7567 Private John Currie of the 10th Gordon Highlanders was a patient at Hickwells in 1915 after being wounded at the Battle of Loos. His entry in Nurse Oliver’s album (which has been over-written at a later date in black ink), reads:
Pte J Currie
10th Gordons
Wounded at Hill 70 25/9/15 During the Battle of Loos
He shares this page with entries from fellow Scotsmen 18406 Private James Sweeney of the 13th Royal Scots and S/7793 Private Andrew Geddes of the 1/7th Gordon Highlanders.
John Currie probably enlisted in Aberdeen around September 1914. He arrived in France with the 10th Gordons (44th Infantry Brigade, 15th Scottish Division) on 9th July 1915.
He was wounded on the opening day of the battle of Loos on 25th September 1915 and three days later, arrived at the 2nd Eastern General Hospital in Brighton. On Tuesday 5th October 1915, John Currie was named in The Sussex Daily News (CURRIE, 7567, Private J, 10th Gordons) as being a patient at the 2nd Eastern General. He arrived at Hickwells on 13th October.
John Currie must have recuperated because at some point he was posted back to the 10th Gordon Highlanders but deserted on 10th August 1916. His medal index card shows an entitlement to the 1915 Star and British War and Victory medals but there is a hand-written note next to his British War and Victory Medals entry to the effect that they were retained under King’s Regulations 1743, presumably because he deserted.
