Guest Mark H Posted 22 July , 2003 Share Posted 22 July , 2003 Geoffey Seldon Arnold-Wallinger died at the Aylesbury Military Hospital, on Sept 24 1916. He was injured in an accident during training with the Inns of Court OTC. The accident may have happened at the training ground in Berkhampatead Hertfordshire. If anyone can help either with information about the Aylsebury Military Hospital or the Inns of Court, I would be very grateful. My research is all connected with a book that l am putting together, Geoffrey S. Arnold-Wallinger is a former Rev at St Georges School in Harpenden Hertfordshire. He is one of 21 men from that school, who fought and died in the great war . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Charles Fair Posted 23 July , 2003 Share Posted 23 July , 2003 Mark, I have an interest in the Inns of Court OTC at Berkhamsted (known as Berko), having spent my first 23 years based there. They dug about 15,000 yards of trenches on the Common, most of which were filled in after the war, but some still survive today (at least they did when I was there in the early 80s). There are a couple of histories of the Inns of Court which cover this period. There is a War Memorial to the I of C on Berko Common, at the top of the road which leads from the castle up to the Common. When I was at school, games afternoons often consisted of running to the monument and back, but at the time I don't think I ever once stopped to consider what it was or why it was there. Here is a picture: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Charles Fair Posted 23 July , 2003 Share Posted 23 July , 2003 and a close up of the inscription Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Charles Fair Posted 23 July , 2003 Share Posted 23 July , 2003 The OTC were there long enough to have high quality training maps of the area produced. This is is a 1:40,000 map of the area - cloth backed, like a W Front trench map with the same grid system. It is not dated, but the front says "prepared by permission from the Ordnance Survey for the exclusive use of the Inns of Court OTC by Sifton, Praed & Co Ltd". You can see lots of pencil markings over the Common. The memorial is at the junction in square 26d. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Charles Fair Posted 1 August , 2003 Share Posted 1 August , 2003 Mark, glad to hear that you are going to have a look over the ground. I should also add that the field immediately to the North of the castle mound in square 31d is called Kitchener's Field. There are many photos of the Inns of Court taken in this field. Here is a picture as it looks today. The Castle is behind the trees centre-left of arc. This is taken from the road going up to Berko Common. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Charles Fair Posted 1 August , 2003 Share Posted 1 August , 2003 and the plaque at the entrance to the field... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Willie Garside Posted 10 August , 2020 Share Posted 10 August , 2020 My great uncle John William Garside died here on 1May 1916. from typhoid. He was in the Manchester Regiment. Although the death certificate gives his age as 18 my records make him 15 years old. I know he has a CWG in Aylesbury and is also mentioned on the town memorial. His death certificate gives his address as Council S chool, Military Hospital Aylesbury. I wonder if anyone can tell me more about this plac e. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HERITAGE PLUS Posted 10 August , 2020 Share Posted 10 August , 2020 (edited) HI Willie `Welcome to the Forum. This Local History site indicates that two schools - Grammar School and Queens Park School - in Aylesbury were used as VAD run Military Hospitals. https://old.buckscc.gov.uk/media/2933031/WWIVolunteer-Defence-forces.pdf Queens Park fits more readily as a Council School as the GS was run by a foundation. Queens Park info here: https://old.buckscc.gov.uk/media/2933011/WWI-Domestic-Front.pdf Dave Edited 10 August , 2020 by HERITAGE PLUS Added info Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Willie Garside Posted 10 August , 2020 Share Posted 10 August , 2020 That's very kind of you. John Willie Garside was my great uncle. He was from Heckmondwike near Halifax Yorkshire. He died of Typhoid just before his 16th birthday. I just want to honour his memory and find out how come a Yorkshire lad finds himself in the 25th Middlesex Regiment in Aylesbury. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
June Underwood Posted 11 August , 2020 Share Posted 11 August , 2020 Willie I don't know whether you've seen a photo of your great uncle's headstone in Aylesbury Cemetery. If not, there is one on our website at www.buckinghamshireremembers.org.uk under "casualties". The Council School was Queen's Park School and the building is still there now - not far from the cemetery. I have not found Willie Garsides name on the War Memorial in Aylesbury Market Place or on any of the other Aylesbury Memorials though. I hope this helps. June Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Willie Garside Posted 11 August , 2020 Share Posted 11 August , 2020 Thank you. Who can enlighten me about the 24th Middlesex Regiment. I have gleaned that it was a reserve battalion but I am not sure what this means. I am also curious about his service record. Can any one help? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Willie Garside Posted 13 August , 2020 Share Posted 13 August , 2020 A little further investigation has lead me to believe that 24th Middlesex Regiment reserve was a football regiment. This would make sense to me. Can anyone help? I have a picture of John Willie Garside s CW Grave. I was informed by a third party that his name was on a war memorial in the town. Jane Underwood thank you for your reply. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PRC Posted 13 August , 2020 Share Posted 13 August , 2020 (edited) Long, Long Trail records the following for the 24th Battalion of the Middlesex Regiment. 24th (Reserve) Battalion Formed at Tring in October 1915 from the depot companies of 16th Bn. Moved to Northampton and in May 1916 on to Aldershot. 1 September 1916 : converted into 100th Training Reserve Battalion of 23rd Reserve Brigade at Aldershot. https://www.longlongtrail.co.uk/army/regiments-and-corps/the-british-infantry-regiments-of-1914-1918/the-duke-of-cambridges-own-middlesex-regiment/ The 16th was originally the Public School Battalion. The Footballers Battalions were the 17th and 23rd. A Reserve Battalion took new recruits and trained them to subsequently be sent overseas as replacement drafts. They might also receive men who were recovered wounded or sick and who had been originally medically evacuated back to the UK. The Battalions would also nominally have had a Home Defence role as well. There are some surviving service record pages for him on FindMyPast, which should mean they are on Ancestry as well. He enlisted at Woldingham, Surrey on the 22nd October 1915 and claimed to be 18. Hope that helps, Peter Edited 13 August , 2020 by PRC Typo Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Willie Garside Posted 13 August , 2020 Share Posted 13 August , 2020 Yes Peter thank you very much. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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