CCS AT ACHIET LE GRAND

[shark]

29-30 janvier 1918

"He dropped one in some horse lines near, destroying 80 horses, 45 killed outright. Also bombed CCS Achiet-le-Grand, killed several nurses, wounded a lot of patients".

this is an extract of william fisher diary so far i don't think there is any nurses buried in the cemetery at achiet le grand.

how to find who was killed and where they are buried?

if someone can help!

thanks

[burlington]

Philippe

Try Jim Strawbridge on the Forum.

He has been compiling a complete anthology of the nurses/VADs etc killed in WW1.

Regards

Martin

[Jim Strawbridge]

I have trawled through my records for January 1918 and found no likely candidates. I wonder if these could have been male nurses. Presumabely they existed - or were they called orderlys or something similar?

[royalredcross]

There seem to have been two CCSs at Achiet in January 1918, Nos. 45 and 49. That's probably no help.

Norman

[Sue Light]

Philippe

It was No.45 CCS that was bombed on the night of the 28th, but William Fisher was not correct in his assessment of casualties. The official end of month return for all nursing staff says:

No.45 C.C.S. bombed on night of 28-1-18. No casualties to staff. 1 patient killed and 8 wounded.

In total, three members of the nursing staff serving with the B.E.F. died during the month, all from illness, and all members of the United States Army Nurse Corps, serving at Nos. 1, 16 and 18 General Hospital.

Sue

[shark]

thank you

i actually had a doubt

do you have records on the 49th ccs at achiet le grand?

regards

I have trawled through my records for January 1918 and found no likely candidates. I wonder if these could have been male nurses. Presumabely they existed - or were they called orderlys or something similar?

thanks

[Sue Light]

Philippe

I'm transcribing the war diary of the Matron-in-Chief from digital images, so I have nothing in particular on any individual unit - but if something like shelling occurs, then it will be mentioned. At present I'm only up to March 1916 - when finished it will be searchable.

But as I'm sure you know, 49 C.C.S. do have a unit war diary at The National Archives - if you don't have it already, I'm sure it wouldn't be too costly to have it photographed for the year they were at Achiet-le-Grand.

Sue

[Jim Strawbridge]

In total, three members of the nursing staff serving with the B.E.F. died during the month, all from illness, and all members of the United States Army Nurse Corps, serving at Nos. 1, 16 and 18 General Hospital.

Sue

If we are talking about US Army Nursing Corps I suspect that the women concerned are :-

Helen Fairchild, who died of atrophy of the liver at 16 General Hospital, Le Treport on 18/1/18

Florence A. Hinton, who died of cerebro-spinal meningitis at 18 General Hospital, Camiers on 20/1/18

Annabel S. Roberts, who died of septicaemia at 1 General Hospital, Etretat, on 17/1/18

[Sue Light]

Jim

I'm very relieved that you and the Matron-in-Chief agree on this - she is not a woman to be tangled with:

After our talk he left my office understanding his postion perfectly, I think...

Although I think we had a discussion before on Miss Fairchild, whose cause of death is given in these documents as 'Appendicitis.'

Sue

[Jim Strawbridge]

Jim

I'm very relieved that you and the Matron-in-Chief agree on this - she is not a woman to be tangled with:

After our talk he left my office understanding his postion perfectly, I think...

Although I think we had a discussion before on Miss Fairchild, whose cause of death is given in these documents as 'Appendicitis.'

Sue

Sue, I have before me a weighty tome entitled "Nurse Helen Fairchild - WW1 1917 - 1918" written by Nelle Fairchild Hefty Rote. It is 384 pages, hardback and I bought it off the author when it was published earlier this year. About half of the book is about war conditions for nursing and the other half is related directly about Helen Fairchild. The yellow atrophy of the liver is mentioned in the letter from the War Department to Helen's father informing him of her death. The actual letter is illustrated. It is mentioned in various newspaper reports too. So I have leant towards that being the cause of her death rather than appendicitis.

[petestarling]

Jim

can you give me the full title of the book if it is available to the general public.

Thanks.

Pete Starling

[petestarling]

Jim

Although the answer has been given to the original question, there were male nurses during WW1. Since 1904 'men of good character' were admitted to QAIMNS as male nurses and wore the bronze QAIMNS tippet medal on their normal uniform but on the right side. Although ''admitted' to QAIMNS they actually stayed badged RAMC. The Regulations for RAMC for the period give all the requirements.

Pete Starling

[Jim Strawbridge]

Jim

can you give me the full title of the book if it is available to the general public.

Thanks.

Pete Starling

Pete, The title of the book is as given above. The copy that I have states that it is part of a first run of 100 hard-bound editions. The author, whom I had been in correspondance with due to my own interest in WW1 serving female casualties, published it herself and implied that virtually all of them had been sold at the time that she sent me mine. With such a small print run I can understand that but the wording implies that another run is possible/probable - perhaps if the first run illicits new information to add to the story. There is a number (570-523-3741) but I have no idea if this is an IBNS number. The information about male nurses admitted to the QAIMNS is most interesting. They must have been quite rare "animals". I wonder if they did exactly the same work as the females or if they were employed in tending some of the "below the waist/above the knees" type of injuries of which there were many.

[Jim Strawbridge]

Pete, The title of the book is as given above. The copy that I have states that it is part of a first run of 100 hard-bound editions. The author, whom I had been in correspondance with due to my own interest in WW1 serving female casualties, published it herself and implied that virtually all of them had been sold at the time that she sent me mine. With such a small print run I can understand that but the wording implies that another run is possible/probable - perhaps if the first run illicits new information to add to the story. There is a number (570-523-3741) but I have no idea if this is an IBNS number. The information about male nurses admitted to the QAIMNS is most interesting. They must have been quite rare "animals". I wonder if they did exactly the same work as the females or if they were employed in tending some of the "below the waist/above the knees" type of injuries of which there were many.

The author of the book has contacted me having found my posting here through using Google. As I suspected the book has gone for a second printing. Of the original 100 there are two in England (one is mine), two in Belgium, one in France and one in Canada. The rest are in the USA. So this fresh printing of 200, available in mid December, will make it more available to anyone interested in the subject of women's work in WW1 and her relative in particular. As I mentioned before, over half the book is her researches on women's work and, in particular, that of nursing. The book is available at US$45 plus shipping. It is a thick, heavy book so the latter will be high if airmail although surface mail will be a lot cheaper if you are in no hurry. The author has confirmed that I may pass on her email address for anyone interested in getting it. She can be contacted on :-

elle12@ptd.net

[petestarling]

Jim

Many than ks

Pete

[Tonym]

Jim

Although the answer has been given to the original question, there were male nurses during WW1. Since 1904 'men of good character' were admitted to QAIMNS as male nurses and wore the bronze QAIMNS tippet medal on their normal uniform but on the right side. Although ''admitted' to QAIMNS they actually stayed badged RAMC. The Regulations for RAMC for the period give all the requirements.

Pete Starling

Pete

Was this tippet medal the same size as the female QA medal as I have a specimen of this medal but in miniature, when would a miniature medal be worn?

Tony

[sotonmate]

Shark

Following your dates for this damaging event I checked both cemetery lists for Achiet-le-Grand and found only four soldiers interred there with a death date of 29-30 January 1918, 2 on the 29th were ASC privates,and 2 on the 30th,one Royal Scot and one RFA. This out of over 1000 interrments for the cemeteries.

Sotonmate