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General => Armed Forces => World War One => Topic started by: Colchester on Wednesday 10 May 23 16:54 BST (UK)
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I'm trying to find answers for an elderly family friend who is trying to understand how he died (after hostilities ended). I think that his service record was lost, as so many were, so I'm relying on fragments. My problem is understanding his likely whereabouts and identifying his Labour Corps unit. Buried at CWG Giavera del Montello cemetery, Italy, died 7 Dec 1918. Registers of soldiers effects confirm date of death and record him as '25652, 3rd Reserve battalion, Devonshire Regt, then tfrd, as 656444, 1034th Company Labour Corps. He is recorded as died '39 CCS France'. His medal card doesn't include the 14/15 star which confirms the Devons 3rd as being home served. I can't find 1034th Co. Labour Corps, nor such a service number!
Any help would be greatly appreciated!!
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The Long Long Trail (http://ttps://www.longlongtrail.co.uk/army/regiments-and-corps/locations-of-british-casualty-clearing-stations/) has this about the locations of 39 Casualty Clearing Station:
"39th Casualty Clearing Station
War diary: National Archives WO95/499 (France) WO95/4207 (Italy)
25 February 1916: having mobilised at Aldershot, moved to Southampton and sailed on ship “Archangel” with 38 CCS
26 February 1916: landed at Le Havre
6 March 1916: arrived by rail at Etaples
2 May 1916: moved by rail to St. Ouen
31 July 1916: moved to Allonville and took over Rest Station, Infectious Cases Camp and Self-Inflicted Wound Hospital
11 February 1917: moved to Gailly
6 May 1917: moved to Tincourt
1 July 1917: moved to La Chapellette (near Péronne) (exchanged with 34 CCS)
9 July 1917: arrived by overnight rail at Oosthoek via Dunkirk
21 November 1917: left by rail, going via Adinkerke, Longeau, Modane to Cittadella (Italy, arrived 26 November)
Remained in Italy. "
From 26th Novemeber 1918 the CCS was at Istranta, North of Venice. This is where Pte Stevens would have died and why he is buried at CWG Giavera del Montello. See the map on the LLT website here: https://www.longlongtrail.co.uk/battles/the-campaign-in-italy-2/italy-casualty-evacuation-chain/
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There are some meagre records for Arthur Stevens 656444 at Fold3.
Date and cause of death: 7/12/18 bronchopneumonia contracted while on AS.
wife Phoebe, mother Laura
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There is a fairly extensive set of records about the work of the unit and records of patients treated at 33 CCS at the National Archives in series MH106 (https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C10949), pieces 806 to 866.
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Lots more on the Labour Corps here: https://www.longlongtrail.co.uk/army/regiments-and-corps/the-labour-corps-of-1917-1918/
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LLT says just this:
1034 Coy. (Base motor transport depot)
So he was at one of the 2 Infantry Base Depots in Italy
attached to the ASC.
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Thanks everyone. Am I safe in telling the family that he died because of an illness rather than wounds. Whichever way round it's ironic that, after all those years of conflict, he died aged 37, after it had finished!
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Soldiers medical records have an entry for
A. Stevens 9th Devons att.(?) 1034 Labour Co 25652
Pte. Stevens A.
21 months completed with Field Force
Cause of death Influenza
Date of discharge (by death) 7.12.18
Sick convoy 2.12.18
Religion CE
It would be possible to get a death certificate for him from the GROs military and overseas indexes .
Cathy
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A interesting snippet from Cathy states he was in the 9th. Devons
& attached to the LC.
The 9th. were also in Italy but returned to France in Sept. 1918
so he must transferred into the LC while in Italy & before Sept. 1918.
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A bit more
The 9th. were in France up until the end of 1917
their last engagement being the 2nd. Battle of Passchendaele.
They were then shipped to Italy Jan. 1918.
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SO..with mind buzzing!!! Thanks to all you folks. Can we say that he was 'in theatre' from about March 1917? Obviously the same person but now we have the 9th Devons coming into the picture!
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Looking at service records of men with numbers pretty much from the same
batch as your man they all attested from late 1915 - early 1916 which marries
with the info that he had 21 months in the field up to his death which puts his
attestation at around March 1916.
This is what they were up to from that time:
https://www.longlongtrail.co.uk/army/order-of-battle-of-divisions/7th-division/
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Under "Unit from which transferred "also on the record
Cathy
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Thanks for so much support. So... we can say that he served from, at least, early 1916, when he would have been 34 ish. The 9th involvement is new to me, thank you. I'll do my best but hope you don't mind me coming back to you for your expertise!
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I've revisited his attestation date & looked at his War Gratuity payment.
A bit of background, War Gratuity was paid to NOK in 1919.
The amount was based on service & ended at time of death.
His widow received £26. 10s.
The payment was made up as follows: £5 for the first year & 10s. for
every month thereafter meaning he had 2 years 7 months service.
Calculating back from time of death gives an attestation date of around May 1916.
Adding his period of training of 3 months he would have been in the field by
Aug./Sept. 1916 assuming he was posted to the 9th. at that time.
Looking at the 9th's. war diary there was a draft of 93 OR's from the 3rd. (training) Btn.
8/9/16.
They were at Buire-Courcelles at the time.
Cathy's snippet looks like 1/1 South Midlands Field Ambulance.
This FA was part of 48/Div. who were in Italy.
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I'm putting together all that has been discovered for the family and just want to check that I'm right! Register of soldiers effects indicates a War gratuity of £14 - 10s so that would indicate a total of 31 months service to his death Dec 1918. So it looks like he attested around May 1916 and was with 3rd Devons, home service, until March 1917. Transferred to 9th Devons (retaining service number and service on the Western Front, etc. Attached to 1034 co. Labour Corps then official transfer to 1034 co. before Sep. 18 (21 months field service to death 12/18). Cathy, can you explain where 1/1 South Midlands Field ambulance fits in the timeline (and any chance of hard copy of the record)? Thanks all, Colin
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His widow received £26. 10s.
The payment was made up as follows: £5 for the first year & 10s. for
every month thereafter meaning he had 2 years 7 months service.
Calculating back from time of death gives an attestation date of around May 1916.
Adding his period of training of 3 months he would have been in the field by
Aug./Sept. 1916 assuming he was posted to the 9th. at that time.
3/Devons was their training establishment. All men went there for their 3 months training.
At the end of that it appears he was posted to the 9th. arriving at his Btn. on the 8th. Sept. 1916.
The FA was the start of the medical chain for injured/sick men, from there he would have been transferred to a Hospital.
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Thanks Jim1. I'll amend accordingly...I'm afraid I'm learning as I go and appreciate the education! Bearing in mind she had nothing more than his burial place (recently visited) so much has been achieved, so many of her questions answered. Thanks again all.
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If you have a sub their war diary is on Ancestry.
https://www.rootschat.com/links/01sah/
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Thanks Jim...again!, Yes...and building an open tree. Diary now attached to it. Lots for me to read. Too complex for the lady I'm trying to help but it's there for the future ;-)
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A snapshot is that he was involved in the Somme Offensive & Passchendaele.
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Ironic...he gets through all of that 'without a scratch', then suffers an illness and dies, far from home, after the event. I have to wonder when his wife would have learned of his death? Would she have been ecstatic, being told that it was all over so she could expect his return, only to be told later that she was a widow?
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She would have been elated that it was all over & it must have a huge shock when the telegram
was delivered.
The Spanish Flu became a pandemic in 1919.