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General => Armed Forces => World War One => Topic started by: jimbohodge on Saturday 29 July 06 19:31 BST (UK)
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Hi there,
My grandmother gave a group photograph a few years back of her father, from Bedfordshire, serving in WW1.
She told me that the photograph was taken in Burma, at a Hospital where he was injured during the war.
Was Burma involved in WW1???
Thanks
Jim
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not as far as I know
but some Thai troops did serve on the western front I understand
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Hi Jim
It really depends how old your grandmother was, I think.
Burma was involved (sickenly and heavily) in World War 2
To clarify: when was she alive? It may have been before or after, here's the wikipedia version, no mention of WW1 ??? :
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Burma#History
Wendi :)
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Hi,
The man is question is name Frederick Woodward, born 1893.
He died 1939!
So he couldn't have been invloved in WW2.
The onl war it could really have been would have been WW1 I think - as as you have confirmed for me, British Troops did ot travel to Burma during WW1.
So where could he have been?
I don't suppose theres anywhre that sounds similar to Burma is there?
My nan was was quite elderly when she told me this - and really I doubted it from the very beginning.
Is there anybody out there who may be able to possibly recognise some scenary from a photograph?
My photo does show quite a large area of the outside of the Hospital (apparently) and some trees and stuff.
If so, i could e-mail them the photo and see what they say.
Thanks
Jim
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Is there anybody out there who may be able to possibly recognise some scenary from a photograph?
My photo does show quite a large area of the outside of the Hospital (apparently) and some trees and stuff.
If so, i could e-mail them the photo and see what they say.
Jim you can post it here as an attachment to your post so we can look ;D
Wend :)
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Hi,
Here it is :)
Cheers
Jim
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it probably is a hospital, some of the troops are wearing hospital uniform and some are wearing standard service dress,
however it is not tropical dress and i suspect thats an english hospital ;)
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here's an example of a lad wearing his hospital uniform
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Hi Jim !!
This may be a possible ..... Balmer Lawn Hotel - which was used in WW1 as a hospital !!
http://www.balmerlawnhotel.com/web/public/index.php?exe=thehotel&option=ourhistory
also here's a list of all the hospitals in the UK - browse through and see if you can see anything !!
http://1914-1918.invisionzone.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=187&hl=Balmer+Lawn+Hotel+Brockenhurst
Annie
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Sadly I don't think it's Balmar Lawn. The land around the building is too flat and there are no trees of that kind in the vicinity.
I would go with it being England WW1. Here is a link to Queen Alexandra's Royal Army Nursing Corps site, which (if you use the site map) has listings of the major hospitals,
http://www.qaranc.co.uk/
however often large estate houses were commandeered as hospitals too ???
Wendi
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Hi,
Thanks for that Annie - I'e had a look around and like Wendi said, i don't think it was the Balmer Hospital, although buildings and suroundings do change in 80 years! :)
The buidling itself,in my photo, it seems to me, does not look much like a hospital? Maybe it was one of these manor houses transformed during the war?
Or mayabe thats just what general militar hospitals would have looked like?
Jim
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Hi Jim
If your G/F was from Bedfordshire he may have join his local Regiment "eg" the Bedfordshire Regt, the regt had 3 units in India in WW1 1st Garrison Battn, 2nd Garrison Battn & the 3rd Garrison Battn was in India and Burma. You would need to look at the medal index cards at the National Archives to see if your G/f comes up as being with the Bedfordshire Regt.
As for the uniforms The word "Khaki" was itself derived from the Urdu for 'dusty'. & in India there had been early & regular use of various types of lightweight clothing, including uniforms made of drab Khaki cotton.
And some of the old photos from Northern India, do look like thy were taken in Briton.
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Hi
On the medal index cards at TNA are 3 Fred Woodward in the Bedford Regt.
Fred. C. Woodward No 9695, he started in the Bedford Regt then moved to the Norfolk Regt.
Fred. Woodward No 3058, Bedford Regt.
Fred. W. Woodward No 4002, Bedford Regt.
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Hi,
Thanks!
I think the first one could be him!
The name given on my Great Grandafthers Birth Certificate:
Frederick Charles Woodward
:)
Jim
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Hi again,
I just had a look on TNA website at the Medal Index Cards and there are a few more possibilites:
- Frederick C Woodward - Hertfordshire Regiment, then Bedfordshire Regiment
(I know my nan was born in Hertfordshire(in a small village very close to Bedfordshire))
-Frederick Charles Woodward - Royal Field Artillary
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Hi Jim
You would have to look for his service records at TNA, see to his service in the Army, about 60 percent of the records were destoryed in the fire at Arnside Street in 1940.
The Norfolk Regt had 1 Battn in India,1st Garrison Battn.
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AHA! New Info! :)
Just been to see an elderly relative, heres what she said:
- He served in the 'Far East' - suppose this could include Burma?? but she siad she never heard Fred Wodward mention Burma specifically.
- He was a Sergeant and was later demoted for bascially not having the killer instinct when up against an opposing German Soldier, going Bayonet to Bayonet in the trenches. She described it as 'His stripes were taken away'
Apparently there was a photograph of him weaing his stripes but she said 'Some Blummer had nicked it when he died.'
- He was in the Hosptial because he had malaria. - Maybe thee were special Hospitals for this???
Jim
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Oh these blooming family stories ;D Don't worry 'cos my Dad's Aunty Hel turned out to be Aunty Ellen ::)
I'm reasonably comfortable with the pic being in the UK, not just the style of building, but also the trees.
World War 1, Trenches, Bayonets = France & Flanders, prevalent illness TB, or the results of gassing.
He would have been 21 when WW1 broke out, could he have joined up and been to the Far East before WW1, got malaria, came home, got the cure & then went to France & the trenches ???
Have you got his death cert? What did he die of?
Wendi
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Hi,
I think that could be a pretty good assumption! :)
My geat Aunt who i was talking with was sayin about how hard his life was joining the army at 17! Yes 17!
To be honest, i basically ignored this as i just thought 'No he would have been 21'!!!
So if it as true, that he was 17 when signing up, then he could have gone to the Far East like you say, got Malaria, and then eventualy come home just in time to go to France to fight in WW1!
His prvious experience would also have waranted a greater chance of his early promotion to sergeant too.
I dont have his death certificate, but my Great Aunt said it was pneumonia he died of, about 1939.
Jim
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Was there a war out in the 'Far East' a few years previous to 1914?
Jim
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Was there a war out in the 'Far East' a few years previous to 1914?
"War.......War, no dear, just Britain and Her Colonies" ;D - Oops, I'm sorry - by 1901 British Forces were stationed all over the world, so it's wholly possible he was in the Far East, perhaps India, Burma Hong Kong, who knows.
Anyway 17.....now we are getting somewhere, we are talking 1910 - can you obtain his death certificate, and it would be good to get his birth cert too - Jim it's kinda a rule that you always check out the info for fact before moving along, that way no wild goose chases. It would be good to know how he died at 46, so young, it could have been as a result of wounds from WW1 ??? he might have had a military pension, there might just be a clue on the certificate, just an idea.
Wendi :)
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Hi,
What would i be looking for on a birth or death certificate or possibly even marriage? As he married 1919.
Jim
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CONFIRMATION !
of the family stories, as that's all you are working with at the mo ???
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Wendi,
(i have posted this on anotehr topic too, but thought you should see it)
I just ran his name through the Londn Gazettes online Archive for the WW1 period, i got 1 result:
Indian Army
1st June, 1914
Promotins - Captains to be Majors
Charles Frederick Woodward, 54th Sikhs
His real name was 'Frederick Charles Woodward', and with the link to the 'Far East' i was given, that could be the promotion that my grandmother was talking about?
Do you think this could be him?
Jim
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Jim, Major Charles Frederick Woodward, 54th Sikhs would be a different man altogether. He was appointed Lieutenant in the Indian Staff Corps in 1900.
Steve
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Steve,
Thanks for informing me - wouldnt want to be running around on a wild goose chase :)
Its mazing how many men there were with very similar names >:(
Cheers
Jim
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The ;D and :'( of family history.
I did see your other post Jim, but have you tried to find his 1919 marriage cert or his 1939 death cert ??? - one of them might really hold a clue.
Ok so they might not, I assure you the best of us have overlooked £7 and been sorry.
Unless anyone has a better suggestion these are the only "facts" we have to go on ??? and they should be really easy to find.
Wendi :)
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My Grandfather was with the Army in Burma during WW1, but I been unable to establish what he was doing. I do know that a division of the Indian Army was in Burma, but why? His name was George Bartram.
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http://www.kaiserscross.com/304501/468722.html
May be of interest
Ady
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Hi Jim,
My Great Grandfather (Robert Hartland Stanley Myles) served in Burma in World War 1. He is in this new book, which comes out on the 24th November 2018:
On Parade: Straits Settlements Eurasian Men Who Volunteered To Defend The Empire, 1862-1957
http://www.selectbooks.com.sg/getTitle.aspx?SBNum=061945
On Parade chronicles the attempts of Straits Settlements Eurasian men to take responsibility for the defence of the British Empire, both at home and abroad, over a period of nearly a hundred years. From the original refusal to allow Eurasian men to enlist at all, through the expectation on the part of the Crown of absolute loyalty for very little material gain, Eurasian men volunteered, and were prepared to make the ultimate sacrifice, for the noble goal of defending their home and families. This book paints a picture of Singapore’s established Eurasian community, drawn from the Straits Settlements and Malaya. They strove to defend what they considered to be their only home. Intrinsic civic-mindedness is evinced in this social history of the Straits Settlements Eurasian Volunteers.
Hope this helps. Thanks for posting. Very interesting.
Sharon
http://butterflylullaby.blogspot.com/2018/10/on-parade-book-saving-empire-family.html