Wallasey Town Hall Millitary Hospital

[Ianpugh]

My great grandmothe nursed at the Wallasey Town Hall Millitary Hospital during WW1. She kept an autograph book where soldiers that she nursed wrote poems or drew pictures and all signed off with their names, rank and regiment.

I have the autograph book and one page bears thewriting and name of Gunner Jack Phitton,. Royal Garrison Artillary. 

Would there be anyone who would like a copy of that page.

 

Ian Pugh

Durban

South Africa.

 

[Michelle Young]

Ian, I have removed your email address from  view. This is a public forum, and spammers can gather information. Members have access to private messages after two posts.

 

Michelle 

[sotonmate]

Ian

 

Welcome to the Forum !

No hits coming up on this name as yet. Can you confirm that you have read the handwriting correctly or post a pic if you want another opinion or three ! I have fiddled with near-possibilities and got nowhere. Just a possibility that he might have been in hospital without serving in a war theatre so this would deprive me of seeking a medal card or roll.

[BillyH]

Ian,

Can't help with Mr. Phitton, but can I ask the name of your great grandmother? I have an interest in the Wallasey area during the Great War.

 

BillyH.

[Ianpugh]

Hi BillyH her name was ALWINE (EDDIE) CLARISSE PAHLKE (MAIDEN NAME EDENBOROUGH).

[Ianpugh]

Hi Sotonmate I may have misread the first letter of the surname but I will post a photo of the page so that you can see for yourself.

[sotonmate]

Thanks ! So we are down to 2 possibles,both Gunners in the RGA:

156464 Frederick J WHITTON,and,

195845 Frank J WHITTON.

Both have a single entry in Forces War Records  for 1914 which I would take as medal details,though I haven't seen them as it is a subscription site.

It seems to have been normal at the time for a son to use the second name if he had been named the same as his Dad !

Any other facts ? Presume not !

 

Edited 5 February , 2021 by sotonmate

[Guest]

11 minutes ago, sotonmate said:

Both have a single entry in Forces War Records  for 1914 which I would take as medal details,though I haven't seen them as it is a subscription site.

 

    But currently available to download for nowt from The National Archives.   Hope that helps.

[BillyH]

2 hours ago, Ianpugh said:

Hi BillyH her name was ALWINE (EDDIE) CLARISSE PAHLKE (MAIDEN NAME EDENBOROUGH).

 

Nothing in the Wallasey newspapers about her (with either surname), but she probably wasn't actually local?

 

BillyH.

[Ianpugh]

BillyH not sure if this is of any interest. It reflects the Doctor's and Nurse's names.

[Allan1892]

I think that we can discount Frederick James Whitton, Gunner 156464 RGA, 202nd Service Battalion -- his service record shows :

 

Attested - 12.12.1915

Reserve - 13.12.1915

Mobilised / Posted - 16.4.1917

 

The entry in the autograph book shows a date of 21st November 1916 - i.e. before he was mobilised.

[Ianpugh]

BillyH I have some photos as well but they are on a hard drive which I am struggling to access. I will be trying over the weekend.

It looks as though they were taken inside and outside of the Hospital. I will post them when I get access to them.

[Ianpugh]

Thanks very much Allan1892 for doing that research. If we can eliminate Frederick James Whitton then the soldier who wrote in the book is

Gunner Frank Jack Whitton (195845)

 

Wow first soldier in the book who I have been able to identify.

Thanks everyone involved in helping with this research.

 

I have writings from soldiers in other regiments if anyone is interested? 

[Allan1892]

Find My Past has an entry for:

 

Gunner 41747 John Whitton, Royal Garrison Artillery - admitted to the 18th General Hospital on the 22nd October 1916. Entry goes on to say that he was transferred on the 25th October via No 6 Ambulance Train and 'H Ship'

 

Could this be the man?

 

 

 

[Ianpugh]

Billy H sorry those are not names it is their conversation.

 

[Allan1892]

Gunner 41747 John Whitton -- please images of hospital entry below (courtesy of Find My Past)

 

You can see that he was in for 4 days before being transferred.

 

 

 

Edited 5 February , 2021 by Allan1892

[sotonmate]

Good job A1892 !

[TEW]

For Whitton, discharge MIC adds John William Whotton, discharged sick 18/7/1917. No age given on SWB roll.

 

Evacuated, shipped home and discharged for ICT left finger?

TEW

[FROGSMILE]

42 minutes ago, Ianpugh said:

Billy H sorry those are not names it is their conversation.

 

As you might have noticed it’s meant as a humorous vignette.  Doctor: Did he take his prescribed medicine religiously?  Nurse:  No, sir, he swore every time.... 

It’s very much in the style of Donald McGill humour of that time.  He was the creator of lots of commercial cards popular in the trenches that focused on ‘double entendres’. It was such a popular and quintessentially British style of humour that after the war seaside post cards carried on the tradition.

Edited 5 February , 2021 by FROGSMILE

[BillyH]

4 hours ago, Ianpugh said:

BillyH not sure if this is of any interest. It reflects the Doctor's and Nurse's names.

Drawn by Rifleman H. Allen ?

 

BillyH.

[FROGSMILE]

10 hours ago, BillyH said:

Drawn by Rifleman H. Allen ?

 

BillyH.

Yes, I think so BillyH.  It’s a pity that he didn’t mention his regiment.  I’ve always liked these hospital souvenir notebooks.  They invoke such a feeling of humanity and spontaneity all wrapped in one.

Edited 6 February , 2021 by FROGSMILE

[GWF1967]

15 hours ago, Ianpugh said:

I have writings from soldiers in other regiments if anyone is interested? 

If you care to post them, I’m sure someone will help to try and identify all of the men. 

[Ianpugh]

Billy H this is a photo from inside the Wallasey Hospital. I have a few more if you are interested.

 

[BillyH]

Keep them coming Ian.

I think the Town Hall was completed just as war started, and it didn't get used for its proper purpose until after the war.

A good feature on it here :

http://www.historyofwallasey.co.uk/wallasey/wallasey_town_hall/index.html

 

BillyH.

 

[PRC]

A quick look for "Wallasey Town Hall Military Hospital" in the Newspaper & Periodicals section of FindMyPast brings up a number of references - it seems to start with a capacity of 300 beds but following the completion of an extension it rises to over 400. References to entertainments\galas\fundraisers at the Hospital frequently cite those sorts of numbers for attendees.

 

There are also the odd specific reference to men being treated there. Given the numbers and the likely turnover I suspect the odds of an individual mention in the press also turning up in the autograph book are fairly low, but just in case here are the mentions of:-

 

Private Frederick Carew, Cheshire Regiment. Liverpool Daily Post, November 16, 1916.

 

Private Arthur Hadden, Cheshire Regiment. Nantwich Examiner, May 19 1917.

 

 

Gunner James Marls. Liverpool Echo, October 16, 1917.

 

 

(All images courtesy FindMyPast)

 

On 05/02/2021 at 07:08, Ianpugh said:

her name was ALWINE (EDDIE) CLARISSE PAHLKE (MAIDEN NAME EDENBOROUGH).

 

Alwine Edenborough's VAD records at the British Red Cross - if you don't already have it.

https://vad.redcross.org.uk/en/Card?sname=Edenborough&id=67171

She is shown as being at 1st Western General Military Hospital, Liverpool from the 15th September 1916 to the 15th April 1917, (Wallasey was probably a satellite), then there is a break until the 1st January 1918 when she starts at Leicester. Those dates may rule out the last two men reported in the press.

 

Cheers,

Peter

Edited 6 February , 2021 by PRC
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