Tpr. C.H.T. Sandford, Imperial Camel Corps (NZ)

[michaeldr]

Remembered today on the G W F

Name: SANDFORD, CARROLL HENRY THOMAS

Initials: C H T

Nationality: New Zealand

Rank: Trooper

Regiment/Service: Imperial Camel Corps (New Zealand)

Unit Text: 4th Bn.

Age: 21

Date of Death: 28/11/1917

Service No: 17446

Additional information: Son of Thomas Henry and Margaret Sandford.

Casualty Type: Commonwealth War Dead

Grave/Memorial Reference: O. 34.

Cemetery: CAIRO WAR MEMORIAL CEMETERY

also from the CWGC web site: At the outbreak of the First World War, Cairo was headquarters to the United Kingdom garrison in Egypt. With Alexandria, it became the main hospital centre for Gallipoli in 1915 and later dealt with the sick and wounded from operations in Egypt and Palestine. General Headquarters, Middle East Command, was set up in Cairo shortly before the Second World War, remaining there throughout the war years. In January 1941, a Royal Air Force Sector Headquarters for Fighter Defence Canal Zone was established. Cairo was again a significant hospital centre during the Second World War. Cairo War Memorial Cemetery was formerly part of the New British Protestant Cemetery, but plots B, D, F, H, K, M, O, P and Q were ceded to the Commission in 1920. Some graves were brought into these plots from elsewhere in the Protestant cemetery and later, 85 First World War graves were concentrated from Minia War Cemetery, 200 km south of Cairo, where maintenance could not be assured. One burial of the Second World War was moved from Old Cairo Old Latin Cemetery for the same reason. There are now 2,057 Commonwealth casualties of the First World War and 340 from the Second World War buried or commemorated in the cemetery. A small number, known to have been buried in other civil cemeteries in Cairo but whose graves are now lost, are commemorated by special memorial. Burials in the following civil cemeteries are now alternatively commemorated in Cairo War Memorial Cemetery: Cairo (Basatin) Jewish Cemetery Old Cairo Jewish Cemetery Cairo Maronite Cemetery Cairo Civil International Cemetery Old Cairo New Latin Cemetery

[michaeldr]

from The New Zealanders in Sinai and Palestine

by Lieutenant-Colonel Guy Powles - compiled by Major A Wilkie.

First published 1922 [see http://www.nzmr.org/pdf/nzsp1.pdf]

"..........Imperial Camel Corps Brigade, which had been formed from New Zealand, Australian, and Yeomanry reinforcements.

The equipment of this fine body of men included the ‘Dhurra’ bag carrying five days grain for the camel, and a cylindrical five-gallon tank holding the rider’s five days water supply. Food for five days and spare clothing, were carried in a canvas “Pikau” bag slung over the saddle. Strapped over all were blankets, overcoat, rifle, &c., the full weight carried being about 3201b, including the man.

The camels were swift trotting and were supposed to be able to go five days without water. New Zealand contributed two companies, the first of which—the 15th Camel Company— was formed in July under the command of Captain J. G. McCallum, a very keen and efficient young officer, who, backed up by the natural aptitude of the New Zealand soldier to fall in with existing circumstances, very soon had his company fit to take the field. Later a second company was formed, a gain from volunteers and surplus reinforcements. The two companies took part in all operations undertaken by the I.C.C. Brigade until June 1918, when they were reorganised, and formed the 2nd N.Z. Machine Gun Squadron in the final operations."

[michaeldr]

further details on Trooper Sandford

[from http://archiver.rootsweb.com/th/read/NEW-Z...5-12/1135402610]

SurnameSANDFORD

Given NameCarroll Henry Thomas

CategoryNominal Roll Vol. 2

Regimental Number17446

RankTrooper

Next of Kin TitleT H

Next of Kin SurnameSANDFORD

Next of Kin RelationshipFather

Next of Kin AddressPutaruru Rotorua

Roll40

Page4

OccupationFarmer

[ZackNZ]

I reviewed this man's Archive file and will post a summary shortly. Very sad tale really.

Zack

[ZackNZ]

This man’s file is 25 pages long. Lots of duplication and hard to read stuff as usual. There are six documents of interest on the file.

Overview

Carroll Henry Thomas Sandford was born in Auckland on 2 August 1895. He was single and a farmer working for J Lake, Tirau. Tirau is a small farming town in the Waikato Region of the North Island 50 kilometres southeast of Hamilton. Tirau is Maroi for "place of many cabbage trees.”

Carroll Sandford underwent his medical examination at Tirau on 25 Jan 1916. He was 21 years of age on enlistment, 5 feet 11 inches tall, of dark complexion, dark hair, hazel eyes and his religious profession was brethren.

He enlisted on 8 February 1916 at Featherston and joined the 13th Reinforcements Auckland Mounted Rifles A Squadron. He transferred a further four times firstly to the Res Squadron on 4 April 1916, then to the 18th Mounted Rifles on 31 May 1916, then to Auckland Mounted Rifles on 14 November 1916 and then in Egypt to the 16th (NZ) Company Imperial Camel Corp on 5 December 1916.

He left NZ on 5 October 1916 on the ‘Manuka’ and joined the ‘Morea’ in Sydney. He arrived in Suez on 14 November 1916. In March 1917 he got into a bit of strive with the military authorities: “while on active service overstaying leave from 2300 on 11 March 1917 till 1900 12 March 1917. Punishment 7 days extra piquet and forfeits 2 days pay.”

While on active service Carroll Sandford suffered from ill health - constipation (April 1917) and infected sunburn (June 1917). He was reported wounded on 8 November 1917 and died officially from the gun shot wounds to his arms and left thigh on 28 November 1917. However, his file also records that he had a fractured femur and the Doctors amputated a limb – so the situation was stacked up against him.

He was buried in the British Cemetery Cairo on 29 Nov 1917 and the officiating minister was E Raymond Lockeyer CF.

Carroll Sandford was 22 years old at the time of his death.

File summary details:

1 History sheet

Name: Carroll Henry Thomas Sandford

Reg number: 17446

16th NZ Coy Mounted Rifles

Rank: Trooper

Occupation: Farmer

Born Auckland

Date of birth: 2 August 1895

Religious profession: Brethren

Last employer: J Lake, Tirau

Last NZ Address: c/o J Lake Tirau

Next of kin: Mr T H Sandford (father) the following addresses on the file are crossed out: Putaruru Rotorua and 29 Albany Rd Ponsonby Auckland. Final NOK address: c/o Railway Goods Office

Medals went to Thomas Henry Sandford, father, Takanini Auckland

Service

NZ from 8 Feb 1916 to 5 Oct 1916

Foreign 5 Oct 1916

2 Attestation form

Registered for military service at Waitara.

Signed declaration and Oath taken at Featherston on 25 Jan / Feb 1916 (dates recorded) (Note Rotorua is crossed out and Featherston put in place)

Witness Percival Thom

Attesting Officer: illegible

3 Description on enlistment

Apparent age 20 years (obviously not his real age)

Height 5 feet 11 inches

Weight 11 st 7 lb

Chest min 35 inches Max 37 inches

Complexion: Dark

Colour of eyes: Hazel

Colour of hair: Dark

Religious profession: Brethren

Medical

Sight, hearing, colour vision, heart lungs, etc all ok

Vaccination marks present

Teeth described as “fair”

Signed and dated 25 Jan 1916 at Tirau

He was inoculated against Typhoid on 16 and 26 July 1916

Left NZ on Manuka and transhipped to Sydney where he joined the Morea. He arrived in Suez on 14 November 1916.

4 Service

12 Feb 1916: A Sqd 13 Reinforcements posted – Private

4 Apr 1916: Res Sqdn transferred – Private

31 May 1916: 18th Mounted Rifles transferred – Private

14 Nov 1916: Posted to AMR Sqdn - Trooper

5 Dec 1916: Transferred to 16th Coy ICC – Trooper

24 Apr 1917: El Arish admitted No 2 Australia Stat Hosp discharged to Base 26 4 17

28 Apr 1917: Admitted from 24 Stat Hosp Abbassia - constipation

6 May 1917: Taken on squadron from Hospital – Trooper

4 June 1917: Transferred to 16 Coy in the field – Trooper

5 June 1917: Posted to strength of Res Dep

18 June 1917: Egypt admitted No 2 Australia Stat Hosp - sunburn inflected

30 June 1917: Discharged to duty

31 July 1917: 16th (NZ) Coy in Egypt – Trooper

18 Aug 1917: Posted from NZ Res Co and Base Depot transferred to ICC in the field

8 Nov 1917: Reported wounded

10 Nov 1917: Admitted 43rd Stat Hosp Cairo GSW arm - fractured left thigh

12 Nov 1917: Cairo seriously ill GSW right arm at 24th Italy Hospital Kantara

27 Nov 1917: Alexandria advises transferred to 27th General Hospital Abbassia

Conduct

On 11 March 1917 “while on active service overstaying leave from 2300 on 11 March 1917 till 1900 12 March 1917. Punishment 7 days extra piquet and forfeits 2 days pay.”

DOW GSW left thigh - fractured femur – amputation GSW left arm sine fracture

5 FIELD SERVICE Army Form B2090A

Regiment or Corps 4th Battalion Imperial Camel Corps

Squadron Troop, Battery or Company 16th Company NZ

Died Date 27 Nov 1917

Place: 27 General Hospital Abbassia Cairo

Cause of Death: Wounds received in action

Telegram dated: 28 Nov 1917

By whom made Senior Medical Officer 27th General Hospital Abbassia Cairo

Buried grave site – 0.34 British Cemetery Cairo 29 Nov 1917 E Raymond Lockeyer CF

6 Declaration by Thomas Henry Sandford, Takanini Auckland

This declaration was signed by Thomas Sandford and Jonathan W Coleman JP. The following was outlined:

(1) Thomas was Carroll Henry Thomas (decease) father and next of kin

(2) Deceased was unmarried

(3) There was no will

(4) Father did not intend taking out letters of administration

Dated: 28 April 1919

Source

Agency AABK

Series 18805

Accession W5550

Box / item 112

Record 0101666

Zack

[michaeldr]

Zack, many thanks for adding those details

and for bringing into focus the reality of the life and death of Trooper Sandford

RIP