Convalescent Section, Dagshai

[ddycher]

Anybody have any insights on the Convalescent Section ? I had wrongly believed that they were at Dagshai earlier in the war. Now understand they did not move to Dagshai from Cherat until April 1917. I had placed wounded convalescents at Dagshai with them in the second half of 1916. Now need to revisit that.

Commander was an interesting read. Broderick Hartwell, Baronet, treasure hunter, booze smuggler during prohibition, multiple times bankrupt.

Regards

Dave

[MaureenE]

Are you referring to the Convalescent Section of a particular Regiment, or to the Convalescent Section of the cantonment? A 1904 publication refers to a small convalescent depot at Dagshai, see the FIBIS Fibiwiki page Dagshai https://wiki.fibis.org/w/Dagshai

Dagshai was a hill station cantonment, and typically there was a lot of rotation of troops during the summer months from the hot plains to the cooler mountain hill stations.

Cherat (see https://wiki.fibis.org/w/Cherat) was also a hill station (but not as high up as Dagshai) and was about 20 miles from Peshawar.

Maureen

[ddycher]

Many thanks Maureen

This section was formed at Cherat before moving to Dagshai in April 1917. I assume, but have no confirming ref as yet, that it was affiliated to the Station Hospital there. What I am trying to determine is the organization of these Convalescent Sections, both British and Indian, and how they functioned in the 1915 / 1916 period with recovering wounded from Mesopotamia. As per above post I had my timings wrong and am now looking at Dagshai again before the arrival of the Convalescent Section from Cherat. This has me trying to separate war time Sections from pre-war Depots. Thanks for the ref to the 1904 position. I had not seen that before.

I do have references stating that by the end of the war the British Convalescent Section at Dagshai was referenced as a Convalescent Depot. Still trying to work out the dynamic.

Regards

Dave

Edited 8 August , 2022 by ddycher

[MaureenE]

Not directly relevant but a 1930 report shows that the hospital at Dagshai was open the year around, while the hospital at Cherat was open for about 7 months per year,  I am guessing these would be the summer months. https://digital.nls.uk/indiapapers/browse/archive/74905433?&mode=transcription. (source National Library of Scotland)

Perhaps the National Library of Scotland in its collection "Medical History of British India" might have something of relevance to your query?

Would there be anything in the Indian Army Lists online? https://wiki.fibis.org/w/Indian_Army_List_online

Or perhaps Indian Army Orders? 1914; 1915; 1916; 1919, 1919 Special Orders; 1920;  Archive.org  Compendium of the More Important Army Order 1919. Archive.org, Public Library of India Collection. Full title: Compendium of the More Important Orders of the Government of India, Army Department and India Army Orders issued from the 1st August 1914, to the 31st December 1917.

Maureen

[ddycher]

Have the Lists and the Orders. Going to wade through them again. Will post if I find anything.

regards

Dave

[ddycher]

Found a link this morning in the Civil & Military Gazette placing my man as a Quartermaster of the Infantry Base Depot at Dagshai and not convalescent as I previous thought. First ref to an infantry base depot at Dagshai. Seems to have been established by the 23rd Rifle Bde out of Multan. More exploring to do.

Regards

Dave