them on 18th May 1915. He then took ill or was injured and was returned to Britain for treatment. He was then sent abroad again with the K.R.R.R. and ended the war with the rank of Corporal. He was later demobilized to Class Z {Which meant he could be called back to the army if required. He was awarded the 1914-15 Star and British War and Victory Medals. The British War and Victory Medals roll shows that Charles served initially with the 8th Battalion K.R.R.C., and landed in France with them. After his hospital treatment, and marriage, he was posted to the 16th K.R.R.C. His 1914-15 Star roll https://www.ancestry.co.uk/interactive/5119/41804_625537_9966-00009?pid=5868103&backurl=https://search.ancestry.co.uk/cgi-bin/sse.dll?indiv%3D1%26dbid%3D5119%26h%3D5868103%26tid%3D%26pid%3D%26usePUB%3Dtrue%26_phsrc%3DpEt1056%26_phstart%3DsuccessSource&treeid=&personid=&hintid=&usePUB=true&_phsrc=pEt1056&_phstart=successSource&usePUBJs=true&_ga=2.96861855.1672464918.1564391025-4263925.1556106133 Shows that Charles was demobilized to Class Z on 19th February 1919. This link to the Long Long Trail http://www.longlongtrail.co.uk/army/regiments-and-corps/the-british-infantry-regiments-of-1914-1918/kings-royal-rifle-corps/ gives some details of the Battalions he served in. It seems that he may have served in Italy for a few months. Regards, Alf McM Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave_R Posted 1 August , 2019 Author Share Posted 1 August , 2019 That's interesting. When I see him in the middle picture in the chair I didn't imagine that they would send him back to the "front". He died at the age of 43 from the long term effects of the gas was what has been passed down the family. I wonder if there would be any hospital records if we could identify where it was. Was wondering if that was most of the patients which would make it one of the smaller places. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alf mcm Posted 1 August , 2019 Share Posted 1 August , 2019 Dave, I have just noticed on the Weekly Casualty List' {on Findmypast} for 5th November 1918 the entry 'Rooke 8040 Cpl. {Hersham}'. That is all there is. Perhaps the hospital photos are from 1918? https://search.findmypast.co.uk/bna/viewarticle?id=bl%2f0001953%2f19181105%2f151&stringtohighlight=rooke 8040 Regards, Alf McM Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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