Military Hospitals Admissions and Discharge Registers WW1

[Martin Lepley]

I have discovered the records "Military Hospitals Admissions and Discharge Registers WW1" which are on forces-war-records.co.uk and wondered if anyone has used them.

 

I am interested in R. MONTEITH, 32006 Essex regiment who died 1918 and wondered what the records would show me? Can you access to original records or just the transcribed ones?

 

Thanks

 

[Sepoy]

Unfortunately, Forces War Records only show transcripts, but you can also find some of the Hospital Admission & Discharge registers on Findmypast with scans of the actual documents. (From memory, I think Forces War Records have transcriptions of a larger number of this useful set of registers).

Here is an example from Findmypast that I downloaded earlier this week for a General Hospital in Alexandria. Registers for Field Ambulances/Casualty Clearing Stations often give the date of the original wounds. They also show Battalions, and Companies, which is especially useful if this information cannot be found elsewhere.

Sepoy

Edited 16 May , 2020 by Sepoy

[Martin Lepley]

Wow, thanks for that. Looks like Findmypast is the way to go.

 

It is a shame the Libraries are closed at the moment as you get free access in Essex Libraries.

 

Thanks again

[TEW]

Martin,

Without a paid up subscription to FMP you can still search the index to see if there is a record and in your case - there is!

TEW

[clk]

Hi Martin,

 

For me, I'd also tend to go with FMP rather than FWR.

 

From the register of 4 Stationary Hospital (at Arques)  the record seems to read as:

 

First name(s): R

Last name: Monteith

Service number: 32006

Rank: Private

Unit:  2 Bn Essex Regiment, 4 Division

Admitted to 4th Stationary Hospital (age 25) with a shrapnel wound to his nose, 23.5.1918

Transferred to 'Base' by 38 Ambulance Train on 4.6.1918

Completed years of service: 1 year, 7 months

Completed service in the field: 1 year, 4 months

Religion: CoE

 

If you weren't already aware, FMP/FWR are using the MH 106 records held by the National Archives. That record series is only a 'representative sample' of registers that were retained post war, so falls well short of the total number that would have been originally in existence. Nonetheless useful if you can find something for your research subject.

 

Regards

Chris

 

  

 

                                                                                                                                                                                                                      

 

 

[Martin Lepley]

That is great thanks so much, and probably the original image on FindMyPast.

 

I believe he was in the 9th Bn Essex so that might be a mis-transcription.

 

When it says "Transferred to 'Base' by 38 Ambulance Train on 4.6.1918 " does that mean he recovered?

 

He wrote his will on 7th August 1918

 

He died 6th September 1918

[clk]

Hi Martin,

 

2 hours ago, Martin Lepley said:

I believe he was in the 9th Bn Essex so that might be a mis-transcription.

 

It might be an error in the ledger, but the record shows...

Image sourced from Findmypast

 

It might also be possible that Robert was 'recycled' at the Infantry Base Depot, and posted to the 9th Bn.

 

Regards

Chris

 

[TEW]

The entries usually give Battalion and Division. If there are 2 entries for 2nd Btn. & 4th Div. those would have to tie up, which these do. 9th Btn. & 4th Div. doesn't. 9th were 12th Div.

 

Posting same time as clk,  not sure if original shows 4th Division now.

 

Second point.

Not seen the whole sheet. Shrapnel wound to nose. Might have healed enough, might not! Arques was not a base, the nearby bases were Calais & Boulogne so probably moved to one of those, either for more hospital time, convalescent depot or as clk says, infantry base depot.

TEW

[Martin Lepley]

In terms of "transferred to Base" I have just got the Hospital war diary and this is the kind of statistic they collected. Looks like not to duty, and not to hospital. Maybe to base to do light duties as he might have been walking wounded for a while, with a nose bandage etc.

 

[clk]

Hi Martin,

 

38 minutes ago, TEW said:

The entries usually give Battalion and Division. If there are 2 entries for 2nd Btn. & 4th Div. those would have to tie up, which these do. 9th Btn. & 4th Div. doesn't. 9th were 12th Div.

 

His is the bottom entry in this extract.

Image sourced from Findmypast

 

The diary for 38 Ambulance Train shows...

 

Images sourced from the National Archives

 

Regards

Chris

[Sepoy]

1 hour ago, clk said:

Hi Martin,

 

 

It might be an error in the ledger, but the record shows...

Image sourced from Findmypast

 

It might also be possible that Robert was 'recycled' at the Infantry Base Depot, and posted to the 9th Bn.

 

Regards

Chris

 

I think that the odd error crept into the completion of these forms.
In the example shown in post 2, I was looking up G W Bridgewater, who is shown as serving in the 1st Battalion, Royal Sussex Regiment.
He actually enlisted and  served in the 1/4th Battalion, Royal Sussex Regiment and was wounded in action at Gallipoli, before being evacuated to Alexandria, Egypt, where he died. The 1st Battalion was stationed in India throughout the war.
 
 

Edited 17 May , 2020 by Sepoy

[Martin Lepley]

I am starting to think he might have served with the 2nd Bn and after the wound then went to the 9th. The medal index and roll does not mention battalion. The soldiers effects says 9thBn but the commonwealth war grave document says 2nd.

 

There were two people who were wounded on the 2nd Bn at the right time. I wonder if there was a second person from the 2nd also admitted on the same day.

 

I need to map all the information I have out now to see what makes sense.

 

will download the train war diary also

 

thanks for your help

[TEW]

Yes, probably transferred to 9th at Etaples base after his nose injury. His concentration sheet shows 2nd but CWGC listing is 9th.

 

Also seen a fair few errors in the A/D books, I pity those clerks writing up 100s of names per day then we come along and pick at their errors!

Not so sure there is an error here though.

 

No much info in Etaples base diary,  AT 38 must have unloaded and then loaded up with the 274 for Calais.

TEW

[clk]

Hi Martin,

 

2 hours ago, Martin Lepley said:

There were two people who were wounded on the 2nd Bn at the right time. I wonder if there was a second person from the 2nd also admitted on the same day.

 

Robert appears on this casualty list - link. If the other man was wounded on the same day, I would have thought that he would appear on it too.

 

In terms of his death unit, the CWGC records show 2nd/9th Essex deaths on 6.9.1918 as: 

 

 

On 6.9.1918, the 2nd Battalion war diary indicates that they were in a tent camp at Marquay. The concentration sheet on the CWGC website indicates that his body was exhumed from map reference 57c.V.13.c.3.4. I wonder if that fits with where the 9th Bn were on that day?

 

Fold3 have a couple pf pension index cards, but unfortunately they don't state his Bn.

 

Images sourced from Fold3

 

Regards

Chris

[Martin Lepley]

On the day of his death the 9th were North of NURLU near Manacourt. This is where Robert John Henry MONTEITH 32006 was originally buried.

 

Thank you so much for looking and replying. I don't have access to Fold3, although I do have ancestry. It does not add to the information but still nice to find another vestige of his existence.

 

He was actually a lay reader on Canvey Island and was going to take holy orders, and here he is, required to kill fellow men. He was a conscript and actually give the memorial service on Canvey for some of his fellow Islanders who perished early on in the war. My aim is to find everything I can about him, which includes a photo. A tall order I know but I am sure there is one out there somewhere.

 

I have read about Etaples now, and quite new to me, very interesting. I wonder if he went there to convalesce or to re-attach to a Battalion? I read that all Battalions were represented there but I would have thought that it would have been better managed at Regiment Level. If they know the strength of the Battalions (from the War diaries) then they can be best place to re-assign. To move from the 2nd Essex to 9th Essex, this is in a different Division, and obviously Brigade. It must have been a bit strange to move to a different Battalion with people you probably do not know.