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.

Private John Weatherstone, 1/5th Battalion, Durham Light Infantry and Royal Defence Corps; wounded at Second Ypres, eight days after arriving in France

Private John Weatherstone,  1/5th Battalion, Durham Light Infantry and Royal Defence Corps; wounded at Second Ypres, eight days after arriving in France.

John Weatherstone was born in 1889. I  believe him to be the same as the "John Weatherston" who in 1911 was employed as a servant (presumably an apprentice blacksmith or similar) to a blacksmith in Horncliffe in the Parish of Wooler in Northumberland. At the outbreak of war he was resident at 14 Waverley Terrace, Darlington.  Amidst extensive efforts by the territorial battalions of the Durham Light Infantry to recruit for war service, he attested his willingness to serve for 4 years on 14 September 1914, at Darlington, as a Private. 5' 10" tall with a 38" chest, he was medically examined and declared fit to serve in the Durham Light Infantry and given the service number 2719. He signed the Imperial Service Obligation (Army Form E624) the same day, thus volunteering to serve overseas, and was posted to the Durham Light Infantry reserve, 5th Battalion. The 5th Battalion was a Territorial formation headquartered at the Drill Hall, Stockton, but three of the battalion's eight companies (D, E and H) were headquartered in Darlington, at the Drill Hall there. 

Pte Weatherstone was then posted for General Service on 28 November; in practical terms this probably indicates that he was posted to the first line Battalion of the 5th, 1/5 DLI (then based at Newcastle), on this date - rather than remaining with the Reserve battalion, then the 2/5th.

He entered the France and Flanders theatre with the 1st/5th Durham Light Infantry on 18 April 1915, landing at Boulogne as part of 150th Brigade, 50th (Northumbrian) Division. The 50th Division was the fourth Territorial Division declared fit for overseas service and on disembarkation concentrated around Steenvorde in Belgium.  Lieutenant-Colonel Gilbert Spence of Preston Park, Stockton was the officer commanding the battalion. 

This was about the time of the fierce fighting at Second Ypres, and the First-line Territorial Battalions of the DLI were split up and rushed into the line at Ypres to support the hard-pressed British front.   

["On 24th April at 1.00 am the battalion was assembled to move into action. They moved to take up positions on both banks of the Yser canal. From here the men moved to Potijze and in the early daylight they passed refugees and the gassed and wounded soldiers from the Front who warned them of their impending death. Ypres was to their right flank and visibly in flames. In occupying a line of reserve trenches at Potijze the first casualties were recorded..." ]

Pte Weatherstone was injured (Gun Shot Wounds to foot and back) on 26 April 1915, most probably whilst in the line at Fortuin during the Battle of St Julien, just outside Ypres, a brutal combat in which the six DLI Territorial Battalions lost 62 officers dead, wounded, invalided or missing, whilst the five battalions excluding the 1/6th suffered nearly 1,400 other ranks casualties. Pte Weatherstone was serving with C Company of 1/5 DLI at the time. 

After his wounding he was passed back through the casualty evacuation chain until he was admitted to No.2 General Hospital, Quai D'Éscale, Havre on 29 April. Shortly afterwards he was invalided home via the Hospital Ship Carisbrooke Castle on 3 May, arriving home on 4/5 May 1915.  

After what was presumably an extended period of treatment, on 27 November 1915 he was transferred to 34 (Northern) Command Depot, Ripon, which would later become a unit for the rehabilitative training of soldiers too fit for convalescent camp but not yet fit enough to be returned to unit. Following this, on 11 May 1916, he was transferred from the convalescent establishment and added to the permanent staff.  In early 1917 he was renumbered, as part of the wider renumbering of the Territorial Force, being given the new service number  271987. Whilst there he married Daisy Clarice Bint (born 1890 in Henley, Oxfordshire) on 6 June 1917. 

On 30 June 1917 he was transferred to the Labour Corps and, probably about that time, transferred to 473rd HS (Home Service) Employment Company, which had been formed at Ripon. It is possible that this was simply a continuation of his existing duties under another "badge", as the circa 275-man Home Service Employment Companies consisted of medically downgraded personnel in recognised trades and provided batmen, clerks, sanitary men, cooks, laundrymen, storemen, tradesmen such as butchers and tailors, and other essential staff members for hospitals, barracks and command depots like those at Ripon.

Later, possibly around 29 June 1918, he was transferred to the Royal Defence Corps, service number 78135, and posted to 166th Protection Company, also part of Northern Command.  The RDC was created in April 1916 to guard strategic areas such as ports, munitions factories and Prisoner of War camps. It was princpally composed of older men and those who were less fit (including those, such as Pte Weatherstone, impaired by or recovering from war injuries). Between January and the end of June 1918 the Company, under the command of Captain Edward Paxton, was on guard duties at  Brocton POW camp,  Cannock Chase, the Royal Defence Corps Depot being at 24 Sun Street, London EC2. There were two camps at Brocton, the facility later being extended to include two “transit” camps nearby for those being sent to neutral Netherlands and a 1,250 bed hospital. It seems likely that Pte Weatherstone was posted to the Company to coincide with its next posting after Brocton. (Possibly to Revesby outside Lincoln, a work camp, to which one of his fellow soldiers was posted in 19th October 1918). At some point during this service he was promoted to Lance Corporal. 

He was demobilised from No.1 Dispersal Centre on 20 March 1919 after having given four years and 188 days' service. He was discharged on demobilisation as being surplus to military requirements having suffered impairment since entering into the service (Para. 363 (xvia) of King's Regulations). His medical grade was given as B.II (Free from serious organic diseases, able to stand service on lines of communication in France, or in garrisons in the tropics: Able to walk 5 miles, see and hear sufficiently for ordinary purposes). He had a clean conduct sheet and his character on demobilisation was described as Very Good. His address on demobilisation was his mother's, Mrs R Patterson, Rose Cottage, East Learmouth/Branxton, Cornhill-on-Tweed. As well as a pension of 40/- a week (plus 10/- a week for his wife), he received a War Gratuity of £35 in 1921, in consideration of a Gun Shot Wound right ankle, attributable to service. In January 1922 he was writing from his new address of Burn Cottage to the War Office to enquire to whom he should apply for his medals. He received his medals on 11 March 1922 and died at home on 9 [August?] 1924 (or 1923?), the War Office being notified of his death by his Half-Brother, Arnold Patterson on 15th August. His cause of death is hard to ascertain as the record is almost illegible but it appears to have been heart-related. He is presumably the same man as the "John Weatherston" who is recorded on the Civil List of death registrations for September 1924 in the registration district of Wooler, containing the parish of Branxton, also in Northumberland.