Jane Hayward Posted 17 February Share Posted 17 February I have a couple of photos that belonged to my grandmother who was a nurse at Desford soldiers' convalescent home in Leicestershire. The photos show all of the wounded solders and staff, and she has written all of the soldiers' names and regiments on the back. There are no dates but they will be from 1917 or earlier as she moved in 1917. They're 'official' photos and the faces are very clear. I am wondering where I should post this info on the internet so that people who are researching their family history can find it? Any suggestions? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brianmorris547 Posted 17 February Share Posted 17 February Jane I am sure that there are lots of people on the GWF who would love to see them. Me for one. Brian Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jane Hayward Posted 17 February Author Share Posted 17 February (edited) Picture 1 Edited 23 February by Jane Hayward Replace pic for higher res Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jane Hayward Posted 17 February Author Share Posted 17 February (edited) Picture 2 Edited 23 February by Jane Hayward Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jane Hayward Posted 17 February Author Share Posted 17 February (edited) Picture 3 Edited 23 February by Jane Hayward Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jane Hayward Posted 17 February Author Share Posted 17 February Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brianmorris547 Posted 17 February Share Posted 17 February (edited) The big chap in the middle of the front row, six from the left as we look (with what looks like a RE cap badge) might be 12494 George Cooke. He has Service papers. He was a Reservist living in Canada at the outbreak of the war and was wounded, poss accidentally, in January 1915 serving with 11 Field Company. He did not go back out to France. I can not see any mention of Desford. This telegram is from his papers. He applied for assistance to return to Canada after the war. I am trying to identify the RE on the other photo EDIT: 54809 John Tilbury WO 2 Discharged to Commission 1917. Brian TNA/Ancestry WO 363 Edited 17 February by brianmorris547 additional info Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Admin Bob Davies Posted 17 February Admin Share Posted 17 February 6 hours ago, Jane Hayward said: I have a couple of photos that belonged to my grandmother who was a nurse at Desford soldiers' convalescent home in Leicestershire. The photos show all of the wounded solders and staff, and she has written all of the soldiers' names and regiments on the back. There are no dates but they will be from 1917 or earlier as she moved in 1917. They're 'official' photos and the faces are very clear. I am wondering where I should post this info on the internet so that people who are researching their family history can find it? Any suggestions? That is a fantastic picture Jane Hayward, thank you for sharing it here. The GWF is linked to google searches etc so this is a very good place to share it, people searching the web will be able to view it from here. I am thinking that the place in Desford is and to quote 'the long long trail' https://www.longlongtrail.co.uk/military-hospitals-in-leicestershire/ 'Desford Hall Auxiliary Hospital and Convalescent Home In use by early 1915. 66 beds by 1918.' For @brianmorris547 learned friend of maps, et al;https://maps.nls.uk/view/114594588 Screenshot courtesy of the above. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jane Hayward Posted 17 February Author Share Posted 17 February Yes, Bob, that is the right place. I emailed the local history group who didn't have any info about the war years. I sent them these pics so the info is there too. My grandfather was at Desford after he was wounded on the Somme - it's how he met my grandmother - but he's not in any of these photos unfortunately. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brianmorris547 Posted 18 February Share Posted 18 February Jane I think the photos are 1915. The two Royal Engineers from my previous post are not on my list of 1916 RE wounded taken from the Times Official Casualty Lists. My RE grandfather was also wounded on the Somme in 1916 and discharged in 1917. He spent some time in hospital. Thanks for posting. Brian Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jane Hayward Posted 18 February Author Share Posted 18 February Thanks, Brian. That's interesting. Then there are no 1916 group shots for some reason, just individual postcards from Belgian soldiers and a couple of pics of general activity. My grandfather was a gunner Edward W Hayward in the Royal Garrison Artillery. I know that he was earlier at Gallipoli, and I was told that everybody on his gun was killed except him at the Somme, and he was badly wounded. He was discharged in 1917. I see that the Times Official Casualty Lists are at the British Library, but how accurate a date would I need to find him? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brianmorris547 Posted 18 February Share Posted 18 February (edited) 10 hours ago, Bob Davies said: For @brianmorris547 learned friend of maps, et al;https://maps.nls.uk/view/114594588 Screenshot courtesy of the above. Bob I am a regular user of NLS Map Finder with Outlines. I was put out when oldmapsuk ended but the NLS old maps are great. Thanks Brian https://maps.nls.uk/geo/find/#zoom=5.0&lat=56.00000&lon=-4.00000&layers=102&b=1&z=0&point=0,0 Edited 18 February by brianmorris547 typo Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brianmorris547 Posted 18 February Share Posted 18 February (edited) 1 hour ago, Jane Hayward said: Thanks, Brian. That's interesting. Then there are no 1916 group shots for some reason, just individual postcards from Belgian soldiers and a couple of pics of general activity. My grandfather was a gunner Edward W Hayward in the Royal Garrison Artillery. I know that he was earlier at Gallipoli, and I was told that everybody on his gun was killed except him at the Somme, and he was badly wounded. He was discharged in 1917. I see that the Times Official Casualty Lists are at the British Library, but how accurate a date would I need to find him? Jane He was 29457 who disembarked in Egypt on 02/04/1915. The Medal Rolls show that he served in 90 Heavy Battery RGA. His Silver War Badge record shows that he was discharged on 25/04/1917. The is a War Diary for 90 Heavy Battery but it is for France from May 1917 (WO 95/325/2). I had a look in the Gallipoli War Diaries on Ancestry and under RGA - GHQ there is WO 95/4271 which includes 91 Heavy Battery. The WD of 91 HB on 12/08/1915 mentions that guns were removed to the HQ of 90 Heavy Battery as being the safest place for them. I could not find any WDs for 90 HB. I used to be able to access the Times Digital Library through Lancashire Libraries but they no longer subscribe. There is a good chance that he will be named in his local papers in 1915. Where did his next of kin live. He enlisted in 1908. Wounded stopped being named in the Times in June 1917 and there is an annoying hiatus until the War Office Casualty Lists (available on FMP) were published later in 1917. Brian Edited 18 February by brianmorris547 typo Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jane Hayward Posted 18 February Author Share Posted 18 February Brian, thank you so much, I'm very grateful. I had been looking at his medal rolls but hadn't realised it told me that he was in the 90 Heavy Battery or the date he left Egypt. I was off down the wrong path altogether. My grandpa was from Ipswich and his father was Andrew Hayward, mother Louisa. He joined the army young to learn tailoring, I think. I know he was an army tailor; there was a book of uniform designs at one time. And I know he was at four major battles. My dad used to list them but I can't remember which infuriatingly. I see you are from Blackpool; he lived there in late retirement - at the Blesma Home for a while, and we used to visit him there during the Illuminations when I was small. Memories of people hanging on to lampposts in the wind! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
charlie962 Posted 18 February Share Posted 18 February 2 hours ago, brianmorris547 said: think the photos are 1915. A quick check shows a number (not all) of these men appearing in the Times lists published June 1915. Actual wounding probably May 1915 but then allow for a delay down the evacuation chain for them to be in a UK hospital. It would explain why Hayward is not in the photo, particularly if in Egypt /Gallipoli at that time. 1 hour ago, Jane Hayward said: My grandfather was a gunner Edward W Hayward in the Royal Garrison Artillery. I know that he was earlier at Gallipoli, and I was told that everybody on his gun was killed except him at the Somme, and he was badly wounded. Jane, a rare named photo which may prove of great interest to descendants! Thanks for sharing. Your GF appeared as wounded in the Times list published 5/9/16, which would suggest actual wounding about a month earlier. Charlie Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
charlie962 Posted 18 February Share Posted 18 February 18 hours ago, Jane Hayward said: am wondering where I should post this info on the internet so that people who are researching their family history can find it? Any suggestions? It would be good for 'someone' to list the names and numbers and post that on this thread. A Google search by a descendant will pick this up. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jane Hayward Posted 18 February Author Share Posted 18 February Charlie, thank you so much, I really appreciate that information. I'm so glad I posted these photos. It was only in trying to research Desford recently that I realised my grandma's photos had information that wasn't available elsewhere. I hadn't seen the names were on the reverse until I took them out of the album for a closer look. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jane Hayward Posted 18 February Author Share Posted 18 February 7 minutes ago, charlie962 said: It would be good for 'someone' to list the names and numbers and post that on this thread. A Google search by a descendant will pick this up. I am happy to do this but would make mistakes on the info initially, I think. Open to suggestions on how best to be helpful. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
charlie962 Posted 18 February Share Posted 18 February (edited) Jane, can I suggest that this particular thread remains dedicated to your photo and the men therein. It would be worth you starting a new thread for your grandfather where, should you wish, members can chip in with their expertise on reconstructing his military career? Charlie (I'm taking it your GF was a prewar regular and serving in India when war broke out in Europe?) Edited 18 February by charlie962 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FROGSMILE Posted 18 February Share Posted 18 February (edited) 23 minutes ago, charlie962 said: It would be good for 'someone' to list the names and numbers and post that on this thread. A Google search by a descendant will pick this up. I was going to suggest same charlie and I think you’re absolutely right that if each soldier’s name is mentioned, ideally perhaps in individual posts, along with any known details such as regiment and serial number where they’re annotated, it will make internet searches by family members productive. Can I suggest a first step of numbering each man on the photo by anyone clever at adding such labels. Then hopefully it will make linking name to face easier. Edited 18 February by FROGSMILE Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jane Hayward Posted 18 February Author Share Posted 18 February 14 minutes ago, charlie962 said: Jane, can I suggest that this particular thread remains dedicated to your photo and the men therein. It would be worth you starting a new thread for your grandfather where, should you wish, members can chip in with their expertise on reconstructing his military career? Charlie (I'm taking it your GF was a prewar regular and serving in India when war broke out in Europe?) He was a regular, yes. But the idea of India would be completely new information and very interesting. I don't know any more than I've set down already. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TEW Posted 18 February Share Posted 18 February Quote snipped for brevity. 48 minutes ago, charlie962 said: A quick check shows a number (not all) of these men appearing in the Times lists published June 1915. Actual wounding probably May 1915 but then allow for a delay down the evacuation chain for them to be in a UK hospital. Charlie Just to add that there seem to be vast amounts of correction lists in early 1915 with many untraceable men. The delay for a June 1915 publication date could have a much longer time frame. I would also suspect that quite a few men could go though the wounded, evacuated, treated and returned to unit without being traced and therefore not published. I was looking last night at the annotations and trying to match up the rear details with the images, I assume the gaps are where the staff are sitting? My cap badge ID is not up to the task! TEW Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jane Hayward Posted 18 February Author Share Posted 18 February Yes, TEW, the gaps are where the staff are. There's no info for them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
charlie962 Posted 18 February Share Posted 18 February 3 hours ago, Jane Hayward said: He was a regular, yes. But the idea of India would be completely new information and very interesting. I don't know any more than I've set down already. When was he born? Perhaps c 1890? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jane Hayward Posted 18 February Author Share Posted 18 February 10 minutes ago, charlie962 said: When was he born? Perhaps c 1890? Yes, exactly. 1890 in Ipswich. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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