1914 Star & Victory Medal group to 6th General Hospital RAMC (France & Flanders: date of entry 18 August 1914) & 1/5th Somerset Light Infantry (Palestine, Battle of Sharon, 1918) to Sydney George BURR from Bath

6588 Sidney G Burr, 6th General Hospital  RAMC (later 41620, 1/5th Somerset Light Infantry) Sidney George Burr was a regular soldier. He may be one and the same with Sidney or Sydney George Burr, who was the son of William Albert Burr, and Maria Burr, née Hooper. He was born to William and Maria in Bath, Somerset, in 1895. In 1911 he was a coal carter, like his father, living at 38 James Street West, Bath. He married Wilhelmina Witham, possibly at Holy Trinity, Bath, in the last quarter of 1922. With her he had two daughters (Dorothy Winifred and Irene Peggy) and one son (Sidney Arthur Dennis). Sidney senior's death (recorded as Sydney G Burr) was registered in Bath in the final quarter of 1929. He was 35. Judging from his RAMC regimental number of 6588 probably, like 6589 Oscar Sidney Ashman*, he enlisted for a short service engagement of 3 years with the Colours and 9 years on the Reserve some time between 3 and 8 August 1912. (Pte Ashman enlisted at Bristol on 8 August 1912, joining at Aldershot five days later, thus meaning that his Colours service was drawing to an end just as war broke out.) Pte Burr would have undergone his training at the RAMC Training School/School of Instruction in Aldershot in late 1912 to early 1913 and subsequently received his Corps pay, reflecting proficiency in his duties. Swiftly moving from his peacetime duties  he served in the France and Flanders theatre from 18 August 1914, going overseas with 6th General Hospital RAMC, probably as an Orderly. He was therefore entitled to the 1914 Star. No.6 General Hospital was based in  Le Havre for seven days in August 1914. The Matron and Staff were accommodated at Ecole Jean D’Arc on the 16th, their camp kit being used until they could be put into hotels. They then started off for Amiens on the 23rd, reaching Rouen by the 26th. On 30 August, however, all hospitals were ordered to leave Rouen and the hospital equipment and personnel with the exception of the Nursing Staff left by steamer the following day.  By 3 November No.6 had returned to Rouen, the war diary of the Matron-in-Chief, British Expeditionary Force (transcribed S Light, 'Scarlet Finders') for 9 November commenting "After lunch went to 6 General Hospital – under canvas – working under difficulties, and not properly established. Col. Du Cane spoke very highly of Miss Reid’s capabilities, she having taken over vice Miss Dods now at Boulogne." By 22 November things appear to have been better settled, the Matron-in-Chief commenting "No.6 General Hospital in the same neighbourhood, also under canvas was the next I visited. Lt.Col. Du Cane ... officer in charge, Miss Reid Matron, staff of 40 – 2 more Nursing Sisters expected in the evening. The arrangements for the Sisters were good and their Mess Tent excellent – warm, comfortable, flowers on the tables and a very excellent mid-day meal, well cooked and very hot. Not many patients in Hospital and the marques being moved from one position to another." On 10 January 1915 she further commented "These hospitals are in a good position near pine woods and some of the tents have been struck in the middle of an apple orchard, which will be particularly beautiful in Spring. They are all boarded – heated by stoves and lighted by lamps. They are all well managed and everything going smoothly, No.6 being particularly good, having excellent arrangements for the comfort of the men and the Nursing Sisters. Everywhere the Matrons are well supplied with Red Cross things for the benefit of the patients." On 15 March 1915 "6 General Hospital with Miss Reid in charge were busy moving into their hutted Hospital which will be most comfortable". The hospital remained at Rouen for the duration of the war.  It was a base hospital, at the mid-point of the casualty evacuation chain, positioned near the coast and with good access to railway lines or canals for casualties received back from the the Casualty Clearing Stations closer to the front line, but also well-placed for evacuation of casualties through nearby ports so they could be evacuated for longer-term treatment in Britain. Possibly a man of high medical grade 'combed-out' for front-line service as the war progressed, Burr later served in theatre 4(b) (Palestine) as 41620** Pte S G Burr, 1/5th Somerset Light Infantry, part of the 233rd Brigade of the 75th Division, XXI Corps (Lt Gen E S Bulfin), Egyptian Expeditionary Force. It may be that like fellow RAMC man 41606 George Somerset Smale, he was already serving in Egypt (in Smale's case, at a casualty clearing station), when earmarked for transfer. Although he was posted to a Territorial battalion, Pte Burr's regimental number comes from the shared Regular/Service battalion sequence, probably dating from mid- to late-April 1918. Judging from the army career of G S Smale, after being earmarked, sent to RAMC base depot at Kantara and then put through a short stint at Infantry school, he would probably have joined the 1/5th Som L I around 21 May 1918. This was after their participation in the Battle of Berukin, 9-30 April 1918. This joining date would have put him in line to fight with the 1/5th in the Battle of Sharon, 19-25 September 1918. In this major set-piece battle (employing 35,000 troops in total on the Allied side) the main Tabsor system of trenches held by the Ottoman XXII Corps was attacked after an intense Western Front-style bombardment and eventually captured by the 3rd (Lahore), 7th (Meerut), and the 75th Divisions, including two companies of the 1/5th Somerset Light Infantry (the Battle of Tabsor). These three divisions subsequently advanced, despite the Ottoman XXII Corps being reinforced, to capture Et Tire (captured by the 75th Division, by 11am on the 19th) and Masudiye Station. As part of the wider battle of Sharon, the actions of the Meerut Division and (attacking along the coast), the 60th Division, opened up a gap which the cavalry could exploit, eventually leading to Ottoman defeat and the loss of at least 25,000 prisoners and 260 guns. The Final Offensive of the Sinai and Palestine Campaign began the day after the battles of Sharon and Nablus (the Battle of Megiddo) ended, with the pursuit to Damascus, which was captured on 1 October. The Turkish surrender (Armistice of Mudros) on 31 October 1918 saw the battalion at Kalkiliah south of Haifa, Palestine. Having at some point returned home, Pte Burr was discharged to the Army Section 'B' Reserve 21 April 1919; this was for men who had completed their service in the regular army and were serving their normal period (typically of five years, although in his case possibly nine) on reserve. *see also 6580 Arthur Sydney Hellyer, who enlisted for his "three and nine"  at Stratford, in London, on 3 August 1912 and served with 11th General Hospital as part of the BEF and 6584 Arthur Daniel Gwilt, a short service enlistment at Wolverhampton on 6 August 1912 who served with 4th Field Ambulance and 6585 Frederick Harold Forman who enlisted for a Long Service Attestation (12 years) at Aldershot, aged 14, on 7 August 1912 **41606 George Somerset Smale, also a former RAMC man, serving with 26th Casualty Clearing Station, was sent via RAMC Base Depot, Kantara (19 March 1918) to the Infantry School of Instruction on 1 April, and then on 12 April compulsorily transferred to the Somerset Light Infantry and posted to the 1/5th Battalion, joining them in the field on 21 May 1918.

Victory Medal to 3/8711 Pte E J SMITH BEDF R. (formerly 3134) Old Soldier, entitled Army LSGC, IGSM 1895 & Relief of Chitral clasp - Shell Shock June 1917

Victory Medal to 3/8711 Pte E J SMITH BEDF R. (formerly 3134)

Ernest John Smith was born in Standground, Peterborough circa 1871. A former labourer and old soldier, he first enlisted at Huntingdon on 17 June 1889, aged 18 years 7 months, in the Bedfordshire & Huntingdonshire Regiment, under the regimental number 3134. He gave his next of kin as his father, Henry, and younger brother, William, both of Steeple Gidding, Huntingdonshire. He served with the 1st battalion for just under six years, including in Malta and India, serving on both the Isazai Field Force and Chitral Relief Force, where the 1st Battalion was involved in the storming of the Malakand Pass. For this service he was entitled to the India General Service Medal with the clasp 'Relief of Chitral 95'. Having rejoined the Colours in early 1898 after a year on the Reserve, and returned to India, he further extended his service in 1901, subsequently earning the Army Long Service and Good Conduct Medal with gratuity. Finally he served on the regular establishment of the 3rd Battalion of the Bedfordshire Regiment as a storekeeper in the QM's stores, and was discharged upon the termination of his second term of engagement on 16 June 1910, having served twenty-one years, aged 39 years 7 months. He was described as 'painstaking and hard working' and was in possession of four good conduct badges. 

After the outbreak of war he re-enlisted for one year on 21 October 1914, giving as his next of kin his brother, Arthur. He was posted to the 3rd battalion, Bedfordshire Regiment the same day and then on to the 9th battalion three days later. Eleven months to the day later he transferred to the 8th battalion, the Bedfordshires, another 'Service' battalion, raised in October 1914 as a part of Lord Kitchener's Third New Army ('K3'). They served entirely on the Western Front between August 1915 and February 1918, at which time the battalion was disbanded. He went overseas to join them on 24 September 1915 - shortly before the battalion was engaged at Loos - possibly being part of a draft of 115 O.R.s who arrived on 8 October when the battalion was in the trenches near Vlamertinghe. At some point he was attached to 6th Divisional Headquarters, the parent formation. Depending upon when this occured, his service would have put him in line to experience the first German use of Phosgene gas on 19 December 1915, a major bombardment and raid on the 8th battalion's lines on the Yser Canal Bank on 20 April 1916, and during the Somme offensive the Battles of Flers-Courcelette and Morval in September, and the Battle of Le Transloy in October, as well as the Battle of Hill 70 15-20 April 1917. 

Pte Smith suffered a shell-shock wound in June 1917, appearing accordingly on War Office Daily List No.5332 of 8 August 1917. During this month the battalion had spent time in the trenches at Mazingarbe and then Hulluch, with active enemy artillery on some days and one trench raid, interspersed with working parties whilst at Rest. It was most probably subsequent to his recovery from this injury that he was attached to the Permanent Base Battalion.

On 8 October 1917, as was common with 'Permanent Base' men, Smith was transferred to the Labour Corps and posted to No.868 Area Employment (Garrison Guard) Company under the new number 405896 and immediately appointed Paid Lance Corporal. This was probably one of the original 47 Garrison Guard Companies set up from September 1917, possibly part of the group raised from Permanent Base (PB) Men. It was probably amongst the 40 allocated to guard duties along the Lines of Communications. Men in these companies were of B.i grade and subject to fortnightly medical assessments with a view to combing-out fit men for transfer to Base depots and onwards to the fighting units. Guard duties included prisons, dumps, railway communications, hospitals and providing escorts for PoW labour Companies. 

Subsequently L/Cpl Smith was further transferred to the Royal Fusiliers (as G/104942), to become a Lance Corporal in the 43rd (Garrison) Battalion. The Battalion was formed from former Garrison Guard companies and its 49 companies performed general guard duties, including at the various Army headquarters.

L/Cpl Smith was demobilised to the Army Reserve Class 'Z' on 1 March 1919, having accrued a further 4 years 131 days' service. His intended address was 4 Otter Street, Strutts Park, Derby. Subsequently he gained employment as a tram driver for the city council, retiring some time prior to 1940. He died in Derby City Hospital on 25 October 1940.

WW1 BWM & VM Pair 15522 Pte R Naylor twice wounded with the 17th & 10th Battalions Lancashire Fusiliers

WW1 BWM & VM Pair 15522 Pte R Naylor twice wounded with the 17th & 10th Battalions Lancashire Fusiliers. 

Robert Naylor was born circa 1888 and was a resident of Preston. Like 15526 Albert Fairclough, he would have enlisted around 6 January 1915 (as confirmed by his Silver War Badge roll entry). He probably went overseas around January 1916. If so, this would seemingly fit with him being an original 'Bantam' (a man of good physical build, but below the normal regulation height of 5' 3") of the 17th (Service) Battalion (1st South-East Lancashire), Lancashire Fusiliers, which went overseas as a unit in January 1916.

After a period of familiarisation with western Front conditions, the 17th, as part of 104th Brigade, 35th Division, then proceeded to fight on the Somme, arriving at Aveluy Wood on 10 July 1916. Pte Naylor was reported on the War Office daily casualty list for 23 August 1916, suggesting he was wounded whilst in the line with the 17th Lancashire Fusiliers in mid- to late-July 1916; very possibly when they were acting as carrying parties for the 89th Brigade's attack on Guillemont, 29 and 30 July 1916. During this action the parties were attached to various battalions of the attacking force and moved up with the 4th wave, suffering 40 other rank casualties in the process, of which 31 were wounded. Other alternatives would be that he was one of 12 men wounded by an accidental bomb (grenade) explosion in 'Happy Valley' on 14 July, one of 5 men wounded at Maricourt on 19 July, or one of a total of 153 men wounded whilst the battalion occupied the front line between Trones Wood and Maltz Horn Farm from 21 to 23 July and then Talus Boise the following day.

Presumably having been evacuated and then posted to a new battalion on his return to theatre, by July 1918 Pte Naylor was serving with the 10th Battalion another 'New Army' unit. Depending upon when he joined it, he may have taken part in The First and Second Battles of the Scarpe, and The Capture of Roeux (parts of the Battle of Arras, and The First and Second Battles of Passchendaele phases of Third Ypres, as well as, during 1918,

The Battles of St Quentin and Bapaume, both phases of the German Spring Offensive. By July the battalion was in the Somme sector, and Pte Naylor was then wounded in action again with the 10th Lancashire Fusiliers, 17th Division, circa 14 July 1918. At this time the battalion was in the front-line trenches east of Bouzincourt. He was admitted to the care of 51st Field Ambulance on 13/14 July with a shrapnel wound to the right thigh for which he was given Morphine and then despatched to one of No 3, No. 27, No. 56 Casualty Clearing Stations. By this time he was reported to have accumulated 3 Years 6 Months' service of which 31 Months was with the Field Force. He featured on War Office Daily List No.5642 of 13 August 1918.

He was entitled to the Silver War Badge, number B/165832, and was discharged on 28 February 1919.