Wounded solders at Desford

[Jane Hayward]

I also found this most interesting article about an absentee from Desford caught by a local policeman. At first I hoped it might be the unnamed No93 in Photo 2. But Josiah Corfield's records show he was 19 and 5ft 2 so I don't think it's a match. He might help with the date of Photo 2 by not appearing in the photograph but the info is confusing to me. The article says that he had been staying at Desford for a fortnight after arriving back in England wounded from France - but also that he had been there since 2 August. His service record says he had a severe gunshot wound to the neck, received on 7 July 1915. The statement of services says W 11 7 15 so that might be the date he came back to England. And the record of his offence & punishment says he absconded on 3 August.

Edited 21 March by Jane Hayward

[TEW]

Corfield's file is the first one I've seen that actually mentions Desford.

I'd say wounded 7th July, returned to UK 11th July.

Severe GSW to the neck but up and about absconding less than month after the injury.

TEW 

[Jane Hayward]

My trawling of records for Leicester hospital admissions brought up No 127 Cox finally. I still don't see any military records for him, so could this have happened during training? Would he not have some sort of record still? The only Bernard George Cox born around 1894 I can find on Ancestry is from Daventry, Northants, so the right area, and happily he lived til old age. 

Edited 21 March by Jane Hayward

[Bob Davies]

3 hours ago, Jane Hayward said:

My trawling of records for Leicester hospital admissions brought up No 127 Cox finally. I still don't see any military records for him, so could this have happened during training? Would he not have some sort of record still? The only Bernard George Cox born around 1894 I can find on Ancestry is from Daventry, Northants, so the right area, and happily he lived til old age. 

That is a fantastic find Jane, well played for your tenacity in looking for these people.

I cannot say how impressed and happy that you have found him.

4436 Hubbard Leicesters, I think you have already, via Dink but Smith and 5332 poss 5352 Sgt Burrows, both Leicesters are still eluding me.

[Jane Hayward]

Thank you, Brian, very much appreciated. There are some pretty inspirational people on this forum . I don't think I've ever learned so much so fast. 

[TEW]

13 hours ago, Jane Hayward said:

My trawling of records for Leicester hospital admissions brought up No 127 Cox finally. I still don't see any military records for him, so could this have happened during training? Would he not have some sort of record still? The only Bernard George Cox born around 1894 I can find on Ancestry is from Daventry, Northants, so the right area, and happily he lived til old age. 

The term Base Hospital should really apply to a theatre of war and not in the UK.

I've found nothing for Cox at all apart from finding a Harold Cox with the same number.

I wonder what happened to Desford Cox. If he was discharged he could have been conscripted later.

TEW

 

[Jane Hayward]

47 minutes ago, TEW said:

The term Base Hospital should really apply to a theatre of war and not in the UK.

I've found nothing for Cox at all apart from finding a Harold Cox with the same number.

I wonder what happened to Desford Cox. If he was discharged he could have been conscripted later.

TEW

 

I did a search for that last night because I didn't understand it and it seems to just be referring to the 5th Northern hospital, so perhaps it's the day he was admitted.

https://www.longlongtrail.co.uk/military-hospitals-in-leicestershire/#:~:text=City of Leicester and surrounding districts&text=A unit of the Territorial,the war to 1%2C748 beds.

[Bob Davies]

@Jane Hayward Sometimes I find in this type of searching, a suggestion by someone else, no matter how off the mark it may be will help others find the correct person.

Ergo, I have been looking at two Smiths to fit with Peters numbering system 145 '4073 Smith Leicesters'.

4073 Smith ....................................................................................

4034 Smith Percy Leicestershire Regiment KIA 22-4-1916. Entry into France 28-10-1915.

4270 Smith Robert Leicestershire Regiment.

There are 1000 plus Smiths on the National Archives associated with the Leicesters.

If you haven't come across this site yet here is a link to it.

It is run by forum member @garfyboy

https://www.ww1leicestertigers.com/leicester-links

Regards, Bob.

[Jane Hayward]

Bob, I've just looked through the National Archives' Leicester hospital records for every Smith admitted in 1915 and can't see anybody with anything like those numbers. It's so difficult! It's really true what you say about people's suggestions - it was when someone remarked that Desford didn't seem to appear in soldiers' records that I started looking at other hospitals instead. I found one of the soldiers in a Sheffield hospital yesterday, unexpectedly. Thanks for the link, too.

[PRC]

Mini-summary

Picture 2 is currently believed to date to June/July 1915.  It includes 47 individuals made up of 5 staff, 3 civilians\Belgians and 39 patients. The piece on the trip to Enderby Hall mentions that some of the inmates were too ill to travel, throwing up the possibility that there may have been some patients then at Desford who were too ill to come down for the picture.

Friday 6^th August 1915 (most likely). A treat for wounded soldiers by the employees of Messers A.V. Hipcroft & Co, Earl Shilton, was attended by 17 (unnamed) soldiers from Desford.

Thursday 19^th August 1915 (most likely). A charbanc trip to Leamington – numbers from Desford not known.

Saturday 21^st August 1915 (most likely). 14 out of 17 “wounded” residents were able to go on a trip to Enderby Hall. Thirteen individuals named.
One, Sergeant Everett, 1st Leicesters gave the vote of thanks. He appears on both pictures 2 and 3, but not pictures 5 and 8.
One, Private Dalby, 10^th Hussars, appears on picture 2 as well as 5 and 8. He is known to have been admitted Desford 11^th June 1915 and transferred back to the Leicester Hospital for an operation 3^rd September 1915.
Another, Private Dale, 23rd London Regt., appears on picture 2 but not pictures 5 and 8.
Two individuals, Sergt. H. Empringham, 1st Hants Regt. and Private Lear, 1st Cheshire Regt. are on picture 3 and are both believed to be on pictures 5 and 8. Lear was transferred to Desford on the 2^nd August 1915.
That leaves 10 patients on pictures 5 and 8 who are not believed to appear in either picture 2 or picture 3.

Picture 3 is currently believed to have been taken in September 1915. It contains 51 individuals -  6 staff and 45 patients.

Pictures 5 & 8 are therefore looking likely to fall in the period between pictures 2 & 3. Whether they were taken in connection with the visit to A.V. Hipcroft & Co, Leamington or Enderby Hall, another visit altogether, or have nothing to do with any trip, we just don’t know.

Cheers,
Peter

[Jane Hayward]

Peter, I am reading through all the newspaper articles on outings from Desford over that period, and will do a list of all the numbers of soldiers mentioned.

One small thing has caught my attention. @FROGSMILE said there were clues in what people are wearing, and I think I can see in pics 3 and 8 that No 166 is wearing a red rose. In a 5 July article in the Leicester Evening Mail, about the 2nd outing organised by the Leicester and Leicestershire Automobile Club on Saturday 3 July, the journalist talks about gifts being thrown into the cars as they drove through villages, and details "22 packets of cigarettes, five cigars, two bars of chocolate, a banana, an orange and a bright red rose". So this could be a 'trophy' from one of those outings.

Just to throw another name in the pot, I've come across an article from the Gloucestershire Echo, 27 July 1915, which mentions a Private Arthur Barry (9th London Regiment) currently at Desford Convalescent Home near Leicester, who has sent a postcard thanking the newspaper for a gift. 

 

[PRC]

6 minutes ago, Jane Hayward said:

 I've come across an article from the Gloucestershire Echo, 27 July 1915, which mentions a Private Arthur Barry (9th London Regiment) currently at Desford Convalescent Home near Leicester, who has sent a postcard thanking the newspaper for a gift. 

There is a MiC for a 1909 Private Arthur Percival Barry who went out to France with the 1/9th Battalion, London Regiment, landing on the 4th November 1914. He was subsequently commissioned and by February 1917 was graded as a 1st Class Staff Lieutenant and attached to the Censor Department at the War Office. The back of his MiC on Ancestry is one of their template blanks so no further information can be gleaned there.

Unfortunately other ranks papers will most likely be in with his Officers records - but I'm not spotting anything in the National Archive catalogue. He may have continued to serve, if only in the Territorial Force, post 1920.

The 9th Battalions of the London Regiment were the Queen Victoria's Rifles. I can't see the whole item but this may relate to the same man.

Image courtesy The British Newspaper Archive.

The same piece looks like it appears on BNA in the edition of The Cheltenham Chronicle dated 15 May 1915. Looks like there was a another letter home to his father in February 1915 that was reported in those local newspapers. There is also this, from after what I suspect is the same mans' commissioning.

Image courtesy The British Newspaper Archive.

Not finding him so far in the contemporary casualty lists, but search terms like "London", "1909", "Barry" turn up an awful lot of matches. And with Google the existance of a famous \ infamous British Army Officer, Arthur Percival, rather hogs the search returns and image matches. Hopefully there will be more in the fuller articles that will open up additional search lines.

Cheers,
Peter

[Jane Hayward]

Interesting letter:

[Jane Hayward]

I had some luck in reading up on the hospital trains that arrived in erratic bursts at Leicester's Midland Station. I discovered that sometimes an official list of all the soldiers on board was printed in local newspapers - not all, though and late August is unfortunately sparse. However, I was able to find a few Desford men, including the elusive 140 Constantine, 1220 Liverpool, and confirm that 139 Brant, RAMC was there. I've added them on page 9.

I found two Shaws, West Riding: J Shaw 3660, arrived 6 September, and F Shaw, 2975. reported 10 September. There were a LOT of Shaws on the trains so there may well be other unlisted candidates.

Re 126 Williams,1st Buffs,  I think this man is potentially him - his age, injury with arm bandaged up underneath his jacket and the way he holds himself all look right.

126 Thomas Williams (Pte), L/7084, 1st East Kents. Williams, a Margate man in his early 30s, was a Buffs reservist who'd been part of an expeditionary force to South Africa in 1907 and spent four years as an officer's servant and waiter. He disembarked in France on 7 September 1914, and was recorded as "severely wounded" arriving on a hospital train at Leicester's Midland Station on 14 August 1915 (Official List in Leicester Evening Mail, Monday 16 August). His service records show that he had suffered a severe gunshot wound to the left shoulder. After recovery, Williams continued with the Buffs, spending time in Hong Kong in 1917 

 

Edited 25 March by Jane Hayward

[PRC]

On 29/02/2024 at 13:20, Jane Hayward said:

57 Westley Russell Cooper (Pte), 2839, 6th London Regiment (also 147870 Machine Gun Corp). Arrived in France on 17 March 1915. Disembodied 12 May 1918.

The 1/6th Battalion landed in France on the 18th March 1915, so Westley deployed overseas with his Battalion. MiC shows Discharged, not Disembodied.
No obvious candidate in the Official Casualty Lists.

On 29/02/2024 at 13:20, Jane Hayward said:

58 Charles Linton (Pte), 8975, 3rd and 4th King's Royal Rifle Corps (transferred to Labour Corps as 448673. First disembarked in France on 20 December 1914. (medal index also mentions DIV 3A 22382). In the Labour Corps until 11 April 1919? Discharged 10 August 1920. 

FindMy Past has Medical Admission Registers for 1915 and 1918 for a C. Linton, 8975, King’s Royal Rifle Corps.
 
It’s written rather elaborately on the MiC but looks like he was discharged to Class Z Reserve on the 11th April 1919 from the Labour Corps – hopefully the medal rolls have been typed up and that should make it clearer.

The Div3A 22.3.82 I believe relates to some sort of query in March 1982 and is not a service number.

While checking out whether he appears in the Official Casualty List I couldn’t help but notice an entry in the edition of the Leicester Daily Post dated 12th May 1915. I don’t know if someome with fuller access to the British Newspaper Archive can check out if that is a list of admissions to the hospital in Leicester.

Image courtesy The British Newspaper Archive.

I’m not readily spotting him in the Official Casualty Lists printed in The Times in April and May 1915.

On 29/02/2024 at 13:20, Jane Hayward said:

59 Hubert Bowen (Pte), 9567, King's Royal Rifle Corps. CL date of June 1915. Bowen entered France with the 4th Battalion on 20/26 December 1914 and appears on a casualty list in June 1915.

FMP has a Medical Admission Register entry for H. Bowen dating from 1915 and another one from the same year they have indexed as J.H. Bowen.

He appears in the Official Casualty List printed in the edition of The Times dated June 7^th 1915 amongst the wounded of the 4^th Battalion, K.R.R.C. In the same section of the list, (“under date May 20”), the 4^th Battalion men recorded as killed are:-
1205 Company Sergeant Major G. Bentley. CWGC as died 8^th May 1915, commemorated Ypres (Menin Gate) Memorial.
4309 Company Sergeant Major J. Berridge. CWGC as died 10^th May 1915, commemorated Ypres (Menin Gate) Memorial.
10791 Private F. Bloodworth. CWGC as died 8^th May 1915, commemorated Ypres (Menin Gate) Memorial.
914 Private E. Boswell. CWGC as died 8^th May 1915, commemorated Ypres (Menin Gate) Memorial.
1186 Private S. Broughton. CWGC as died 8^th May 1915, commemorated Ypres (Menin Gate) Memorial.
8434 Bugler L. Burnham. CWGC as died 8^th May 1915, commemorated Ypres (Menin Gate) Memorial.
1346 Private J. Cain. ????
10201 Private T. Cairness. ????
8223 Private P. Carroll. CWGC as died 8^th May 1915, commemorated Ypres (Menin Gate) Memorial.
585 Private F. Checkley. CWGC as died 8^th May 1915, commemorated Ypres (Menin Gate) Memorial.
2799 Acting Corporal T. Clarke. CWGC as died 10^th May 1915, commemorated Ypres (Menin Gate) Memorial.
9613 Private T. Cooper. CWGC as died 7^th May 1915, commemorated Ypres (Menin Gate) Memorial.
11568 Lance-Corporal T. Cooper.Poss R/568 Rifleman Thomas Frank Cooper. CWGC as died 8^th May 1915, commemorated Ypres (Menin Gate) Memorial.
4552 Private J. Danton. CWGC as died 8^th May 1915, commemorated Ypres (Menin Gate) Memorial.
635 Lance-Corporal T. Edwards. CWGC as died 8^th May 1915, commemorated Ypres (Menin Gate) Memorial.
9238 Lance-Corporal R. Ettery. CWGC as died 10^th May 1915, commemorated Ypres (Menin Gate) Memorial.
6813 Private T. Graham. CWGC as died 8^th May 1915, commemorated Ypres (Menin Gate) Memorial.
5661 Private H. Grizzell. CWGC as died 8^th May 1915, commemorated Ypres (Menin Gate) Memorial.
7803 Private J. Hill. ????
10477 Private F. Hitchins. CWGC as died 8^th May 1915, commemorated Ypres (Menin Gate) Memorial.
9767 Private J. Hoole. CWGC as died 9^th May 1915, commemorated Ypres (Menin Gate) Memorial.
7845 Sergeant G. Horne CWGC as died 8^th May 1915, commemorated Ypres (Menin Gate) Memorial.
5646 Private R. Johnson. CWGC as died 8^th May 1915, commemorated Ypres (Menin Gate) Memorial.
9156 Private C. Lewis. CWGC as died 9^th May 1915, commemorated Ypres (Menin Gate) Memorial.
8489 Private H. Lewis. CWGC as died 8^th May 1915, commemorated Ypres (Menin Gate) Memorial.
211 Private B. Ling. CWGC as died 10^th May 1915, commemorated Ypres (Menin Gate) Memorial.
10737 Private F. Long. CWGC as William Long. Recovered from the battlefield in 1921 and identified from disc. Died 8^th May 1915.
9060 Corporal T. Long. CWGC as died 9^th May 1915, commemorated Ypres (Menin Gate) Memorial.
7200 Bandsman J. Matthews. CWGC as died 8^th May 1915, commemorated Ypres (Menin Gate) Memorial.
8169 Private J. Mead. CWGC as died 8^th May 1915, commemorated Ypres (Menin Gate) Memorial.
11651 Private W. Miles. – a Rifleman 11661 William Miles is recorded as having died serving with the 2^nd Battalion on the 8^th May 1915 and is commeorated on the Le Touret Memorial.
9490 Lance-Corporal C. Nicholls. CWGC as died 10^th May 1915, commemorated Ypres (Menin Gate) Memorial.
8587 Private R. Nolan. CWGC as died 8^th May 1915, commemorated Ypres (Menin Gate) Memorial.
803 Private W. Osment. CWGC as died 8^th May 1915, commemorated Ypres (Menin Gate) Memorial.
10162 Private A. Parman. CWGC as died 10^th May 1915, commemorated Ypres (Menin Gate) Memorial.
10454 Private G. Porter. CWGC as died 8^th May 1915, commemorated Ypres (Menin Gate) Memorial.
8987 Acting Corporal W. Reid. CWGC as died 10^th May 1915, commemorated Ypres (Menin Gate) Memorial.
3576 Private J. Roberts. CWGC as died 8^th May 1915, commemorated Ypres (Menin Gate) Memorial.
8041 Private T. Roberts. CWGC as 8141, died 8^th May 1915, commemorated Ypres (Menin Gate) Memorial.
9654 Private J. Robson. CWGC as died 10^th May 1915, commemorated Ypres (Menin Gate) Memorial.
9976 Sergeant A. Shute. CWGC as died 8^th May 1915, commemorated Ypres (Menin Gate) Memorial.
10097 Private F. Smith. CWGC as died 8^th May 1915, commemorated Ypres (Menin Gate) Memorial.
11403 Private A. Stevenson. CWGC as died 10^th May 1915, commemorated Ypres (Menin Gate) Memorial.
10172 Private R. Taylor. CWGC as died 8^th May 1915, commemorated Ypres (Menin Gate) Memorial.
11582 Private F. Tickridge. CWGC as died 8^th May 1915, commemorated Ypres (Menin Gate) Memorial.
10443 Private A. Tuck. CWGC as died 10^th May 1915, commemorated Ypres (Menin Gate) Memorial.
6789 Acting Sergeant O. Valerio. CWGC as died 8^th May 1915, commemorated Ypres (Menin Gate) Memorial.
791 Private S. Wadham. CWGC as died 10^th May 1915, commemorated Ypres (Menin Gate) Memorial.
9091 Private J. Walker. CWGC as died 10^th May 1915, commemorated Ypres (Menin Gate) Memorial.
8425 Private C. Ward. CWGC as died 8^th May 1915, commemorated Ypres (Menin Gate) Memorial.
6702 Private E. Warren. CWGC as died 8^th May 1915, commemorated Ypres (Menin Gate) Memorial.
7102 Private C. Weston. CWGC as died 8^th May 1915, commemorated Ypres (Menin Gate) Memorial.
7078 Private E. Williams. CWGC as died 8^th May 1915, commemorated Ypres (Menin Gate) Memorial.
9667 Lance-Corporal B. Williamson. CWGC as died 8^th May 1915, commemorated Ypres (Menin Gate) Memorial.
10191 Private A, Wilson. CWGC as died 8^th May 1915, commemorated Ypres (Menin Gate) Memorial.
10176 Private G. Wilson. CWGC as died 8^th May 1915, commemorated Ypres (Menin Gate) Memorial.

CWGC lists 2 fatalities of the Battalion on the 7^th, 52 on the 8^th, 23 on the 9^th and 59 on the 10^th.

The 4^th Battalion, King’s Royal Rifle Corps, were part of 8^th Infantry Brigade, 27^th Division, at that time. The Division was involve in the Battle of Frezenberg, (8-13 May), itself part of the wider Second Battle of Ypres.

On 29/02/2024 at 13:20, Jane Hayward said:

63 Hugh Crae McKail (Sergt), 1165, Highland Light Infantry (also or rather 1166 9th Highland Light Infantry and 5th Highland Light Infantry 330037). Qualifying date for 1914 Star: 5 November 1914

FMP are two showing two records, probably one pagers, for an “H. McKeil”, 1165 Highland Light Infantry. Nothing under 1166. MiC is noted correct service number is 1166.

The 1/9^th Battalion landed in France on the 5^th November 1914, so Hugh deployed overseas with his unit.

Nothing obvious in the Official Casualty List.

On 29/02/2024 at 13:20, Jane Hayward said:

69 Ernest Gordon Wright (Sgt) 7525, 2nd Battalion, Devonshire Regiment. Wright arrived in France on 6 November 1914. He was commissioned to the Buffs - East Kent Regiment - on 13 August 1918. 

Spotted in search results on the British Newspaper Archive website.
7525 Sergt E. Wright – casualty list Western Times 26 March 1915.
7525 Sergt E. Wright severely wounded  - casualty list Western Times 24 May 1915 and 25 May 1915 and 28 May 1915.

I’m not however turning him up in the Official Casualty List printed in The Times.

Cheers,
Peter

[Jane Hayward]

Thank you very much for Linton et al, Peter - I had not found Linton's shrapnel in the chest op or on the train at all previously. I see him on the list you highlighted now.  I'm not seeing everyone you mention & McNeil is only a possible because the number is all over the shop is right. Several of the Leicester newspapers publish Official Lists of those arriving on hospital trains though not consistently. This is who I have so far:

11 May (2 overnight trains). Ist train: 60 Dale, 74 Scott, 80 Warren/Percy, 79 Poland. 2nd train: 91 Budd, 53 Haynes, 53 Dickens, 58 Linton. 69 Wright is on one of them I'm sure, but I didn't mark which so will have to read again .

13 May: Hammersley, 71 Cohen, 54 Murray, 76 Pocock.

16 May: 84 Ross.

19 May: 72 Owen, 77 Burnell/Barnell, 87 McNeil.

19 May: 88 Radford.

27 May: 86 Goodbrand, 56 Main 63 McKail, 57 Cooper.

28 May: 94 Beevers/Beavers, 90 Westacott, 89 Wate.

5 June: 146 Lear, 121 McAuley.

21 June: 128 Budge.

1 July: 47 Mitchell, 144 Hallum

9 July: 112 Bidgood.

11 July: 15 Busby, 131 Empringham, 101 possible J Shaw.

14 August: 150 Lovatt, 126 Williams, 100 Bignall.

20 August: 147 Toon/Toone, 113 Calder, 139 Brant, 120 Barnes.

6  September 148 Terry, 106 Pennington.

7 September: 140 Constantine, 107 Pendleton, 101 possible F Shaw.

 

The number of May arrivals given in late May reports seem to match more or less with the figures on all of the lists so if the soldiers arrive in May they're there for the finding. I'm not sure about June onwards yet. In October things seem to change. I'm not seeing lists and one journalist says he is not allowed to approach the soldiers whereas previously there had been lots of anecdotes and details.

 

 

Edited 2 April by Jane Hayward
69 Wright. 2nd edit: added 1 July

[Jane Hayward]

28 May  89 Wate on the hospital train recorded as sick with gas - I'll edit him in above. Underneath they've created a special category for one unfortunate man called Sick From A Kick, which I haven't seen before & don't like the sound of.

[MaureenE]

3 hours ago, Jane Hayward said:

 Underneath they've created a special category for one unfortunate man called Sick From A Kick, which I haven't seen before & don't like the sound of.

Possibly from a horse or mule.

[Jane Hayward]

87 McNEIL, 1360, HD. Highland Division

The Leicester Evening Mail dated Thursday 20 May 1915 shows 1560 [it does look like it could be 1560 on the pic] Pte R McNeil, 4th Cam Highlanders as “slightly wounded” on the official list of soldiers who’d arrived in Leicester the previous night on a Great Northern Railway hospital train from Dover.

Is this him? Is my Google right and the Cameron Highlanders were part of the 51st Highland Division in 1915?

[PRC]

1 hour ago, Jane Hayward said:

Is my Google right and the Cameron Highlanders were part of the 51st Highland Division in 1915?

Stick to the Long, Long Trail - Google is a fickle mistress

1/4th Battalion
August 1914 : at Inverness. Part of Seaforth & Cameron Brigade in the Highland Division. Moved to Bedford
20 February 1915 : left the Division and landed at Le Havre, and three days later joined 24th Brigade in 8th Division on the Western Front.
8 April 1915 : transferred to 21st Brigade in 7th Division.
20 December 1915 : transferred to 91st Brigade in same Division.
7 January 1916 : transferred to 154th Brigade in 51st (Highland) Division.
28 February 1916 : left the Division, moved to base and was disbanded. It is known that more than 200 of the 1/4th Battalion men were physically sent to join the 1st Entrenching Battalion, a collection of men of mixed regiments that was used to provide manual labour behind the lines, before the establishment of the Labour Corps in 1917. At later dates it also send drafts to 19 Infantry Base Depot. Just over 100 remained as a “Base” and September 1916 appear to have been at Camp BB at Etaples. It appears to have been disbanded in February 1917.
https://www.longlongtrail.co.uk/army/regiments-and-corps/the-british-infantry-regiments-of-1914-1918/queens-own-cameron-highlanders/

The 7th Division were involved in the The Battle of Festubert, 15-25 May 1915.
http://www.longlongtrail.co.uk/army/order-of-battle-of-divisions/7th-division/

https://www.longlongtrail.co.uk/battles/battles-of-the-western-front-in-france-and-flanders/the-battle-of-festubert/

Cheers,
Peter

[Bob Davies]

5 hours ago, PRC said:

Stick to the Long, Long Trail - Google is a fickle mistress

1/4th Battalion
August 1914 : at Inverness. Part of Seaforth & Cameron Brigade in the Highland Division. Moved to Bedford
20 February 1915 : left the Division and landed at Le Havre, and three days later joined 24th Brigade in 8th Division on the Western Front.
8 April 1915 : transferred to 21st Brigade in 7th Division.
20 December 1915 : transferred to 91st Brigade in same Division.
7 January 1916 : transferred to 154th Brigade in 51st (Highland) Division.
28 February 1916 : left the Division, moved to base and was disbanded. It is known that more than 200 of the 1/4th Battalion men were physically sent to join the 1st Entrenching Battalion, a collection of men of mixed regiments that was used to provide manual labour behind the lines, before the establishment of the Labour Corps in 1917. At later dates it also send drafts to 19 Infantry Base Depot. Just over 100 remained as a “Base” and September 1916 appear to have been at Camp BB at Etaples. It appears to have been disbanded in February 1917.
https://www.longlongtrail.co.uk/army/regiments-and-corps/the-british-infantry-regiments-of-1914-1918/queens-own-cameron-highlanders/

The 7th Division were involved in the The Battle of Festubert, 15-25 May 1915.
http://www.longlongtrail.co.uk/army/order-of-battle-of-divisions/7th-division/

https://www.longlongtrail.co.uk/battles/battles-of-the-western-front-in-france-and-flanders/the-battle-of-festubert/

Cheers,
Peter

I concur with your thoughts Peter,

their  WD is here  https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C7352426 and at first glance tells the same story.

The hand writing is a little scrawling in parts but it matches what The LLT reports.

1916 Mar - 1917 Feb (General HQ Troops) is here, I have not looked at it yet.

https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/fef198a1d5044c848a8f30dcf9c6fbb2

Regards, Bob.

[Bob Davies]

I will throw this into the pile for the 4th Cameron Highlanders,

https://www.academia.edu/6313213/A_Cameron_can_never_yield_the_4th_Cameron_Highlanders_at_Festubert_16_18_May_1915

academia.edu can show up some interesting articles.

This article is free to view and read but others one has to pay for.

Also beware your email may get swamped with suggestions of what to read, however sometimes it is worthwhile.

Regards, Bob.

 

 

[Jane Hayward]

Thank you both of you. Reading those links, McNeil sounds like he got off lightly. The article attached to the list says 'The trains which had belonged to the Great Northern Railway, and had come from Dover, backed smoothly into the sidings a few minutes after 10 o'clock, and a full complement of VAD men and nurses was in waiting with hot coffee, sandwiches, biscuits, chocolates, and cigarettes for the bandaged "Tommies".

'Happily there were no cot cases; all the men were able to walk, and they seemed mostly only to be slightly injured. They were a delightful mixture. the Scotsman's mellifluous tongue could be heard comparing notes with one of the Hibernian ilk....'

Edited 30 March by Jane Hayward

[Jane Hayward]

20 hours ago, MaureenE said:

Possibly from a horse or mule.

Ouch. Poor Pte J Jones 5402 of the 2nd Canadian Royal Engineers.

[Jane Hayward]

72288 Pte C Mitchell [sic] was reported as “severely wounded” arriving on a No4 Hospital train from Dover at Midland Station just before midnight on 1 July 1915 in the Leicester Evening Mail, Friday 2 July 1915 issue. Most soldiers had come direct from the Canadian Hospital at Etaples where they had been under treatment for several days, and all were taken to “comfortable beds in the new wards at the 5th Northern General Hospital".