Sick Parade - Anzac, Gallipoli, October 1915, 26th Bn, AIF

[Guest]

Hi,

 

I've recently joined the GWF and I'm hoping that the helpful folk from this forum can assist with my research.

 

My wife and I are currently researching her grandfather's (Frank Gustaf Carlsson, regimental number 618) involvement in WW1.  He served with the 26th Australian Infantry Battalion, 7th Australian Infantry Brigade, AIF.  He was an original of A Coy, No.2 Platoon (No.6 Section) and landed at Gallipoli on 12 September 1915. 

 

His Brigade was detached from the 2nd Australian Division and attached to Godley's New Zealand & Australian Division.  The 26th Bn was held in reserve at Taylor's Hollow near Bauchop's Hill (in the northern part of the Anzac theatre of war).

 

His stay on the Peninsula was brief; only six weeks after landing, he had influenza which was eventually diagnosed as enteric fever (a type of typhoid). 

 

According to his war service record (a digitised version is held by the National Archives of Australia), he was initially admitted to the 2nd / 1st East Anglian Field Ambulance (No.2 Post) on 20 October 1915.  That same day, he was admitted to the 1st Australian Casualty Clearing Station, located at Anzac Cove (about 2-3 miles from Taylor's Hollow).  The following day, his condition must have worsened as he was put on board the hospital ship, Nevasa, and transported to St Andrews Hospital in Malta (27 October 1915).

 

The following question will help me determine the location of Frank on Peninsula ie either Taylor's Hollow with his Bn or detached from his Bn on some special role.

 

Qu: From the experience of Forum member's who have may have come across references to sick parades in personal letters/diaries/blogs etc, was a soldier required to go to a Field Ambulance that was near their dugout/bivouac if they were sick?   My understanding is that there were two parades in the morning; one for a roll call and the other to ask if anyone was sick.  If you said you were sick, I'm assuming your platoon commander/sergeant would ask you to make your way to the Bn Medical Officer for a quick examination.  If the Officer could see you were sick, I suppose they asked you to make your way to the nearest Field Ambulance. 

 

We know from the 26th Bn, A Coy nominal / muster roll for Sep 1915 that Frank was detached from his platoon to undertake a specific role (yet to be identified), and the fact that he was admitted to an English Field Ambulance in October 1915 some distance from Taylor's Hollow indicates that his dugout / bivouac was nearer Anzac Cove.

 

Again, this question may be a "bridge too far", but I would not sleep well at night knowing that I should have asked it.

 

Regards,

 

Jay.

[grantmal]

Jay,

 

The 7th Bde war diary lists the various battalions landing at Anzac and marching to Taylor's Hollow, after leaving 2 Off and 106/108 men as Beach parties. Collett's 28th Bn history says they landed at Williams' Pier and includes attached photo, so presumably the detached men were working among the stores etc. on North Beach. The East Anglians at No.2 Post must have been the closest field ambulance, and from there Frank was sent to the CCS in Anzac Cove for evacuation.

 

 

Edited 4 October , 2020 by grantmal

[Guest]

thanks.  Just obtained copies of the 26th Bn Field Returns for Sep-Dec 1915.  It's missing the page with Frank's name on it, but others who were admitted to the 2nd / 1st East Anglian Field Ambulance in the weeks before Frank were mainly from the No.2 Beach Party, based at the No.2 Post.  So chances are he was also in this beach party, although one of the few from A Coy.  No.2 BP comprised men mainly from C and D Coy's.

 

And thanks for the map.  Where was it sourced from?

 

BTW, my records show that the 3rd Australian Field Ambulance was located somewhere near Anzac Cove.  Was it near Hells Spit / Dawkins Point?

[grantmal]

Hi Jay,

 

The map is a 1:10.000 contour map from the Mediterranean Expeditionary Force Printing Section, titled 'Area Occupied by the Australian & NZ Army Corps', sourced from the AWM. I used a big print of it when grovelling up and down the gullies during a trip to Gallipoli in 2005, searching mainly for the places associated with the 3rd Field Ambulance.

 

The main 3rd FAmb camp was established in Whites Valley in the first week of May. The CO had landed his tent sub-divisions without orders a few days after the Landing (the only 1st Division FAmb to do so) and they operated a small field hospital for lightly wounded or sick sheltered in a dip there, right up to the evacuation.

 

 

Unfortunately that little hollow where the hospital tents were was so thick with prickly bushes it was impossible to explore on my two visits, and the area behind the ridge where the men had their dugouts had collapsed but there was plenty of shrapnel bullets and bits of broken bottles and tin cans around.

 

 

During the Lone Pine assault the 3rd FAmb operated a divisional collecting station at Dawkins Point the end of Victoria Gully, near the 1st FAmb camp.

 

 

Good on you,

 

Grant

[Guest]

thanks mate.  You're a legend.  

 

So, would the 3rd AFA would still have been located at Dawkins Point during Sep/Oct 1915?  It's WD only stated Anzac, which was a bit vague.  

 

Quite a few of the 26th AI Bn men were admitted to the FA during Oct 1915, since I believe a beach party was detached from the Bn and was located nearby.

 

rgds, Jay.

Edited 17 October , 2020 by Guest

[grantmal]

No worries, Jay.

 

The Dawkins Point collecting station was only for casualties from Lone Pine during the actual battle, as far as I recall. Will check and get back to you. Later, as other units were withdrawn for rest or withdrawn in the weeks prior to final evacuation, the 3rd FAmb had blokes manning different posts as well as Whites Valley. More details to follow.

 

I would imagine the 26th Bn men admitted to the 3FAmb would have been either wounded or sick treated at the 3rd's field hospital before evacuation to the CCS and evacuation from Gallipoli, or slightly wounded or less seriously sick who were treated and kept there until recovery. Do you have a couple of names and dates and I'll see who was where and doing what at the time.

[Guest]

Hi Grant, 

 

I have 3 names:

 

Private Ernest Graham (no. 65), A Coy, 26th AI Bn, admitted sick to 3rd AFA on 22 Oct 1915.  Discharged the following day.  

Private Frederick Edward Andrews (No. 493), A Coy, 26th AI Bn, admitted with influenza on 26 Oct 1915. Discharged on 29 Oct 1915.

Private Cecil Valentine Nowland (No. 235), A Coy, 26th AI Bn, admitted 24 Oct 1915 for rheumatism.   Discharged on 27 Oct 1915.  However, his war service record is rather unclear as to the first AFA, stating he was in either the 3rd or 5th AFA.  The 26th Bn Field Return has him in the 5th AFA.

 

I believe their Captain, Thomas Cotgrave Hewitt, moved down from Walker's Ridge to Dawkin's Point, presumably with these men between 13-18 Oct 1915. In a letter home, dated 18 Oct, Thomas said:

 

For the first four weeks I was camped on the spur of a ridge overlooking the sea – I have now moved a mile nearer to Gaba Tepu and in full view of the ruined forts there, whenever Jacko, as the Turk is called, observes for his guns at the Olive Grove. They are a little over a mile south of my home. The place I now live in is no longer a dug out. It is cut into the hill side and the walls are built up of sandbags. I have a fine canvas roof that I “found” as the place is about 14 ft square, you see I live in luxury.

 

Does his reference to the new location sound familiar?

 

Regards,

 

Jay.

[grantmal]

Hmmm, not really, but the 7th Brigade war diary does mention 'Capt T Hewitt and 21 other ranks returned from Beach Party' on 30 October, so presumably they were detailed for a specific task somewhere down near Victoria Gully. Eleven different detached groups are mentioned below, and from the Hewitt reference the term 'beach parties' must have included smaller groups rather than just the 3 large parties mentioned earlier in the diary.

 

 

The short stays at the 3rd FAmb for the 3 blokes you mention are of course consistent with the role of the 3FAmb tent hospital as a place for short-term recovery of sick and wounded, and presumably they were either part of Hewitt's party, or another similar detachment in the vicinity.

Edited 19 October , 2020 by grantmal

[grantmal]

Jay,

 

I'm assuming you've seen this pic of 26 Battalion reinforcement F G Carlson from this page of the Queenslander newspaper:

 

 

Few extra references to 26Bn fatigue work from the Trove newspaper site:

 

Pte Davern, D Co, 26Bn, wrote from Gallipoli on October 15: 'We are living something like rabbits in dug-outs. I was of the opinion that when we were landed at Gallipoli we would go into the firing line. We have been here for five weeks, and have not fired a shot, but we have had a lot of fatigue work, making roads for the convenience of winter....'

 

October 3rd, C Co. 26Bn CSM Horne wrote, 'During the week the majority of the company were sent away to various places, leaving me with only a small family to look after.'

 

Good on you,

 

Grant

[Guest]

Many thanks Grant.

 

Yes, I discovered Frank's photo this time last year.  It was a blessing that he was in that pictorial.  The SLQ have digitised the photos, and one can now download high quality images.

 

http://qanzac100.slq.qld.gov.au/showcase/soldier-portraits

 

We printed a large portrait and had it displayed during Anzac Day this year.  Lest we forget.  Never!

 

I've also found those Trove articles you've mentioned, along with many others.  Like Jeff Pickerd, I've put them into chronological order in both a spreadsheet and word doc.  

 

Frank's NAA war service record is rather puzzling.  On some records, it has him in the 2nd / 1st East Anglian Field Ambulance, while in others, he's a patient at the 3rd Field Ambulance.  The 26th Bn Field Return for the week ended 24 October 1915 is missing the page with his name on it (along with many other names).  It would have identified the number of his Beach Party.  I know No.2 BP were near No.2 Post, while Hewitt's detachment (a detachment from No.1 BP) were probably transferred to Dawkins Point / Victoria Gully sometime between 14-16 Oct.  In fact, in the letter quoted above from Hewitt, he mentions writing a memo to his CO of the 26th AI Bn of the number of work detailed for his men (he states he was in charge of 300 men, but not all from A Coy.  A mix of A, B, C and D Coys).  Two of the duties were wharflumping and carrying messages.

 

Now, if I try to create a picture of Frank's movements on 20 and 21 October 1915, it seems likely he was in No.1 BP with Hewitt, and perhaps was carrying messages up to No.2 Post to the NZ&A HQ (big if) or to the CO of 26th AI Bn.  He probably admitted himself to the 2nd / 1st EAFA on 20 Oct, was discharged the same day, walked down back to camp, still felt crook, and admitted himself to the 3rd FA.  His condition must have warranted him being admitted to the 1st ACCS the same day.  The next day, with no improvement in his condition, he was put on board the hospital ship the Nevasa.

 

All speculation, but it's the best scenario anyone in my wife's family has put forward.

Edited 19 October , 2020 by Guest

[Guest]

1 hour ago, grantmal said:

...but the 7th Brigade war diary does mention 'Capt T Hewitt and 21 other ranks returned from Beach Party' on 30 October, s...

 

Just to clarify, it was the WD of the 26th AI Bn that contained this reference, just in case any other researcher looks for this reference in the 7th AI Bde WD and can't locate it.

Edited 19 October , 2020 by Guest

[grantmal]

Jay,

 

A further snippet for you from the 3rd Field Ambulance war diary, Sept 10 1915: "The Field Hospital site, Whites Gully, accomodating a maximum of 60 patients in fine weather, is still maintained in charge of Capt Goldsmith and by arrangement with LtCol Bean (No.2 LH FAmb) will be utilised for 48 hr cases from Beach parties and the details located at Anzac Cove."

[Guest]

16 hours ago, grantmal said:

Jay,

 

A further snippet for you from the 3rd Field Ambulance war diary, Sept 10 1915: "The Field Hospital site, Whites Gully, accomodating a maximum of 60 patients in fine weather, is still maintained in charge of Capt Goldsmith and by arrangement with LtCol Bean (No.2 LH FAmb) will be utilised for 48 hr cases from Beach parties and the details located at Anzac Cove."

Thanks Grant.  That's helpful.

 

From my research, it looks like the area near Hell Spit and Dawkin's Point was cramped for room, so to free up room for men from the beach parties was a significant decision.

 

I believe that the beach parties from the various units were tasked with various duties up and down North and South beaches.  I also believe that after the storm of 8 October 1915, and the destruction of Watson's Pier, men were required to help rebuild it, which might explain why a detachment from the 26th was sent down there.  The WD of the 37th Fortress Coy (Royal Engineers,) for this period mentions Lt Lindus (C Coy, 26th AI Bn), Australian Forces, helping with work, so it's a sure bet that he called for more men.  Hence Hewitt (2nd IC, A Coy, 26th AI Bn) et el coming down to that neck of the woods sometime between 14-17 October 1915, and Frank getting sick in that area (admitted to the 3rd AFA and 1st ACCS.  I think the reference to the 2nd / 1st East Anglian Field Ambulance was a clerical error).  

 

I wonder if our British comrades of the GWF would have further info on the 37th Fortress Coy's stint at Anzac, seeing that it was a British and not a Dominion unit?  The HQ of the unit was based at Imbros, and sent men to Suvla and Anzac during September and October 1915, the period of interest to me.  I'm interested in any unit histories of the Coy.  Wikipedia has next to nothing, and mentions that little is know of its role at Gallipoli.  

Edited 11 November , 2020 by Guest