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Remembered Today:

Autograph book from Hawkhurst Red Cross


Caela

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I have an autograph book from the soldiers who were in the Red Cross Hospital at Hawkhurst 1915-1916 it’s quite extensive -does anyone know anyone who was there then? image.jpg.b05dd1e11707a25881827e1da1926f44.jpg

23041FDC-335B-4A80-BBF5-2FA90153A9E4.jpeg

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1 hour ago, Caela said:

I have an autograph book from the soldiers who were in the Red Cross Hospital at Hawkhurst 1915-1916 it’s quite extensive -does anyone know anyone who was there then? 

23041FDC-335B-4A80-BBF5-2FA90153A9E4.jpeg

 

1.  Joseph Thomas Grant, St George St, St Catherines, Ontario, Canada:

https://www.bac-lac.gc.ca/eng/discover/military-heritage/first-world-war/personnel-records/Pages/image.aspx?Image=360988a&URLjpg=http%3a%2f%2fcentral.bac-lac.gc.ca%2f.item%2f%3fop%3dimg%26app%3dCEF%26id%3d360988a&

2.  Transferred from Moore Barracks, Canadian Hospital, Shorncliffe, to Hawkhurst on 21 July 1916 (see image 8):

https://central.bac-lac.gc.ca/.item/?op=pdf&app=CEF&id=B3734-S053

JP

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Welcome to the forum. These sort of albums are full of interest. If you could progressively scan pages and load them here, we will try to identify the men and women involved. 

Here's an old thread with a photo of the hospital.

"Hospitals in the United Kingdom - Page 10 - Medical Services (Home and Abroad) - The Great War (1914-1918) Forum" https://www.greatwarforum.org/topic/187-hospitals-in-the-united-kingdom/page/10/#comment-166504

 

Charlie

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2 hours ago, Caela said:

I have an autograph book from the soldiers who were in the Red Cross Hospital at Hawkhurst 1915-1916 it’s quite extensive -does anyone know anyone who was there then? image.jpg.b05dd1e11707a25881827e1da1926f44.jpg

 

Pte J R Elliott, 8th East Yorkshire Regiment is:

17010 Private James Robson Elliott. Enlisted10 September 1914. Discharged (Sickness) 10 January 1917 and awarded Silver War Badge No: 111252

JP

Edited by helpjpl
1917
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Caela, I am not sure if you are proposing to do look-ups or what?

One big problem we have with wounded soldiers is not knowing which hospital they went to. Hence why, when someone has an autograph album, we can start to compile a partial list. If that list is on this thread then it should be picked up by others searching. 

Here is an interesting name for you. William Clarence Dunsford of the 3rd Hussars. Service no 10220. Wounded at Mons, he was at Hawkhurst and met his wife there, a nurse or sister. They married in 1916. There is a 1933 clipping that talks of Sister Dunsford, who by then was living in Durham. 

"The British Newspaper Archive | findmypast.co.uk" https://search.findmypast.co.uk/bna/viewarticle?id=bl%2f0000640%2f19330329%2f172&stringtohighlight=hawkhurst red cross

Edited by charlie962
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1 hour ago, helpjpl said:

 

Pte J R Elliott, 8th East Yorkshire Regiment is:

17010 Private James Robson Elliott. Enlisted10 September 1914. Discharged (Sickness) 10 January 1917 and awarded Silver War Badge No: 111252

JP

How interesting. My granny must have been helping there at the time. Thank you responding. I have alsorts of people in there. I was thinking their families might like them. 23041FDC-335B-4A80-BBF5-2FA90153A9E4.jpeg.caf8ed97c6df2f4e61e656fd81b92f6f.jpeg

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19 minutes ago, charlie962 said:

Caela, I am not sure if you are proposing to do look-ups or what?

One big problem we have with wounded soldiers is not knowing which hospital they went to. Hence why, when someone has an autograph album, we can start to compile a partial list. If that list is on this thread then it should be picked up by others searching. 

Here is an interesting name for you. William Clarence Dunsford of the 3rd Hussars. Service no 10220. Wounded at Mons, he was at Hawkhurst and met his wife there, a nurse or sister. They married in 1916. There is a 1933 clipping that talks of Sister Dunsford, who by then was living in Durham. 

"The British Newspaper Archive | findmypast.co.uk" https://search.findmypast.co.uk/bna/viewarticle?id=bl%2f0000640%2f19330329%2f172&stringtohighlight=hawkhurst red cross

Thank you for responding. I find all of this very interesting. I will look through the book. There is all manner of people with lots of drawings. I will upload them and try and make them as clear as I can. 

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51 minutes ago, Caela said:

Thank you for responding. I find all of this very interesting. I will look through the book. There is all manner of people with lots of drawings. I will upload them and try and make them as clear as I can. 

Great. There's a slight hiccup on Nurses' records in that the the RedX database remains inaccessible until Sept but that is not long now. For some there is info on the genealogy sites and for the soldiers you will find lots of gifted amateurs here and even the odd expert!

Charlie

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On 18/08/2022 at 15:19, charlie962 said:

Welcome to the forum. These sort of albums are full of interest. If you could progressively scan pages and load them here, we will try to identify the men and women involved. 

Here's an old thread with a photo of the hospital.

"Hospitals in the United Kingdom - Page 10 - Medical Services (Home and Abroad) - The Great War (1914-1918) Forum" https://www.greatwarforum.org/topic/187-hospitals-in-the-united-kingdom/page/10/#comment-166504

 

Charlie

 

image.jpg

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2088 Rfmn Robert Frederick Gliddon.

His later number TF was 301305.

He served in France:

17/1/16-17/5/16, 5th London Regiment. Presumably evacuated wounded? and by June 1916 is at Hawkhurst. Recovers and returns to France :

6/8/17-7/2/18 with 5th London then transferred on reorganisation to 8th London's and remains in France until 7/2/19. He was wounded again in late October 1917 ( name appears in casualty list 30/11/17 suggesting actual wounding some 4-5 weeks earlier). Not severe enough to require evacuation this time. 

Ancestry trees suggest this him born 6/11/1894 Walthamstow, died 1983. 

"Robert Frederick Gliddon - Ancestry.com" https://www.ancestry.co.uk/search/categories/42/?name=Robert+frederick_Gliddon&count=50&defaultFacets=PRIMARY_YEAR.PRIMARY_NPLACE&name_x=pi_1&types=rt

 

 

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It would be lovely to re home some of these pages to family members. My granny’s book has suddenly come back to life. Thank you for taking the time to research this. My mum hoped that people would find this of interest. 

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3 hours ago, charlie962 said:

I presume you mean provide good copies. The original album should stay in your family intact!

Sadly the family line is no more. It needs to go to a good home/homes :0) 

Sadly, the family line is no more. It needs to go to a good home/homes :0) 

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9 minutes ago, Caela said:

Sadly the family line is no more. It needs to go to a good home/homes :0) 

Just want to emphasise that as a historical object it has MUCH MORE VALUE as an intact book. My heart hurts when I see wartime photograph albums that have been pulled apart to sell picture by picture; often these albums were photographed, compiled, and annotated by individual soldiers. In taking them to pieces, you lose all the context.

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So it is vital to make a complete digital copy just in case the original is broken up down the line of future ownership. Local history society end perhaps the British Red Cross Museum and Archive? Not to mention this forum!! 

"Our historical collections | British Red Cross" https://www.redcross.org.uk/about-us/our-history/museum-and-archives/our-historical-collections

Charlie

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1 hour ago, knittinganddeath said:

Just want to emphasise that as a historical object it has MUCH MORE VALUE as an intact book. My heart hurts when I see wartime photograph albums that have been pulled apart to sell picture by picture; often these albums were photographed, compiled, and annotated by individual soldiers. In taking them to pieces, you lose all the context.

Seconded. 
 

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12 hours ago, GWF1967 said:
12 hours ago, GWF1967 said:

Seconded. 
 

I wasn’t intending to sell more re-home -I’ll contact the Red Cross and see if they want the album. I have only posted a few photos as I didn’t want to contravene regulations on this group. I can’t thank you all enough for showing an interest in my album. 

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On 20/08/2022 at 07:53, Caela said:

It would be lovely to re home some of these pages to family members. My granny’s book has suddenly come back to life. Thank you for taking the time to research this. My mum hoped that people would find this of interest. 

A real treasure. Numerous possibilities for Thomas Hill R.E.

 

Edited by BarbaraG
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10 minutes ago, Caela said:

 

If you can scan and post images of all of the pages it would create a digital copy, it would also be possible for the collective brain of the forum to identify as many men as possible. 
Re-homing the album will not necessarily ensure it survives intact. 

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20 minutes ago, Caela said:

have only posted a few photos as I didn’t want to contravene regulations on this group

Quite the opposite. Post away please!

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