104th Field Ambulance

[Susie H]

First of all I must confess to my ignorance when it comes to military issues so I'm appealing for some guidance. All I knew about my grandfather was that he was in the RAMC service number 51439 (Bertie G Greenacre). Without a regiment I didn't know how to trace what he did in the his time during the war. He enlisted 24 January 1915 and received the usual medals 1914/5, Victory & British War Medals plus a Silver War Badge as he was invalided out of the army shortly after the end of the war. Family stories say that he was affected by mustard gas. I don't have any proof of this. However I do know that he had TB and that he was being treated in 1921 (I found him as a patient in a TB "colony" in the 1921 census). He eventually died of TB in 1925. I have now come across a local newspaper article dated 1915 which shows him being in the 104th Field Ambulance RAMC. I have Googled the 104th Field Ambulance and have read where they were in France but no reference to Salonica. However a book of Yarmouth (Norfolk) men serving in WW1 shows that he served in Salonica. Did men stay in the same Field Ambulance Group? Could he have served in both France and Salonica? Can anyone point me in the right direction to research my grandfather further please. Thank you.

[jonbem]

Hi

the war diary at national archives, free to download when registered

104 Field Ambulance | The National Archives

Reference:	WO 95/2453/2
Description:	104 Field Ambulance
Date:	1916 Jan. - 1919 May

they were part of 34th division

Field Ambulances in the First World War - The Long, Long Trail (longlongtrail.co.uk)

104th

34th Division

[TEW]

Well, his MIC has no 14/15 Star medal so he entered a theatre of war after 1/1/1916. 104th FA of 34 division arrived in France 16/1/1916 so a connection to 104 FA is plausible.

Yes, men of the RAMC could move from unit to unit (Not necessarily other FAs) during the war so a Salonica connection is still possible with another unit/division.

He is not part of any regiment as he is Royal Army Medical Corps.

TEW

[Susie H]

Thanks for your advice. I've downloaded the War Diary - 600 pages to read. Sadly I'll not know whether it applies to my grandfather as he may not have remained with the 104th Field Ambulance. Sadly his army / pension records are not available to help with any moves he may have made. 

[FROGSMILE]

43 minutes ago, Susie H said:

Thanks for your advice. I've downloaded the War Diary - 600 pages to read. Sadly I'll not know whether it applies to my grandfather as he may not have remained with the 104th Field Ambulance. Sadly his army / pension records are not available to help with any moves he may have made. 

You can still research specifically the activities of the RAMC units in Salonika, Susie, and that will give you a good idea of what he must have experienced.  As TEW explained it’s entirely feasible that he would have served with different RAMC units during the course of the war and as we know 104 FA did not go to Salonika (MEF), but you have a newspaper article listing him as being in that theatre of the war, then that is circumstantial evidence that he must have been posted there.  In most cases such moves took place after a brief period of leave following wounding, or sickness and then a period of recovery.  Men in such circumstances were rehabilitated and reviewed regularly to see when they might be fit again (either fully, or in a more limited role if necessary) via so-called ‘medical boards’.  Once declared fit the next stage would be some training/updating followed by embarkation (movement by ship) to his new unit.  I suggest that after reading the 104 FA war diary you focus your research efforts on Salonika and specifically the RAMC deployment there.  Far more of the medical treatment in that theatre was for disease than there was for wounding, especially cerebral malaria, but there were also other endemic disease hazards.

NB.  It’s quite possible that he contracted TB in Salonika.

Edited 11 January , 2022 by FROGSMILE

[Susie H]

Thanks for your suggestions Sue

 

[FROGSMILE]

See:  https://wellcomecollection.org/works/xng4hkcz

Click on “view” within the online page if the original ‘front cover’ of the archived publication isn’t visible.  Access to the Wellcome Collection is free. 

Edited 11 January , 2022 by FROGSMILE

[FROGSMILE]

Apologies that last link was the wrong one.  Here is the correct one Sue: https://wellcomecollection.org/works/pqwc8huy

Once it opens scroll up to see all the many images from a photograph album showing medical activities in Salonika.

Edited 11 January , 2022 by FROGSMILE

[Susie H]

Thanks again