J Andrew's entry in Nurse Oliver’s album obviously dates him as a patient at Beechlands (although it is conceivable that he could have transferred from Hickwells). His entry, written underneath a cartoon illustration reads:
Pte J Andrew
(4 Res) Northants Regt
Rose Ward
Beechlands
Newick
Sussex
The 4th (Reserve) Northamptonshire Regiment is the 2/4th Battalion which was formed at Northampton on 27th November 1914. He is possibly 2791 Corporal James W Andrew and if this is the same man he transferred (presumably after recovering from whatever sickness had put him into Beechland House) to the Gloucestershire Regiment. The number 2791 dates to October 1914. The National Archives gives two numbers for him with the Gloucestershire Regiment: 5905 and 242112. 5905 dates to post August 1916.
The 1901 census of England and Wales reveals a James W Andrew living at Church Street, Broughton, Northamptonshire with his family. The household comprised: George Andrew (head, married, aged 35, working as a foreman in the boot trade), his wife Sarah A Andrew (aged 35) and their children: Lucy E Andrew (aged nine), Lily G W Andrew (aged eight), George Andrew (aged six) and James (aged five). There is also a 20 year old boarder – Wallace Smith, a "shoie finisher" by trade – living at the house. James’s place of birth is recorded as Broughton.
Showing posts with label Northamptonshire Regiment. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Northamptonshire Regiment. Show all posts
Thursday, September 16, 2010
Thursday, November 20, 2008
Albert Leggett
Albert Leggett's service record survives as a burnt document in the WO 363 series at the National Archives. Ancestry has just made service records I-N available on-line and so, twenty odd years after I first transcribed Albert's entry in Nurse Oliver's album, I have been able to find out more about him. I've now written up my notes and updated Albert's page on the website.
Albert was not a resident of Chailey but a wound on a battlefield in France would ensure that he would soon be acquainted with the parish. He enlisted with the Northamptonshire Regiment at Norwich in April 1915. By the end of July that year he was in France and, posted to the regular 1st Battalion, would fight through Loos and the Battle of the Somme until severely wounded at Pozieres in August 1916. He was in hospital in France for just under a month and then, returning to England in September 1916, would spend at least another ten weeks in hospitals in England; first to the 2nd Eastern General Hospital at Brighton and then to Beechlands (or Beechland House) in Newick. Later transferred to the 2/5th Scottish Rifles and then the RAMC, Albert would spend the rest of the war in England. The leave that he was granted from hospital in December 1916 was beneficial to Albert and his wife. In September 1917 their second child was born.
Albert was discharged from the army in March 1919 and two months later, a grateful country, acknowledging that his wound amounted to a 20 per cent degree of disablement, awarded him a weekly pension of five shillings and sixpence, to be reviewed twelve months later. Subsequent Board papers do not survive but it seems likely, given the many other soldiers' papers I have seen, that his award was reduced.
Albert was not a resident of Chailey but a wound on a battlefield in France would ensure that he would soon be acquainted with the parish. He enlisted with the Northamptonshire Regiment at Norwich in April 1915. By the end of July that year he was in France and, posted to the regular 1st Battalion, would fight through Loos and the Battle of the Somme until severely wounded at Pozieres in August 1916. He was in hospital in France for just under a month and then, returning to England in September 1916, would spend at least another ten weeks in hospitals in England; first to the 2nd Eastern General Hospital at Brighton and then to Beechlands (or Beechland House) in Newick. Later transferred to the 2/5th Scottish Rifles and then the RAMC, Albert would spend the rest of the war in England. The leave that he was granted from hospital in December 1916 was beneficial to Albert and his wife. In September 1917 their second child was born.
Albert was discharged from the army in March 1919 and two months later, a grateful country, acknowledging that his wound amounted to a 20 per cent degree of disablement, awarded him a weekly pension of five shillings and sixpence, to be reviewed twelve months later. Subsequent Board papers do not survive but it seems likely, given the many other soldiers' papers I have seen, that his award was reduced.
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