Shell shock case

[jansanderson]

Sometime ago I posted a thread asking for advice in searching for more information regarding my Gt Uncle Arthur Sanderson, thanks to a tip I picked up while browsing the Forum for other information I went back to Uncle Arthur's Pension record details and browsed into apparent records of the previous entry. I found 9 more pages which had been erroneously attached to the other soldier's record but which detailed medical reviews for Arthur.

The discovery, if informative, was extremely distressing. Pte Arthur Sanderson 42969 of 7th Lincolnshire Regt spent just 5 weeks during February and March 1918 at the front shortly after he celebrated his 19th birthday. His record shows 54 days but from 23 March to 9 April he was in hospital. He was the youngest of 3 brothers who served and before being transferred to a Training Battalion in August 1917 appears to have served as a clerk in ASC. His papers show he enlisted aged 16 years and 11 months. He is shown to have been wounded 23rd March as a result of gas poisoning, however, the medical records I discovered today make no reference to this and outline his treatment for shell shock. His notes detail the classic symptoms - fits, tremours, anorexia, depression, bad dreams, lack of concentration and so on. In 1922 he is shown as being 5' 9" high and weighing 8 stone (actually this may be partly due to genetics - my father, his nephew, struggled to maintain a weight of 9 1/2 stone now 78 as a younger man he was 5'10").

At the same medical board in 1922 symptons of TB are spotted and this was the ultimately cause of Arthur's death (I found a note in family papers which has died TB next to his name). Subsequently there are 2 further medical reviews within a month, for the last of these the Doctor visited him at home. There are a number of more or less frequent reviews until the last review shown in the records in June 1923 when the TB is obviously developing. In that and the previous review the manifestations of shell shock continue but to a lesser degree than previously noted. Perhaps poor Arthur's brain had other more immediately present concerns. In case you think he was a weakling living on his war pension during all this there are two references to his having worked during his illness.

I have no date for Arthur's death and can't find one on any of his war records two pages of which are stamped DECEASED but I imagine the very last carefree day he spent was sometime around the 21st March 1918 when he was aged 19 years and 2 months.

Sorry for making this such a long post but I wanted to make sure that Arthur had a place in the World among his peers. If you would like to take a look at Arthur's records he's the Arthur Sanderson listed born 1899 with 3 pages of data in the Pensions Records on Ancestry. Though there are no other details in the index the home address of 90 Pilgrim St, Newcastle shows if you click on his index entry. Once you go into the documents don't forget to browse into the previous record if you want to read his story, the writing is difficult in places but there are 9 other pages beside the 3 indexed. I found the whole experience very upsetting adjectives like delicate, nervous, self conscious, intelligent, vulnerable all used in among the more official medical jargon reminded that this was Arthur Sanderson. His photo is attached. To my knowledge he is not commemorated on any War Memorial though his pension record shows his military service from the 22 November 1916 to the 27 July 1918 pretty much destroyed his life.

In Memory Uncle Arthur

Jan

[susanhemmings]

Jan,

That is truly sad. Arthur will never, ever be forgotten. It is so sad that there were many cases such as Arthur's and just because they fell victim to their "nerves" does not mean that anyone should ever think less of them. It is dreadful that no mention of gas poisoning is stated, just references to his disposition and shell shock.

It was one of the awful tragedies and no-one can begin to imagine what those poor chaps went through. The mere thought of continuous booming, banging and shaking ground is enough to frighten the wits out of anyone.

It must have been distressing for you to discover all that had been written about him. And not even to know a date of death for him. How very sad.

God rest his soul, together with all his chums.

He will always be remembered here Jan. And the photo is really lovely too. Thank you for sharing.

Susan.

[ralphjd]

Susan has said it all, nothing more to add only to echo that he will never be forgotten. Ralph.

[Heid the Ba]

Is it not possible to order an extract death certificate with the info you have, which would give you the date of death? You can in Scotland, I don't know how it works in England and Wales.

[ralphjd]

Jan, Searching through Ancestry deaths and came up with ARTHUR SANDERSON death registered SEPT QTR 1924 age 25 in TYNEMOUTH Northumberland, could it be your Gt Uncle ? Ralph.

[ralphjd]

Jan, Also checked every year from 1925 to 1939 and no one fits the bill apart from Arthur in 1924. Ralph.

[jansanderson]

Many thanks for all your hard work Rjaydee

You've got him! I had checked the partial index and hadn't found him and didn't think it was worth looking in the complete index. The reason I am absolutely certain it is the correct Arthur is that in the previous qtr of the same year the death of his sister Marjorie Sanderson aged 22 is registered in Tynemouth District. Family information is that she died of TB too and also that she was a nurse. I can only imagine how the infection came into the family, did Marjorie catch it from Arthur while nursing him at home or did she catch it from a patient and bring it home to infect her already vulnerable brother?

I really do appreciate your support in this. Now I have the references I will send for death certificates for both of them.

Thanks also to Susan for her very kind post and for the other interest shown in my original post.

Jan

[ralphjd]

Jan, Its a pleasure to help, I never rely on the partial index good as it is. Let us know the details on Arthurs death cert if not too much trouble. Regards Ralph.

[susanhemmings]

Well done Ralph. Great result.

[jansanderson]

For those who took an interest in the case of my Gt Uncle Arthur Sanderson I received a copy of the registration of his death this morning.

He died on 29th July 1924 at The City Hospital for Infectious Diseases, Walker, Newcastle upon Tyne aged 25 years. His father Robert is named as informant and the family lived at 90 Pilgrim St, Newcastle.

Cause of death 1 Pulmonary Tuberculosis 2 Asthenia

Interestingly the Asthenia is not identified as Neurasthenia. I've done a bit of internet searching and it seems quite difficult to distinguish the two except that the asthenia appears to apply to the physical manifestations where as Neurasthenia points to the source of the physical symptoms. In fact if I didn't already have the medical review evidence which details symptons under the title neurasthenia I may well think that the Asthenia was linked more closely to the TB. I'd be very interested to hear from anyone with medical experience.

The bottom line is that from 23rd March 1918 until 29th July 1924 Arthur Sanderson lived with the physical and mental torment of serving his country. This site allows me to provide him with the memorial the authorities didn't. Particular thanks to Ralph for his help. Now I have a pretty good idea of his story I will shortly add Uncle Arthur to the site's own roll of honour.

As a postscript -

In an earlier post I mentioned his sister Marjorie, to finish the story - she died 27 May 1924 in the same hospital also of TB with her father present.

Jan