Deciphering a Casualty Form

[MrG]

I have just found this casualty form for my gran's brother Pte 9027 Frank Wheatcroft Dorset regiment who died in France 14/4/1918 and it seems to include some new (to me) info. Could anyone give me a hand in deciphering it please eg what to the abbreviations mean? Thanks

[PRC]

2nd January 1915 8th Casualty Clearing Station, Bailleul. Diagnosed with Pyrexia of Unknown Origin. (He is running a temperature but they don't know why).
3rd January 1915. Transferred to a Motor Ambulance.

Cheers,
Peter

[MrG]

Thats great. Many Thanks

Any thoughts on "To 14th Bat Signals wounded"???

[Terry_Reeves]

7 minutes ago, MrG said:

Thats great. Many Thanks

Any thoughts on "To 14th Bat Signals wounded"???

It is 14 Brigade Signals.

TR

[PRC]

10 minutes ago, MrG said:

"To 14th Bat Signals wounded"???

Two separate entries.

With effect from 17th (or 19th?) September 1916. Officer Commanding 1st Dorsets, in the Field. Part 2 orders dated or copy received 24th September 1916 . Frank Wheatcroft attached 14th Brigade Signals.

13th April 1918. Wounded.

Cheers,
Peter

[TEW]

8 Clearing Station AKA Casualty Clearing Station which was based at Bailleul has the following entries for 2nd/3rd Jan 1915.

2/1/15. 231 cases admitted during the day. 118 cases evacuated to Hazebrouck by motor convoy - 10 cases to convalescent depot Bailleul.

3/1/15, 201 admitted during the day. 241 sitting cases evacuated to Ambulance Train at Merville - 30 cases to convalescent depot Bailleul.

Your entry says he was transferred to motor convoy 3/1/15 which is not mentioned for that day. Either they're slightly out by a day (these things happen if it's five past midnight!) or the cases to the convalescent depot were by motor ambulance.

Quote

Any thoughts on "To 14th Bat Signals wounded"???

Yes, they're two different entries. He was posted/transferred to 14th Brigade Signals 17/9/1916. There maybe another diary for this unit.

Then wounded 13/4/1918 and died of wounds the same day which was reported by 91st Field Ambulance who were running an advanced dressing station at Bienvillers.

Their diary for 13/4/18 mentions 17 ordinary ranks admitted wounded and 177 admitted gassed and that one ordinary rank died, which matches the casualty form entry.

The casualty form has the word List written in the right hand column for 13/4/18, these would be list numbers but it appears they've not completed the entry.

TEW

Edited 3 November , 2022 by TEW

[MrG]

This is great stuff. Many Thanks. This adds a lot to his story as I have never seen any reference to him being with anyone other than the Dorsets before and all his CWG info state Dorset reg. I'll look for a diary for the 14th Brigade Signals

[MrG]

OK So it look like the 1st Dorsets were part of the 14th Infantry Brigade from January 1916 so woule the brigade have had a signals contingent?

[PRC]

11 minutes ago, MrG said:

so woule the brigade have had a signals contingent?

It would have had signallers attached from the units that made up the brigade as far as I'm aware, possibly with a few of the Royal Engineers that made up the Divisional Signals Company alongside them. Day to Day control would have been with a Brigade staff officer, but for example in Franks case he would have remained on the establishment of the 1st Dorsets for pay and disciplinary purposes. The attachment may have lasted days or he might have still been with them in April 1918 - there just isn't enough information on the B.103 to make that call.

Cheers,
Peter

[MrG]

Many Thanks

1st Dorsets WD records casualties on the 12th but not on the 13th/14th April 1918 and has them "in the line" until the 14th whereas an ardicle in the local paper says he was "outside a shelter" but doesn't elaborate (attached) Quite what happened probably destined to remain unsolved :-(

Frank Wheatcroft Chronical Cuttings 1.pdf

[Allan1892]

I don't know if you have seen this on the database 'Lives Of The First World War 1914-1918' (available on Find My Past) :_

'Frank Wheatcrofts War: Frank Wheatcroft was born in West Fordington, near Dorchester on the 2nd March 1890, the first child of Frederick and Louisa Wheatcroft. At this time his father was a regular soldier in the Dorset Regiment so perhaps it was inevitable that Frank would follow.Parts of Frank’s service record survive and from this we know that at some point prior to 1911 Frank joined the 4th Dorsets – the Territorial Regiment – whilst continuing with his day job of “Porter (town)”. It is likely that he was actually working for one of the local newspapers – The Dorset County Chronicle – as in a later report he is referred to in this paper as “a former employee”.On the 11th January 1911, just short of his 21st birthday, Frank signed up for the Regular Army and joined the 1st Dorsetshire Regiment. For part, if not all, of the next three and a half years he was posted in Ireland and it was from Belfast that he embarked for France.The 1st Bn Dorsets embarked on their transport vessel SS Anthon'

There is also an image of him (courtesy of Find My Past)

[MrG]

Interesting, I wrote most of that for the Somerset and Dorset FHS Mag (and thats my photo - the only extant copy to my knowledge) but I have no idea how it got on "Lives of the First Worls War"!!!!!!!

[Terry_Reeves]

This article might help:

https://www.cambridge.org/core/books/communications-and-british-operations-on-the-western-front-19141918/4B3C8B920B6823443A675DCCFBA10C10

It is an extract from Brian N Hall’s book, part of the Cambridge Military Histories series.

TR

Edited 3 November , 2022 by Terry_Reeves

[Allan1892]

3 minutes ago, MrG said:

Interesting, I wrote most of that for the Somerset and Dorset FHS Mag (and thats my photo - the only extant copy to my knowledge) but I have no idea how it got on "Lives of the First Worls War"!!!!!!!

I have come across a similar piece before where an article has appeared on 'Lives of the First World War' and it was word for word that a cousin of mine had written for a family history journal.