32nd Field Ambulance, Suvla Bay

[Sean Wood]

I am looking for a bit of help to try and compile the life of my Great Grandfather, acting Sergeant George Brockley.

Numbers

40639   RAMC

T4/199068  ASC

He served with the 32^nd Field Ambulance at Suvla Bay. From his service records he moved between the RAMC and the ASC and back again throughout the war.

He has a very small mention in the book by John Hargrave “At Suvla Bay”.  In the chapter called “Dug Out Yarns”

Going through his old papers. I have found a hand drawn plan of the 32nd field ambulance at Two Tree Hill, B Beach, Suvla bay. Hargrave and William knot mention Two Tree Hill in their books.

I also have two portrait sketches of George signed by a Mr S Wade. (alias W. Sou. West). This is the same person who drew the map and also did the illustrations for the 1916/17 Christmas card for the 32^nd.    the illustrations look very similar to the sketches done by Hargrave.

 

To date I have not been able to find any reference to a Wade serving with the 32^nd Field ambulance.

 

I hope someone can help me put the pieces together.

 

Thanks.

[RaySearching]

What evidence have you that the map on Gallipoli

was drawn by a "Mr S Wade"  ?

I am not seeing this on the image you have posted

What I can see is a 1917- 32 Field Ambulance Macedonia Christmas Card

and a 1916 sketch also sketched in Macedonia

I suspect that what you have interpreted as "Wade" may not be correct

and "Wade! is the alias

and the true name of the artist maybe  W. Sou West  as on the Christmas Card 

A possibility is that "West" may have served in the 32 Field Ambulance

or the RASC as a driver transporting the wounded

Just my present thoughts on your post

 

enlargement of the 1917 Christmas card

[Sean Wood]

Good evening Ray,

Thank you for your response.

Apologies, I did not post the second portrait. In the top right corner are notes in George Brockleys handwriting. It states the drawing was done by a Mr Wade.. I would have thought George would use the correct name.

I do wonder why Brockley is using the title Mr. Not a Christian name or a rank. It says to me he had a lot of respect for whoever Mr Wade is.

I have interpreted the initial to be S as the signature on the portrait  has a letter (possibly 2) in front of Wade, the first being very similar to the S used in Sou West.

If you look how the  E  is rendered on the signature Wade, WEST AND MACEDONIA.  It is quite distinctive.   Three horizontal strokes..

The map looks to be drawn on the same notepaper as the portraits. Same size, weight, color and texture.

I think there are possibly two hands at play on the map.  The main headings are done in a popular text style used by illustrators and Architects at the time and the key elements of the plan are quite precise done using a dark pencil.

The casual annotation have been done with a lighter pencil. The E  in the words GREAT BAYONET CHARGE.  LATRINES WITH FLIES, and a few other titles use the same distinct three bar style as that seen in the Wade and Sou West signatures. But it is not consistent. Even within the same heading. 

I would appreciate your thoughts.

Regards.

Sean

 

 

[RaySearching]

If "Mr Wade" served with the military on Galipoli/ in Macedonia He would have a medal entitlement

You could interegate the MIC's and Medal Rolls which may give you a lead to his identity

there also  may be a a war diary at the National Archives for the 32 Field Ambulance this could also be interogated to see if there is any mention of a Mr Wade

unfortunatly the war diarys for Salonica and Gallipoli I understand have not been digitalised and are  not available for download from the National Archives although they may be available on Ancestry

 

Ray

 

[Sean Wood]

Many thanks for you guidance. I am very new to this, but find it quite compelling.

Reading John Hargraves book and finding these documents realy start to bring George to life.

He survived the war and passed away in 1964, when I was very young..  I have faint memories of him. The research is proving to be addictive.

Regards.

Sean

[michaeldr]

6 hours ago, Sean Wood said:

I do wonder why Brockley is using the title Mr. Not a Christian name or a rank. It says to me he had a lot of respect for whoever Mr Wade is.

As this is a 'medical unit', I wonder if the title 'Mr.' is being used here as it would be say in a hospital referring to a surgeon (rather than 'Dr.' which would refer to a physician)?

[michaeldr]

2 hours ago, michaeldr said:

As this is a 'medical unit', I wonder if the title 'Mr.' is being used here as it would be say in a hospital referring to a surgeon (rather than 'Dr.' which would refer to a physician)?

Surgeon Henry Wade served at Suvla, so he is a possibility 

[alantwo]

As Ray has mentioned there is a War Diary for the 32nd Field Ambulance but it has only one page, I can forward a photograph I took at Kew of the page if you wish. The Advanced Dressing Station at Choclate Hill is mentioned once on the 1st of October when the unit left at midnight for Mudros via SS Osmanich [sic]. The remaining few entries mention officers, but not Wade.

The unit originally embarked HT Canada at Devonport on 12th July 1915 for the MEF, the officers were:

Lieutenant Colonel     CAMPION-LAUDER    T
Captain     McCARTHY    DT
Lieutenant     YOUNG    JC
Lieutenant     BEAVERLAND    JH
Lieutenant     WALL    HEM
Lieutenant     TUKE    BM
Lieutenant     SHERRY    JJA
Lieutenant     SMITH    AP
Lieutenant     CONOLLY    WP
 

I think Michael may have the answer, I'll see if I can find Surgeon Henry Wade anywhere.

One point of interest is that 12 of the men from the 32nd Field Ambulance commemorated on the Cape Helles Memorial all died on the same day 17/8/15.

Alan

Edited 28 November , 2022 by alantwo
Date correction

[Sean Wood]

Good morning Michael,

I have been studying the documents a bit more.

I am comfortable that Mr Wade and W. Sou West are the same person. The Christmas card and the portraits have a strong connection.

The Christmas card shows that Wade was a competent illustrator. With quite a talent for various styles of text.

I spend most of my time drawing plans (Historic Building Surveyor).

I think the map is in two parts. 

1st,  as plan of how the camp was to be set out. All the key parts in place

2nd  the more casual annotations showing the camp "As Built"

With the text on the title portion and the key elements of the map being of a standard equal to that shown on the Christmas card and the casual annotations showing characteristics of wades handwriting on his sketches of George Brockley. The notepaper being the same. I would say it is the same person.

If Wade was instructing how to set up the ambulance, he must have been someone senior.

The landscape is shown as multi levels.

Two tree hill and the red Cross flag on the high ground and the stagnant ditch as the lowest point. The ambulance station being dug into the side of the hill.

Looking at a picture posted by AndyR in 2010. It shows a view of a field ambulance with a duct board over a ditch. With an entrance in the mound in front of it.  It is similar to the layout on my map.  Pity I can't make out a flag on the hill, as that would have helped orient the photo to the map.

A when George enlisted in 1914, he had been working underground with a mines rescue team in the local coal mine for 16yrs. He was well experienced in moving rock and soil.

At a later date, (November 1915), His record show that when the unit landed in Selonica he was promoted and sent to "complete establishment"

Is it possible that the reason George has the map in his papers is that due to his experience as a miner he was working under the instruction of Wade  to establish the ambulance at Two Tree Hill?

Or am on the wrong track?

Thank you for the interest you are giving.

Sean

[Sean Wood]

Good morning Alan,

I would be very grateful of a copy of the diary page and thank you for the list of officers with the unit.

I have just posted a few more of my thoughts. Would appreciate your comments. 

Regards.

 

Sean

 

[RaySearching]

The Henry Wade mentioned by  Michael

Is mentioned in various websites

Here

and HERE    for starters

an internet search will produce more results

 

Ray

 

 

[alantwo]

Sean

Copy of the photograph I took of the War Diary at TNA Kew below. 

You will find more detailed information about the unit within the 10th Division ADMS file via Ancestry.

Kind regards

Alan

PS Great find Ray.

[Sean Wood]

Thank you Alan, Ray and Michael. 

I will post more info as I find it. 

Cross checking all the pictures on AlanR 2010 post.   It's possible it is the same camp as outlined on the plan.

Trying to find out more info on Henry Wade.

you have helped me take big steps forward in 24hrs.

Regards.

Sean 

[RaySearching]

1 hour ago, Sean Wood said:

Trying to find out more info on Henry Wade.

Link

 

RRP £35.00

Ebay £7.00  +free postage     also vailable on Able Books from £10.00

Ray

 

Edited 27 November , 2022 by RaySearching

[Sean Wood]

Thanks for the link, I have purchased a cupy

[RaySearching]

IMAGE FROM WIKIPEDIA

[alantwo]

Sean

I saw that the 10th Division ADMS War Diary recorded that the 32nd FA ADS took up a position at 105 H3 on 6/9/15. I’ll see if any other positions are mentioned so that we can compare locations with the plan you posted.

Regards

Alan

[Sean Wood]

Good evening again,

 

I have been studying the pictures posted by AndyR   in the post

https://www.greatwarforum.org/topic/157421-photos-of-32nd-field-amb-near-hill-10-suvla/#:~:text=support the Forum-,Photos of 32nd Field Amb near Hill 10%2C Suvla,-By AndyR%2C

I have attached two images were I have attempted to compare the pictures with the plan I have.

The long shot is the shadow of the flag in the background. The pictures are quite faded, but if it is the flag then its almost a perfect match and would help confirm that the pictures are of Two Tree Hill.

 

[Sean Wood]

Reading about Henry Wade,

He was noted for taking pictures of the camps. apparently over 2,000 in the the collection at the collage of surgeons.

Makes you Wonder if AndyR's pictures are copies from Wades collection.

I can see me planning a trip away in my motorhome to Scotland.

Sean

[michaeldr]

15 hours ago, Sean Wood said:

Thanks for the link, I have purchased a cupy

Thanks from me too Ray: copy ordered 

[alantwo]

The positions I've indicated on the images below are approximate, the subscription you have mentioned to Trench mapper in another topic/post may be more accurate. From the ADMS War Diary the 32nd FA appears to have landed at Suvla Point ('A') and established a station near the beach on 7th August 1915, though they moved 100 yards further inland within a day or so. On the 11th August the Field Ambulances were ordered to move to near Charak Cheshme ('B').  The War Diary records on 22nd August that they "Moved to a position near the sea, where the Salt Lake empties into the sea". This suggests somewhere near 'C' near the cut, possibly by the 53rd (Welsh) CCS. However, the cut runs east-west which doesn't correspond with the sketch plan above. Based upon the sketch I 'think' somewhere near 'D' might be an option as per the second image, but happy to hear others thoughts.

Alan

[Sean Wood]

Thank you Alan,

This is very useful.  I am going to turn the map I have into a transparency.  Orient it North and scale it as best I can using the pictures from AndyR post as reference.  Hopefully the cartography  is good on the plan. I can then try and align it with early maps of the area.

Out of interest did the photo comparison with the plan on my earlier post make sense? 

Regards 

Sean

[alantwo]

Hi Sean

I created a layer on Google Earth using the sketch, but without a scale and the only references being north and the ditch (with smell) it is difficult to be precise and a general sense was all I could achieve, it is a sketch after all. I appreciate that when I visited the cut it was some 100 years after the event, but my feeling is that it would have been too wide for the duck boards and that the suggested location on a tributary ‘might’ fit  the bill better. It looks as though a track may have existed to the south, but perhaps Michael could advise if the “great bayonet charge” mentioned could have occurred nearby and when this was. I should add that the postwar Turkish maps do not show anything in this area, though I think it is fair to say that they are not quite as detailed as they are in the south of the peninsular.

For the photo comparison I’m not sure about the flag as it is difficult to see and it could perhaps have been a shell burst or perhaps a cloud, but the rest is well reasoned; the perspectives seem to work. The photograph of the stretchers shows a shadow falling left to right which suggests that in the northern hemisphere south is to the left, which would fit with your ‘B’ and the bomb proof shelter on the sketch plan.

Regards

Alan

[Sean Wood]

 

Hi Alan

I have made a copy of the principal features of the map. Aligned it to North and got a decent scale on the map.  I have used the trenchmapping app to find an old map

I have extended the directions shown on my map. One to the clearing station on the beach and the other indicates the line of retreat.

Then aligned the ditch and a beach clearing station.  I know we are dealing with a sketch, but would the location indicated make any sense to those who know the area?

Thanks 

Sean

 

[Howard]

It might be better in TrenchMapper to use the first maps in the list, the Sevki Pasha Post Evacuation maps, 1:5,000.

They are by far the most accurate maps of the area despite them showing everything at once but they do show very small water courses.

Howard