MARCHED

[zetlander]

Injured in France in 1915 my great uncle was returned to the U.K.

From August 1916 to February 1917 (when he was returned to his regiment) he was based in a number of hospitals.

On his record card noting each move it says 'MARCHED' to Wareham....'MARCHED' to Harefield.....
etc.
What is the relevance of the term 'MARCHED' - does it just mean that he had to walk rather than be transported?

(Sadly killed in April 1917)

Thanks

[zetlander]

mistake - he was wounded in 1916 (not 1915)

[GrahamSimons]

Marched in just means arrived at.....in through the front gate.

[jim1]

Maybe you could tell us who he is so we can take a look but probably what GrahamSimons has said.

[Jebber]

As Jim says, if we had his name we could view the record for ourselves, it is so much easier if it can be read in context. Depending on where he was moving from, it could mean marched in the literal sense, or as already said he was arriving at.

Marched is a military term,  when moving into or out of military quarters it is always described as marching in and marching out, I know I have done it enough times.

[zetlander]

Owen Wynne Hughes was born in 1887 in Bala North Wales.  He emigrated to Australia in 1913 to work as  a vet?

He enlisted in the Australian Infantry on 20 Sept 1915. Private 4144.

  5 August wounded in action - returned to England and for the next few months moved to a number of hospitals in England before being returned to France in February 1917.  Killed in action 25 April 1917.

Commemorated on Villers Bretonneux Memorial.

I have accessed his records on the National Archives of Australia web site.
---------------------
Can find no record of his grave.
Did he have any choice about being returned to France after being wounded. 
Was enlistment compulsory for British citizens living in Australia during this time.

Thanks

[Jebber]

I am not so familiar with the Australian records although do have some, looking at Owen's records I would think it means as Graham said, and not in the literal sense.

If he was deemed fit there is no reason why he would not be returned to his unit in France.

I believe enlistment was voluntary in Australia, but I stand to be corrected on that.

[nanny jan]

His entry on CWGC site:

https://www.cwgc.org/find-war-dead/casualty/1462232/hughes,-owen-wynne/

[majm]

Re enlisting in the A.I.F.   for service during WWI ....

You needed to be a British Subject .. either by birth or naturalisation...  anyone born in Australia was automatically a British subject  as no such thing as Australian Citizenship until 1949.   

Twice during WWI Australian Parliament tried to introduce conscription.  Twice it was defeated at Referendums.   All who served were volunteers.

Marched IN on service records shows date he arrived and M/Out is departure date as explained by others.

Harefield ... as in hospital in England.

JM