What is a reinforcement camp?

[Tim S]

I have a newspaper article dated 16th Dec 1916 about my grand uncle which says ''........... has been wounded 4 times and in now at Sunderland reinforcement camp recovering from wounds''.

What is a reinforcement camp?

A bit of background information which might help in answering the question. Through further research I think he was wounded for the 4th time on the opening day of the battle of the Somme (1st July 1916) whilst attached to the 9th York and Lancaster. A newspaper article dated 22nd July 1916 printed a letter of his where he states ''You can see I have pull through. But how, I don't know''. During the start of his recovery period he went absent without leave on the 28th Aug 1916. Could this 'reinforcement camp' be a punishment camp for wounded men?

I look forward to any replies.

Tim

[charlie962]

The term Reinforcement Camp seems to have been used in France for the Infantry Base Depots that held men rather than material.

But for UK ?

Edited 26 March , 2023 by charlie962

[6RRF]

Was it at Sunderland, Co.Durham England, or might it simply be a camp name somewhere in France?

[kenf48]

 

1 hour ago, Tim S said:

What is a reinforcement camp?

I think you will find he is referring to the 3rd (Reserve) Battalion York and Lancaster Regiment which was stationed at Sunderland as part of the Tyne Garrison.

See http://www.longlongtrail.co.uk/army/regiments-and-corps/the-british-infantry-regiments-of-1914-1918/york-lancaster-regiment/

Typically men who were sick/wounded would be taken off the strength of an active service battalion and placed on the Depot strength for administrative purposes.  Assuming they were in the UK they would go to hospital and when discharged from the hospital, depending on the severity of their injury would be discharged from the Army; sent to a Command Depot for convalescence or sent to the Regimental Depot either directly or via the Command Depot.

At the Regimental Depot they would again be medically assessed as to their fitness to return to active duty or remain on garrison duty in the U.K.  If pronounced fit they would then be sent posted to either their original battalion or another battalion in a reinforcement draft.  On arrival at the Infantry Base Depot they were frequently posted to another Battalion, or even another regiment a practice which caused great resentment and anger as they were separated from those they knew.

As noted above the term is more regularly used in theatre for the Infantry Base Depots, but if recovered he would be awaiting a posting as a reinforcement.  No doubt regimental practice varied but one can imagine 'reinforcements' or trained men were treated differently from recruits or those in training within the Reserve Battalions.

[Tim S]

It was in England because his service documents have him in France between 19th Feb 1916 to the 7th July 1916 and then home between the 8th July 1916 to the 25th Feb 1919.

[Moonraker]

Just word-searched my notes on Wiltshire, which had many camps of most types. There were 30 to 40 hits relating to groups of men arriving there from Australia, New Zealand and Canada, doing further training to improve their fitness after a voyage, and then being sent to Europe. In the case of ANZAC troops they were numbered 25th Reinforcement,"37th Reinf" and so on. I don't know to what extent each Reinforcement was split up among units already in Europe.

But there were no hits at all relevant to British units. I wonder at what stage of "recovering from wounds" your great-uncle was? I would usually associate this condition with time at a convalescent  hospital, but perhaps he'd been discharged from one and was carrying out light duties at a camp. (A recovering ANZAC soldier was often sent to one camp for light training and, after his physical fitness had been assessed, to another to refresh his combat skills.)

EDIT: Ken just beat me to it, and his answer is better than mine.

Edited 26 March , 2023 by Moonraker

[kenf48]

2 minutes ago, Tim S said:

It was in England because his service documents have him in France between 19th Feb 1916 to the 7th July 1916 and then home between the 8th July 1916 to the 25th Feb 1919.

In all likelihood then if he continued to serve with the Y & L he remained on garrison duty with the 3rd Battalion for the remainder of the war.

[Tim S]

Thanks everyone for your replies.

So, just to clarify. The 'Sunderland reinforcement camp' mentioned in the newspaper article is in fact the 3rd (reserve) Battalion base in Sunderland. Is that a correct assumption.

When he came back to England on the 7th of July 1916 with his 'blighty wound', it just says on his service docs that he was posted to a 'depot'. It doesn't mention which one, or any battalion. It doesn't mention any hospital either.

His documents mention that he has gun shot wounds in both forearms and shrapnel scars on right arm. I also know (from the newspaper article) that he had a bullet wound in his thigh. However, his service documents give no dates when he acquired any of these wounds (which led to him being issued with 4 wound stripes over his 20 month front line service) and no mention of any hospital stays. It is just my assumption that his last wounding was on the 1st July 1916 because that is how I have interpreted the information I have. 

His documents then go on to mention that on the 28th Aug 1916 (the day he went AWOL) he was posted to the 'Northern Command - Ripon - Depot'. It does not mention whether this was for just 1 day or for a longer period. I'm guessing he went absent just for a short period when he was on his way to the Ripon Depot.

Then the next entry are all noted alongside the 3rd (reserve) battalion.

1. On the 10th March 1917 to the 30th March 1917 period of absence from the 3rd Battalion.

2. In arrest awaiting trial from the 31st March 1917 to the 5th April 1917 at the 3rd battalion base.

3. 5th April 1917 - Trial by Regimental Court Martial - 28 days detention (I assume that this is also at the 3rd battalion base).  

[FROGSMILE]

52 minutes ago, Tim S said:

Thanks everyone for your replies.

So, just to clarify. The 'Sunderland reinforcement camp' mentioned in the newspaper article is in fact the 3rd (reserve) Battalion base in Sunderland. Is that a correct assumption.

When he came back to England on the 7th of July 1916 with his 'blighty wound', it just says on his service docs that he was posted to a 'depot'. It doesn't mention which one, or any battalion. It doesn't mention any hospital either.

His documents mention that he has gun shot wounds in both forearms and shrapnel scars on right arm. I also know (from the newspaper article) that he had a bullet wound in his thigh. However, his service documents give no dates when he acquired any of these wounds (which led to him being issued with 4 wound stripes over his 20 month front line service) and no mention of any hospital stays. It is just my assumption that his last wounding was on the 1st July 1916 because that is how I have interpreted the information I have. 

His documents then go on to mention that on the 28th Aug 1916 (the day he went AWOL) he was posted to the 'Northern Command - Ripon - Depot'. It does not mention whether this was for just 1 day or for a longer period. I'm guessing he went absent just for a short period when he was on his way to the Ripon Depot.

Then the next entry are all noted alongside the 3rd (reserve) battalion.

1. On the 10th March 1917 to the 30th March 1917 period of absence from the 3rd Battalion.

2. In arrest awaiting trial from the 31st March 1917 to the 5th April 1917 at the 3rd battalion base.

3. 5th April 1917 - Trial by Regimental Court Martial - 28 days detention (I assume that this is also at the 3rd battalion base).  

The “Northern Command Ripon depot” that you quote is most likely to be the Command Depot for that region**.  As mentioned by Ken above the Command Depots we’re convalescent depots where ex wounded and sick men were sent as the final stage of their recovery process.  It was the interface between medical care and reintegration into the rough and tumble of the military regime at regimental duty.  Men attended a medical board there which determined the fitness level they’d reached and whether they could be fed back into the line and in what precise fitness category.

**each regional command was established with its own Command Depot (Western, Northern, etc.), including Ireland and Scotland.  See: https://www.longlongtrail.co.uk/soldiers/a-soldiers-life-1914-1918/the-evacuation-chain-for-wounded-and-sick-soldiers/command-depots/

Edited 26 March , 2023 by FROGSMILE

[Tim S]

This is a brilliant forum. Since joining it about a year ago, I have had all my questions answer and additional information added, which I would never have known about.

Thanks everyone.

Tim

[charlie962]

2 hours ago, Tim S said:

his service documents give no dates when he acquired any of these wounds (which led to him being issued with 4 wound stripes over his 20 month front line service) and no mention of any hospital stays.

I've posted on your old thread

[kenf48]

In the original thread referred to above you posted a timeline

As noted the dates when he was posted to the Depot strength are the dates when he joined the casualty evacuation chain so therefore the dates of his wounding.  His final wound rendered him unfit for front-line duty and downgraded to fitness category B

Very confusing to create two threads for the same man you could at least have referenced it  but in answer to your question yes if he was treated at the Field Ambulance and returned to duty he would still be entitled to a wound stripe.

 

[Tim S]

3 hours ago, kenf48 said:

Very confusing to create two threads for the same man you could at least have referenced it

Hi Ken

Sorry about that. It's just the way my brain works! I thought that because it was a totally separate question, then I should start a totally separate thread. I wasn't expecting the question to go off in different directions.

If I have any more questions about Joseph De Silva Stewart I will continue on from one of these two threads and 'reference the 2nd thread. 

Question: I don't know how to link/reference one thread to the other. Can someone tell me how to do it.

Tim

[kenf48]

4 minutes ago, Tim S said:

Question: I don't know how to link/reference one thread to the other. Can someone tell me how to do it.

Just copy and paste the link from your Browser window.  e.g.

 

The editor in the reply box will ask if you want to post the link as it appears or as a link