156 Heavy Battery RGA

[Grandad]

I wonder if anyone can assist us with any sources of information regarding Albert Brooks, Gunner, Army Number 9059, 156 HB who died in Rouen on 18 February 1917. The battery was serving at La Boiselle at the time of his death and we can only assume that he was injured and transferred to Rouen for treatment and where he subsequently died. Any sources of information which would give us an insight into the circumstances of his injuries and hospitalisation would be much appreciated. He is remembered on the war memorial at Swerford. Oxfordshire. 

[charlie962]

Welcome to the Forum, nameless one !

 

SDGW just says 'died' rather than died of wounds. Not very helpful.

 

What does the Soldiers Effects on Ancestry say?

 

He has a Pension Card which says he died of Nephritis. So as you say, he will have been evacuated down the line and died at Rouen.

 

Charlie

Edited 16 November , 2019 by charlie962

[charlie962]

Have a look at this old thread on the forum that discusses Nephritis

[Grandad]

Charlie. Thank you for your response. It seems that “Trench Nephritis” was a scourge of trench warfare and claimed numerous lives. It probably developed from a combination of surviving in an environment where infections were commonplace and being a state of constant cold and wet. Hospitals seemed to struggle to develop a strategy for treating the condition primarily because the root cause was not understood. Albert Brooks was a farm labourer and would have been used to working outside in all weathers. He left Swerford in Oxfordshire a healthy young man and must have succumbed to nephritis in the autumn/winter of 1916. It is no coincidence that he died in February of 1917 as a consequence.  Clive 

[charlie962]

Clive,

 

A slow death; have you looked at Soldiers Effects which sometimes gives the Hospital ?

 

charlie

Edited 17 November , 2019 by charlie962

[charlie962]

CWGC says this about the Cemetery

 

History Information

During the First World War, Commonwealth camps and hospitals were stationed on the southern outskirts of Rouen. A base supply depot and the 3rd Echelon of General Headquarters were also established in the city. Almost all of the hospitals at Rouen remained there for practically the whole of the war. They included eight general, five stationary, one British Red Cross and one labour hospital, and No. 2 Convalescent Depot. A number of the dead from these hospitals were buried in other cemeteries, but the great majority were taken to the city cemetery of St. Sever. In September 1916, it was found necessary to begin an extension, where the last burial took place in April 1920. During the Second World War, Rouen was again a hospital centre and the extension was used once more for the burial of Commonwealth servicemen, many of whom died as prisoners of war during the German occupation. The cemetery extension contains 8,348 Commonwealth burials of the First World War (ten of them unidentified) and in Block "S" there are 328 from the Second World War (18 of them unidentified). There are also 8 Foreign National burials here. The extension was designed by Sir Reginald Blomfield.

 

The Soldiers of Oxfordshire Museum at Woodstock probably has some research on men of this Battery. Have you tried them ? Let us know if you get a result, please.

 

Charlie

[Grandad]

Charlie. Yes, I will look at Soldiers Effects tomorrow to see what that reveals. He is buried in the Extension of St. Saviours Cemetery in Rouen and so it will be interesting if we can identify which hospital he was admitted to and subsequently died in. Clive

[Grandad]

Charlie. We live close to Woodstock and will make enquiries to ascertain what detail is available on individual servicemen. I will be sure to post feedback on where this takes me. Clive

[MaxD]

156 Hy Bty was subordinated to 55 Brigade Royal Garrison Artillery from Jul 1916 to May 1917 and doesn't have an individual war diary.  However, the war diary for 55 Bde RGA can be downloaded from the National Archives for £3.50 :

https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/453e849fda54487793707fe77697acc4

 

That diary should at least show where 156 were in the days up to his death although it is unlikely to record his evacuation to hospital.  

 

Max

[charlie962]

there are a couple of old threads on this forum about 156 HB eg here

Edited 17 November , 2019 by charlie962

[Grandad]

Charlie, Max

I located this imagine and Albert William Brooks, Gunner, 156 HB RGA is identified. It appears that it was taken in the autumn months of either 1915 or 1916 somewhere in Oxfordshire (as suggested by the coats being worn and the signs in the newsagent's window in the background offering Christmas cards for sale and Oxford guides). 

Clive

[charlie962]

12 hours ago, Grandad said:

I located this imagine and Albert William Brooks, Gunner, 156 HB RGA is identified

That's a bit of luck. I cannot quite read the shop owners names but it must be possible to identify the street. Again Woodstock Museum may have the answer ?

 

"City Cycle Works" seems to be associated with Coventry ??

 

But the Newsagent is selling Oxford Guides so it is presumably Oxford City.

Edited 22 November , 2019 by charlie962

[PRC]

Stick with me

 

I think part of the sign over the Newsagents door reads "DAVIES", which is probably related to the proprietor. It would have been very common at that time for the shopkeeper to live on the premises.

 

A search of the 1911 Census of England & Wales for a Davies + Newsagent + Oxfordshire brings up only one match - a Frederick Davies, aged 66 and a Tobbaconist and News Agent is the head of the household at 19 Park End Street, Oxford.

 

Using Google Street view and checking the websites for current businesses, it looks like the street is numbered up the north side (east to west) and then down the other (west to east) - not the more usual odds and evens facing each other. Thus The Nomad Bar is at number 6, Office Outlet, number 14-16, and ending at the Royal Oxford Hotel and then coming down the other side finally ending at Sushimania, directly opposite The Nomad Bar, at 40-41. All the buildings seem to have three floors so parts could also have been let out in the past as residential.

 

So going back to the 1911 Census and scrolling back and forth, the occupation of the head of the household for the following addresses is:-

18 Park End Street, Book Printing Compositor George Snow, but the second person in the household is his widowed mother Elizabeth Snow who runs a Temperance Hotel and Restaurant "at home"

19 Park End Street, Newsagent and Tobacconist, (Frederick Davies)

20 Park End Street, Furniture Dealer, (Joseph White - family includes sons who are Dealers. - Could that shop sign to the left of Davies the Newsagent read "WHITE & SON(S)?

20 Park End Street, Commercial Traveller, (Frank Beavington - suspect residential)

22 Park End Street, Cycle Dealer, (J.C.W. Moore)

23 Park End Street, The Castle Hotel, (Mary Ann Noble, a Temperance Hotel Proprietor)

 

So orientating the picture, the right hand side would be east, the left hand side would be west, and you are looking at the north side of the street.

Following the above logic with the buildings numbering in ascending order from right to left:-

18 should be a restaurant - tick

19 should be a newsagents and tobacconists - tick

20 should be a furniture dealer - tick if we agree sign reads "White & Son(s)"

21 unknown

22 should be a cycle shop - tick.

 

And that completes my nomination for where this picture was taken. Now if we could just make out what those billboards say in front of the Newsagent says we might even be able to date it - does the second from left start "Sir John French" or am I being hopeful

 

Hope that helps,

Peter

[MaxD]

Splendid photo even if keeping in step seems to have been a bit of a problem towards the rear!  In those days I guess they didn't sell Christmas Cards as stupidly early as is done now so I would plump for December 1915 (the battery went to France in June 1916)

 

Max

Edited 22 November , 2019 by MaxD
year added

[charlie962]

18 hours ago, PRC said:

Park End Street, Oxford

Oh dear, having worked there a number of years it worries me that my memory is completely blank now ! (admittetdly a slightly later period)

[MaxD]

Added factoid - 156 Battery was known as 156 (Oxfordshire) Heavy Battery.  "Recruits wanted" ads in the newspapers in October 1915, headquarters was Exeter College Oxford.

 

Max