Private Reginald V Norsworthy. RAMC

[charlie962]

Because of your photo, which you said was dated April 1917, I am tending towards your gf being in France with 25 Field Ambulance from Nov 1914 until at least end of 1915 and perhaps even 1916 but not thereafter. We have nothing more to go on except that if he had been evacuated for wounds or illness he would perhaps have been posted to a RAMC Depot rather the No2 Company. 

The great thing is that you will get the answer when eventually MoD cough up his service record. I shall be very interested to see how far out are my suppositions, (for that is what they are). Do please post back here when you get them.

The fact that he qualified for the 1914 Star with clasp means that he was within range of the German guns in 1914. The war diary gives good statistics on casualties treated but not much mention that I saw of their own personnel. If you understand the position of a Field Ambulance in the evacuation chain (see the LongLongTrail)

https://www.longlongtrail.co.uk/soldiers/a-soldiers-life-1914-1918/the-evacuation-chain-for-wounded-and-sick-soldiers/

then you will appreciate that they were not far from the fighting line.

Charlie

 

Edited 16 January by charlie962

[Terence Norsworthy]

Cheers Charlie, your a legend. Fingers crossed his service record will clear up ,where and when the old chap had been with the 25th. I had always understood, but only verbally,  that he was at the Somme and Passchendaele. This is potentially misleading, only being passed down from family members. We do know he suffered a gas attack and was potentially wounded by shrapnel, he walked hunched over in his later years,let's hope he didn't carry it around with him.😀 The best news was that he made it back to start a family ,otherwise myself and a lot of other family members wouldn't be here.I will let you know what his records dig up.

Thanks once again for all your help. Amazing 👏 

Terry

[charlie962]

Western Times 27/5/15 via Findmypast newspapers.

Sick? From what? Did it require evacuation?

[charlie962]

Sick. I've checked for records of a couple of others on that list. 

Burke remained in France.

Boynton had been admitted to hospital for a sprained foot. I think he remained in France.

Cullip had a bout of measles. Remained in France

Edited 17 January by charlie962

[TEW]

Not seeing him in the official lists for May 1915 or any other time.

Odd that The Western Times somehow accessed a list of 'sick'. I'm not aware of any lists being produced of sick.

I suspect someone at WT had contact with the Exeter record office. In which case his B103 would be marked as such.

TEW

 

[Terence Norsworthy]

Wow cheers Charlie, you're detective skills are awesome, who knows what sick implied, very intriguing it could be almost anything. He made it back ,so couldn't have been that bad. Unfortunately I inherited grandads large ears , an endearing family trait.

Great work Charlie , it must be very satisfying delving into all these records and uncovering the past. I have applied to the MOD is it worth me trying the national archives as well?

Cheers Terry