Gas attacks 1st May - 6th May 1915 Hill 60 role of RAMC

[David_Blanchard]

At present I am researching the role of the RAMC- doctors, stretcher bearers, Medical Officers etc and have most of the WO diaries of the units involved but am looking for any personal accounts, memoirs from these attacks that involve the role of medical services.

 

Any help appreciated. 

 

David 

Edited 27 September , 2022 by David_Blanchard

[brianmorris547]

David 

I take it we are talking 5 Div. I have been researching 1915 Casualty Lists in The Times and the Scotsman recently so I checked the Times for lists dated after 10/05/1915 which was the Sunday following 06/05.

I found three Officers. Under Suffering from Gas Poisoning - 2/Lt Gibson, J V - 2 Duke of Wellingtons (Times 24/05/1915 Officer's List dated 17/05)

Previously reported missing now Suffering from Gas Poisoning - 2/Lt Bosley, W M - 1 Dorsets (Times 29/05/1915 Officer's List dated 22/05) and

Capt Hayes, L C - RAMC (Times 01/06/1915 Officer's List dated 25/05). I thought I would find more.

I also found a list of Died From Gas Poisoning 1 Dorsets and (EDIT not two lists but one) under Suffering from Gas Poisoning naming about 25 other ranks of 1 Dorsets in total. There were another four lists under Suffering from Gas Poisoning naming about 230 other ranks of 2 Duke of Wellingtons in total. I have made a note of the Times dates between 29/05 and 15/06/1915 so can easily get them again. 

On the Casualty List Thread in Other TEW posted a number of May 1915 Lists on 17/09 this year (page 80) and there are some 5 Div names on those.

Brian

Edited 3 October , 2022 by brianmorris547
additional info

[David_Blanchard]

Brian,

 

Thanks for your interest and help with my enquiry. Some of the war diaries are good for casualty lists and from the 3 CCS admittance books on ancestry. I have found a number of memoirs and diaries in the Department of Documents at the IWM- which I am hoping to view in November, for example the ADMS of the 5th Division, Colonel W T Swan deposited 16 boxes  of diaries and associated paper work. 'The Liverpool Rifles' by Kevin Shannon is particularly good for including personal testimonies. 

 

David 

[Acknown]

Not spot on your question, but I hope this helps. The 1st Dorsets history written by Maj C H Dudley Ward DSO MC (contained in 'History of the Dorsetshire Regiment 1914-1919' Volume 1, Dorchester, 1932) reports 2Lt Butcher and 52 ORs dead. 'In addition, the following were admitted to the field ambulance suffering from gas poisoning: Capt Hawkins, 2Lts Sampson, Roberts (afterwards died), Hodgson, Weston, Stevens and 200 ORs - many of these succumbed subsequently. In addition, 32 ORs were missing, men who had crawled away to die, and whose bodies were located afterwards. Only one man was killed and one wounded by shell fire or rifle fire'.

2Lt Kestell-Cornish, the hero of the hour (separate story) was sent to hospital two days later suffering from the effects of gas, but returned to duty.

Acknown

[brianmorris547]

David, Acknown

The Times OCL 04/06/1915 has a list of Other Ranks dated 18/05. Under Wounded - Suffering from Gas Poisoning, there are 79 names for 2 Bn Duke of Wellington's.  17 EDIT 19 of the names are in MH 106/298, which as you say is the book for 3 CCS adm 05/05, under Suffocation. The book also names 1 Dorsets and other Bns from 5 Div. 

I also found quite a lot of Service and Pension records where the AF B 103 shows details of hospitals etc. For example there were some medical notes in the records of Alfred Addison 7752. 

I will continue to look because it is turning up lists which I can post on the Casualty List thread. I have just posted 21893 Cont p 2 which names Hartley, J 7341 (should be G for George) and the record of John Balderson 9009 shows that he was on WO list 19726 (which is not on the index) and, like George Hartley, was admitted to 3 Southern General in Oxford.

Balderson 9009, J and Hartley7341, G are obviously in the Times OCL.

Brian

EDIT For the record the list of 1 Dorsets Died from Gas Poisoning is in the Times 02/06/1915. There are approx 70 names. The list of 1 Dorsets wounded - Suffering from Gas Poisoning is in the Times 08/06/1915. The other large list, approx 100 names, of 2 West Riding Suffering from Gas Poisoning, is in the Times 11/06/1915. 

 

Edited 4 October , 2022 by brianmorris547
additional info

[Acknown]

'The Bloody Eleventh  - History of the Devonshire Regiment Volume III', WJP Aggett, Exeter, 1995 states: 'The Devons [1st Battalion] casualty list shows that seven OR were killed that day and 31 wounded'. It does not state whether any of these were caused by gas.

Acknown

Edited 3 October , 2022 by Acknown

[David_Blanchard]

Brian and Acknown,

 

thanks again for your help. I have managed to acquire this week ‘The fine fighting of the Dorsets’ by Major Ransome and I have the regimental histories of the Devons and Dorsets but in these little is mentioned about the roles of the medics and stretcher bearers in helping with the evacuation of the men gassed on the hill. 
 

In Kevin Shannon’s book on the Liverpool Rifles, forty men at Transport farm were pressed into service as stretcher bearers that day and helped with the evacuation of the casualties from Hill 60.
 

David 

Edited 3 October , 2022 by David_Blanchard