RAMC Database

[John G]

Hi,

I have found an entry to a member of the RAMC in a local newspaper and assuming you had it on the database I never wrote all the information. I will revisit it and transcribe fully.

In the meantime it related to ther death of Private Charles Nevill who was 28 when he killed in December 1915. The newspaper reported that he was the brother of a local farmer.

JPG

[purley]

I'm amazed

Like most, I guess, I was really moved the first time I went to the Western Front. So many cemeteries, with so many headstones, and so many names of men with no known graves I just can't let it go.

Ever since that time I have wanted to set up a RAMC database, mainly to commemorate the Corps but to also give something back to a generation that lost so much by keeping the names of those who served alive. Against the advice of others that it is too big a task (they are right of course) I am plodding on and am adding daily to an access database.

It is still very early days with so much more information to add, I haven't even scratch the surface but if I highlight a column and click on A/Z I am starting to see numbering systems forming, specific drafts of men who were sent to serve with other RAMC units and specific drafts of RAMC men from certain RAMC Units who were transferred to other regiments. I can also see men from the same unit being killed on the same day and/or winning awards, which will lead me to investigate specific battles. It really is starting to produce some very interesting results and much more than I first intended.

Sorry, just had to tell someone. I am soooooo excited.

I have around 400 RAMC men in my Royal Berkshire database and would be happy to swap info if you respond to me direct

john.chapman@purley.eu

regards

John

[BJanman]

Wouldn't it be interesting to know exactly where they all served

I agree, yet many officers, and O/Rs, will be mentioned in their unit war diary. Army Medical Services personnel are mentioned in official histories. Both are mentioned in the Lancet and Medical Journal with RMOs. Then there are service records, books, unit histories, personal diaries, nominal rolls, AVLs, MICs etc etc, bring all this into one place (a database) and it will be known where they all served, or most - eventually.

People want instant answers and in some cases I can provide that, if they give me enough information to help me know where to start searching. But looking through every medical unit war diary or list of personnel to find where one person served is impossible, I cannot imagine that a paid researcher would do that. This is a big project that just needs time to develop.

Barbara

[BJanman]

Thanks JPG and thanks John, email on it's way.

Barbara

[Desdichado]

I don't suppose you have any details on a Lt. Stott, I don't know his christian name, who served as an MO at Busseboom, in the southern sector of the Ypres salient, in February 1916, do you? Most of his patients were ASC men based at the depot there.

Thanks - Des

[BJanman]

Hi Des

So far I have managed to trace 6 officers in the RAMC with the surname Stott. I have checked them against their MICs and two are down as originally being Lieutenants, they are

Capt (late Maj) Arnold Walmsley Stott - he arrived in France in May 1915

t.Capt William Harle Stott OBE - he lived in Hornby nr Lancaster, arrived in France 1/3/1915

The other 4 are on the 1916 Officer's List as Captains or didn't go to France. I haven't had a chance to try and trace anymore information on them but thought the names might help for now.

Barbara

[Desdichado]

Gawd bless yer Ma'am. The man that I'm seeking has to be one of the two you've mentioned. Thanks for the help and if I turn up any interesting tid-bits, I'll pass them on.

-Des

[Anthony Gorst]

BJay

I have these RAMC names on the Poly memorial

Private Ernest JAmes Geddes

Captain Douglas Henry David Wooderson

Lance Corporal harold John West

Corporal Gordon Edward Robinson

Captain Robert Jacobs

You probably already have them but I am happy to root out additional info and photos from the Polytechnic mag

[BJanman]

Tony

Yes I do have information on all the men listed above, which is from the CWGC, Soldiers/Officers Died and the MICs. If you are able to root out additional information then that would be brilliant, thank you.

I have not added them to my website yet, I will try to add them later tonight.

All the best

Barbara

[Anthony Gorst]

Barbara

On the list of things to do for you (and the good folk of the GWF) - may take a couple of weeks due to work stuff and a bad back - got pictures of three of them and obits of all and attestation papers for one. Amzaing how all our efforts can connect....

[BJanman]

Thanks Tony.

I have now added them to the database with all the information I've found.

Barbara

[Anthony Gorst]

Thanks Tony.

I have now added them to the database with all the information I've found.

Barbara

Quick work! - Poly sources have Geddes as being run over by a 'motor'. I'll foward the info when I get it in the next few weeks

[Chris Best]

Hi Barbara

Great work. I'm off to F&F in a couple of weeks and one of our party had an uncle who, he tells me, served in an RAMC Sanitary Section. It was his trade as a plumber that led to his being mustered into RAMC for employment in a sanitary sect.

I looked up his his MIC. His name was Sydney Eyeington with the regtl number [/size]13

He came from York. Any idea which section he might have been in?

Chris

[BJanman]

Hi Chris

I'm a bit surprised because I appear to only have one nominal roll for a sanitary section, and that's for the section of the Friends Ambulance Unit. Taking into account his early service number I had a look in the book on the history of the First London Sanitary Company, which does mention some of the early members, but I couldn't trace him there. He is not listed on any information I have about individual sanitary sections and, although some appear to have arrived in France during April 1915, I cannot trace one that arrived on the 13th.

You are probably aware that two sanitary companies were set up from 1908, and they recruited and trained the men for the sanitary sections. However from about 1913 the Divisions of the Territorial Force started to create their own Divisional Sanitary Sections. I have found two that mention York, they are Northumbrian Divisional Sanitary Section - York (E. Riding) and West Riding Divisional Sanitary Section - York (West Riding). The 49th (West Riding) and the 50th (Northumbrian) Sanitary Sections both appear to have arrived at le Havre with the 50th Division on the 19th April 1915. Again, taking into account his early service number, he may have served in one of these.

Sorry, not much help. If you can find his 6 digit service number then i can tell you definitely yes or no to the above, and if no then maybe narrow the other sections down.

Barbara

[Chris Best]

Many thanks, Barbara. The 50th Division option seems the most probable as Sidney's family were York or East Riding folk. I'll have to post and see if anyone visiting TNA could copy anything of interest from the Sect's WD.

I was bemused by his 2 digit number and by your observation that his 6 digit number might give rise to more clues. If his number did change, I wonder why it wasn't shown on the MIC? Would this be a common fault on MICs?

Anyway. Thanks again

Chris

[BJanman]

Chris

If Sydney served with the Northumbrian Divisional Sanitary Section TF - (York - East Riding) then he would have been issued a 6 digit number in the range of 395001 - 396000. In case you are not aware it served with the 50th Northumbrian Division up until 3rd April 1917. There is a war diary that covers their time from Aug 1916 - April 1917 held under reference no WO 95/2825, after that they transferred to 4th Army Sanitary Area. Sanitary Sections did not start to write war diaries until they had been in the field for a few months.

The reason I think Sydney may have been issued a 6 digit number is because of his low service number. At the start of the war there was the 1st London (City of London) Sanitary Company and the 2nd London (City of London) Sanitary Company (which were both Territorial Force), and the Territorial Force Divisional Sanitary Sections. But I could be wrong, I have not researched them in depth yet. I have only just worked out the formation of the Field Ambulances, including the TF Field Ambulances and how and why some were numbered and others were not, and although the numbering system within them is starting to form a pattern, it is still not that clear.

Most of the MICs to TF RAMC personnel only provide the original number or only provides the new 6 digit number, although I have come across some that states both.

Barbara

[Chris Best]

Barbara

Many thanks, I understand where you're coming from. Just a shame his service record does not appear to exist (although I do have his brother/cousin's).

Still, based on your assumptions, we'll visit the 50th's Memorial at Wieltje and I'll draw attention to the San Sect lads lying at Brandhoek.

Good luck with the project. It'll put Peterkin et seq to shame

Chris

[John G]

Hi Barbara,

this is a list of the men from the Lichfield Mercury Roll of Honour in September 1914 who were with the RAMC:

David Powell from Lichfield

Albert Wyatt and Samuel Rowland Newman from Shenstone

Ernest Henry Chappel from Burtntwood

More bits to follow

John

[John G]

Barbara,

Private J S Randall, RAMC, Rugeley Road, Chase Terrace.

Worked at Cannock & Rugeley Colliery before enlisting in 1915. Awarded MM 14.9.17

John

[BJanman]

Thank you John, really appreciate this.

I've checked the first name, he is possibly 17053 David Powell who served with 16th Field Ambulance. I check the others over the next few days.

Barbara

[susanhemmings]

Just stumbled across this posting. What a superb website. Well done you.

Susan.

[BJanman]

Thanks Susan

Not sure I should take all the credit though, I have had so much support from others since the database went live - it's brilliant.

Barbara

[mick2550]

I'm amazed

Like most, I guess, I was really moved the first time I went to the Western Front. So many cemeteries, with so many headstones, and so many names of men with no known graves I just can't let it go.

Ever since that time I have wanted to set up a RAMC database, mainly to commemorate the Corps but to also give something back to a generation that lost so much by keeping the names of those who served alive. Against the advice of others that it is too big a task (they are right of course) I am plodding on and am adding daily to an access database.

It is still very early days with so much more information to add, I haven't even scratch the surface but if I highlight a column and click on A/Z I am starting to see numbering systems forming, specific drafts of men who were sent to serve with other RAMC units and specific drafts of RAMC men from certain RAMC Units who were transferred to other regiments. I can also see men from the same unit being killed on the same day and/or winning awards, which will lead me to investigate specific battles. It really is starting to produce some very interesting results and much more than I first intended.

Sorry, just had to tell someone. I am soooooo excited.

[mick2550]

Hi

I wonder if you have any info with regards a John Robert Clarke of the RAMC, he was in the 27th F.A. I have a photo of them based in Aldershot. His numbers are 32151- 200779. He was from Mattersey Place

[BJanman]

Hi

His MIC states that he was awarded the General Service Medal, Iraq, which was 1919 - 1920. I do not have any information which indicates that the 27th Field Ambulance went to Iraq so that would explain the service number change to 200779. The MIC also states that he was serving in Palestine under service number 7250883 with No 22 Coy, this appears to be later than 1920 so it is highly likely he was still serving after 1922 and his records are not yet available to the general public or archived at Kew.

Barbara