Barbara67 Posted 5 January , 2022 Share Posted 5 January , 2022 My Grandad was a Bedside Attendant or Medical Orderly and I know little of his story except I think he served on the Asturias. He obviously came home shell shocked by his experience and he hated the war, blaming it on businessmen. I have often wondered about his story. Did he refuse to fight and so got placed in a situation that must have been almost as bad as there war on shore? - I have read of it as similar to the Somme. Anybody recognise the name Harry Atherton? Anybody know it there is some written account of life aboard as Hospital Ship? Thank you for any replies. Barbara Atherton Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
horatio2 Posted 5 January , 2022 Share Posted 5 January , 2022 I can find only one RN rating of the Sick Berth Branch with the name H ATHERTON (he was Henry). Place of Birth:Winsford, Cheshire. Date of Birth:19 February 1886. A member of the Royal Naval Auxiliary Sick Berth Reserve (RNASBR), he served as a Senior Reserve Assistant (SRA) from 15 October 1914 until transfer to the RAF on 1 April 1918. Does this man match yourt GF? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alf mcm Posted 5 January , 2022 Share Posted 5 January , 2022 Welcome to the forum Barbara. There are a few records for those named 'Harry Atherton'. We will need a few more details to get the correct person if you know them. Was his forename actually Harry, or was it Henry? Did he have a middle name? Where and when was he born? Do you know if he was married? Did he serve in the Army {in the Royal Army Medical Corps} or Royal Navy {In which case he would be a Sick Berth Attendant}? Regards, Alf McM Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
horatio2 Posted 5 January , 2022 Share Posted 5 January , 2022 (edited) If he did serve in ASTURIAS (which was not a naval hospital ship) he is unilkely to have been an RN Rating - more likely army. Edited 5 January , 2022 by horatio2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Barbara67 Posted 5 January , 2022 Author Share Posted 5 January , 2022 28 minutes ago, horatio2 said: I can find only one RN rating of the Sick Berth Branch with the name H ATHERTON (he was Henry). Place of Birth:Winsford, Cheshire. Date of Birth:19 February 1886. A member of the Royal Naval Auxiliary Sick Berth Reserve (RNASBR), he served as a Senior Reserve Assistant (SRA) from 15 October 1914 until transfer to the RAF on 1 April 1918. Does this man match yourt GF? Spot on for Henry and the other details. Except I have never heard of him moving to RAF. I get all my details from my brother, but I knew there must be more. Thank you so much!!!. But how can I find out what life was like on a Hospital Ship? And might someone who was a CO be put in the thick of things like this? I always thought he was a plumber so how would he end up as a SBR? 30 minutes ago, alf mcm said: Welcome to the forum Barbara. There are a few records for those named 'Harry Atherton'. We will need a few more details to get the correct person if you know them. Was his forename actually Harry, or was it Henry? Did he have a middle name? Where and when was he born? Do you know if he was married? Did he serve in the Army {in the Royal Army Medical Corps} or Royal Navy {In which case he would be a Sick Berth Attendant}? Regards, Alf McM 30 minutes ago, alf mcm said: Welcome to the forum Barbara. There are a few records for those named 'Harry Atherton'. We will need a few more details to get the correct person if you know them. Was his forename actually Harry, or was it Henry? Did he have a middle name? Where and when was he born? Do you know if he was married? Did he serve in the Army {in the Royal Army Medical Corps} or Royal Navy {In which case he would be a Sick Berth Attendant}? Regards, Alf McM Hello Alf and thank you for the welcome. The message before yours, from horatio2, recognised the details spot on! And he gave more info than I have got from my brother. But let me tell you he was Henry at home but I have heard him referred to as Harry by his sons (both dead now, one my father) But how can I find out what life was like on a Hospital Ship? And might someone who was a CO be put in the thick of things like this? I always thought he was a plumber so how would he end up as a SBR? 10 minutes ago, horatio2 said: If he did serve in ASTURIAS (which was not a naval hospital ship) he is unilkely to have been an RN Rating - more likely army. I will look up my notes to check name of ship, which began with an 'A'. Give me 5 mins. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TEW Posted 5 January , 2022 Share Posted 5 January , 2022 (edited) ASTURIAS was purchased by the RN but used as as a cross channel HS for army troops. Staffed by RAMC & St. Johns. 56542 Pte. Harry Atherton RAMC looks a good contender. Shame there's no diary. TEW Edited 5 January , 2022 by TEW Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Barbara67 Posted 5 January , 2022 Author Share Posted 5 January , 2022 Darn it! I cannot lay my hands on the file but will search when all the Xmas stuff is out of the way. I will get back to you. This is interesting! Barbara Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Barbara67 Posted 5 January , 2022 Author Share Posted 5 January , 2022 48 minutes ago, alf mcm said: Welcome to the forum Barbara. There are a few records for those named 'Harry Atherton'. We will need a few more details to get the correct person if you know them. Was his forename actually Harry, or was it Henry? Did he have a middle name? Where and when was he born? Do you know if he was married? Did he serve in the Army {in the Royal Army Medical Corps} or Royal Navy {In which case he would be a Sick Berth Attendant}? Regards, Alf McM Thank you Alf. Apparently I have the name of the ship wrong and I need to locate my file. So glad there are records and people to explore them. Back soon. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
horatio2 Posted 5 January , 2022 Share Posted 5 January , 2022 (edited) His RN record is here (free download) – Official No. M.10543 – and shows his civilian trade as “pipe fitter”. https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/D7045740 He served in the sloop HMS ASTER (not ASTURIAS) between October 1915 and May 1916, in the Mediterranean, having served in the RN Hospital, Malta, for six months before that. He was then drafted to the Royal Naval Air Service (RNAS) station at [Isle of] Grain. When the RNAS was absorbed into the new RAF on 1 April 1918 he was transferred to that service. He appears to have stayed in the RAF for a long-ish period after WW1 because I cannot find an RAF record Edited 6 January , 2022 by horatio2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
horatio2 Posted 5 January , 2022 Share Posted 5 January , 2022 24 minutes ago, Barbara67 said: I always thought he was a plumber so how would he end up as a SBR? The RNASBR drew on members of the St John Ambulance Brigade, so he was probably a first-aider in civilian life. See this topic:- https://www.greatwarforum.org/topic/261272-a-history-of-the-royal-naval-auxiliary-sick-berth-reserve/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Barbara67 Posted 5 January , 2022 Author Share Posted 5 January , 2022 Thank you so much, Horatio 2 for all this info. I just found out it was HMS. Aster and now you have provided so much more info. I will get stuck into it tomorrow. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alf mcm Posted 5 January , 2022 Share Posted 5 January , 2022 @seaJane has a comprehensive bibliography of naval medical books. There are some regarding Hospital Ships. I am sure she will be along soon to provide a link. Regards, Alf McM Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
horatio2 Posted 5 January , 2022 Share Posted 5 January , 2022 (edited) It would appear that be never served in a hospital ship. HMS ASTER (sloop) was invoved at the Dardanelles/Gallipoli campaign and he served in her for that period of operations. He would certainly have been involved in the treatment of the many Gallipoli casualties during his earlier time in the RN Hospital, Malta. Edited 6 January , 2022 by horatio2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
seaJane Posted 5 January , 2022 Share Posted 5 January , 2022 7 hours ago, alf mcm said: @seaJane has a comprehensive bibliography of naval medical books. There are some regarding Hospital Ships. I am sure she will be along soon to provide a link. Regards, Alf McM Thanks for the alert, Alf. The bibliography is here, but I don't think there's much SBR material in it. sJ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matlock1418 Posted 6 January , 2022 Share Posted 6 January , 2022 18 hours ago, horatio2 said: He appears to have stayed in the RAF for a long-ish period after WW1 because I cannot find an RAF record Is it thus possible his record is still at the MoD and potentially now accessible? https://www.gov.uk/get-copy-military-service-records/apply-for-someone-elses-records M Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ss002d6252 Posted 6 January , 2022 Share Posted 6 January , 2022 2 minutes ago, Matlock1418 said: Is it thus possible his record is still at the MoD and potentially now accessible? https://www.gov.uk/get-copy-military-service-records/apply-for-someone-elses-records M I think that is probably a good way forward. The 1921 census may show if he was still in the miliary in 1921 and add some details. Craig Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Barbara67 Posted 6 January , 2022 Author Share Posted 6 January , 2022 24 minutes ago, ss002d6252 said: I think that is probably a good way forward. The 1921 census may show if he was still in the miliary in 1921 and add some details. Craig Thank you. I shall explore Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lawryleslie Posted 8 January , 2022 Share Posted 8 January , 2022 On 05/01/2022 at 13:43, Barbara67 said: My Grandad was a Bedside Attendant or Medical Orderly and I know little of his story except I think he served on the Asturias. He obviously came home shell shocked by his experience and he hated the war, blaming it on businessmen. I have often wondered about his story. Did he refuse to fight and so got placed in a situation that must have been almost as bad as there war on shore? - I have read of it as similar to the Somme. Anybody recognise the name Harry Atherton? Anybody know it there is some written account of life aboard as Hospital Ship? Thank you for any replies. Barbara Atherton Harry Atherton appears on the 1939 England and Wales Register which is a WW2 census of the population. His date of birth is given as 12/2/1886 not 19/2/1886 as Horatio2 found. Here is the record from the census……. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
horatio2 Posted 8 January , 2022 Share Posted 8 January , 2022 Thanks for that @Lawryleslie. It could be just a case of a single digit transcription error. Perhaps @Barbara67can confirm from her family records Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Barbara67 Posted 8 January , 2022 Author Share Posted 8 January , 2022 4 hours ago, horatio2 said: Thanks for that @Lawryleslie. It could be just a case of a single digit transcription error. Perhaps @Barbara67can confirm from her family records Yes - it is a different Henry Atherton and therefore a different birth date! But thanks Lawryleslie. and also horatio2. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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