No. 54 General Hospital in the Great War - The Wartime Memories Project -

No. 54 General Hospital

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Patient Reports.

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Those known to have worked or been treated at
No. 54 General Hospital
during the Great War 1914-1918.

Casey Peter. Pte. (d.23rd June 1917)
Jones John Robert. Bmdr.
Moss Albert William. Pte.
Shalders MM.. Victor Reginald. Pte.
Stewart John Patrick Purcell. Pte.
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Records of No. 54 General Hospital from other sources.

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Want to know more about No. 54 General Hospital?

There are:-1 items tagged No. 54 General Hospital available in our Library

These include information on officers, regimental histories, letters, diary entries, personal accounts and information about actions during the Great War.

500688
Pte. Victor Reginald Shalders MM. 33rd Btn.
Victor Shalders was a farm labourer from Dangarsleigh near Armidale NSW, he was born in Northam, nr Perth, Western Australia. He enlisted on the 13th December 1915 aged 19. he is described as being 5' 6&1/2" weighting 8st 10lb with fair hair and blue eyes.
During training he had several spells in Bulford Hospital and was also admitted to hospital in France after joining his unit.
He saw action in the Battle of Messines and was awarded the Military Medal. His citation reads: "For conspicuos bravery and devotion to duty during the Battle of Messines from June 7th to June 11th 1917. private Victor Reginald Shalders was a runner attached to Company Headquarters and by his thoughtfulness and initiative he was the greatest assistance in the collection and prompt dispatch of information throughout the action. Largely through his efforts contact was maintained with Australian HQ and the flank companies. He continually conveyed messages across the captured area under heavy shell fire. This he did always with great cheerfulness. During the latter stages of the attack he suffered severely with blistered feet, but this did not deter him from carrying on his work with the same efficiency. During the 96 hours of the occupation, he greatly assisted with the evacuation by promptly warning stretcher bearers in the area".
Pte. Shalders had further spells in hospital in France and in Feb 1918 was admitted to Boscombe Military Hospital in Hampshire, England having been treated at 53rd CCS and 54th General Hospital, suffering from Trench Fever. He rejoined the 33rd Battalion in France in August, returning to Australia in June 1919 aboard the Somali.
His two brothers, also served with the AIF, William with the 32nd Btn and Clarence with the 10th Light Horse.
Trevor Fenton

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262332
Bmdr. John Robert Jones 281st Brigade, A Battery Royal Field Artillery
John Jones saw service throughout the War in 281 Brigade, 56th (London) Division until the 1st Battle of Arras in 1918 when his gun was hit on 28th March. He spent 2 days on the battlefield and it seems he was found on 30th March and attended 54th General Hospital at Aubengue Hospital for shell shock and then returned to England for convalescence and then posted to the 5th Reserve Brigade.
The story handed down was that his artillery gun was hit and he was the only one to have survived, he then carried the attached photo of his gun crew in his breast pocket for the rest of the war. However I can find no record of 5 or 6 same day casualties from A battery around that time, but I have reason to believe A battery was posted alongside 109 battery and CWGC records show a group of fatalities from 109 battery on that day. Is it possible that as the Bombardier he was more mobile and close to 109 battery? Or, could he have been transferred to 109 battery at short notice (there are no military records of an official transfer that I can find).
The attached photo is believed to have been taken just before Cambrai in Nov 1917, and I am 99% sure this is his A battery gun crew. If anybody should recognise any of these men as having survived the war, then it would add weight to my theory regarding 109 battery.
John Robert Jones had 5 children after the war, including my mother, and one of whom was part of the British 1948 Olympic team. Sadly, he had a troubled life after the war, never recovered from his injuries, and died in 1936. John Robert Jones was my grandfather.
Chris Reynolds

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258226
Pte. John Patrick Purcell Stewart 15th Light Trench Mortar Battery
John Stewart was a wheeler from Catherine Hill Bay, New South Wales. He enlisted on the 8th of May 1916. He returned to Australia 15th of April 1919. Jack Stewart was awarded the British War Medal, Victory Medal, the returned from active service badge and the Silver War Badge.
He applied to enlist in the 1st AIF on 2nd May 1916 at West Maitland, NSW. John had served about 2 months in the senior cadets but he was living in an exempt area. his mother gave her consent for him to enlist.
His physical description was recorded as: Height 5 feet 5½ inches, Complexion fair, Weight 9 stone 5 lbs, Eyes blue, Chest measurement 31 - 34 inches, Hair brown Distinctive marks scar on right shin.
He was a single man, 18 years 4 months, a wheeler and his address he gave was 2 Catherine Bay, NSW. His mother, Mrs E Stewart, of Teralba, NSW, was listed as his next of kin (father deceased). This next of kin was later changed to his wife Mrs D D Stewart of 53 Pisgah Street, Kefir Hill, South Wales.
John was enlisted in the 1st AIF at West Maitland NSW on 8th May 1916 and he joined B company of the Newcastle Depot Battalion with the rank of private. Then on the 5th July he was allocated to the reinforcement 2 of the Light Trench Mortar Battery and transferred to the Menangle Camp. His unit embarked from Sydney, New South Wales, on board HMAT A40 Ceramic on the 7th October 1916. They disembarked at Plymouth on the 21st November 1916 and moved to the Parkhouse Camp.
John was transferred from the Reinforcement Group to the 18th Battalion at Rollestone on the 6th February 1917. He moved from the 5th Training Battalion at Rollestone and proceeded overseas to France on the 19th April. He joined the 18th Battalion, in France, on the 9th May. On the 11th May 1917 John was attached for duty with the 5th LTM battery, then on the 10th July he was transferred and taken on strength of the battery. Oral history tells us that he was a runner (message carrier) He told me he was a runner and had to wait for the artillery shells to pass then run like mad ...
John reported sick on the 15th September 1917 and was given aid by the 7th Field Ambulance for P.U.O. (pyrexia of unknown origin). He was discharged back to duty after 4 days. He reported sick again on the 12th December and was moved to the 2nd Australian Casualty Clearing Station with cardiac dilation then placed on Ambulance Train 28 and admitted to the 54 General Hospital. He was evacuated to England aboard the hospital ship Jan Breydel on 28th with V.D.H. severe. He was admitted to the Chilly Hospital at Eastbourne the same day. He was then transferred to the Central Military Hospital then to the 3rd Australian Auxiliary Hospital at Dartford on the 24th January 1918. Then, on the 2nd February he was discharged to the No2 Command Depot at Weymouth. He was charged with being way without leave, from Littlemoore, from the 1st March to the 20th March 1918. The charge was dismissed by the Lt. Col. D.A. Lane because a medical certificate was produced covering the absence.
John embarked on the 15th April 1918 for his return to Australia for a change, due to Mitral Regurgitation, aboard the H.M.A.T. Marathon. He disembarked on the 12th June in Port Melbourne, then he travelled to Sydney (most probably by rail). He was discharged from the A.I.F. in the 2nd Military District (ie. NSW) on the 26th July 1918.
John Patrick Purcell Stewart was born at Teralba, NSW during 1898, the son of Charles Parnell and Elizabeth Anne Etewart. He died on the 4th April 1975 at age of about 77.
Len Smith

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219824
Pte. Peter Casey 6th Btn. Connaught Rangers (d.23rd June 1917)
Peter Casey was born in 1882 in Keash, Co. Sligo. He moved to Lancashire, England in 1900 and worked in the mines on the coal face. He married Bridget Sheeran, whose parents came from Ballymote. They had four children, Mary born 1906, Michael, John and Anne born 1914. Peter died from wounds to his arm and legs in Wimereux Army Hospital on 23rd June 1917 and is buried in the Wimereux Communal Cemetery. His daughter Mary married Tommy Martyn from Galway, whose offspring represented Great Britain and Ireland at rugby league.
Anthony Martyn

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208034
Pte. Albert William Moss Notts & Derby Regiment
Bill Moss enlisted at Huddersfield on the 12th of March 1917 when was 18. He never spoke about his experiences. He was wounded in the knee when a shell hit the gun he was firing and he had to have his right leg amputated above the knee.
I have a letter written to his mother from the sister in charge of the ward where he was treated, at 54th General Hospital BE?H (the letter is handwritten and not clear in places). I think the signature is Muriel Hocken. I would very much like to know more about this hospital and where it was situated.
Bill was sent back to England for further treatment and asserted that one of the nurses was a young lady who later became famous, Barbara Cartland, doing her bit for the war effort. Again, I don't know where this was. Does anyone else know?
Editor's note: 54th General Hospital was at Wimereux in France.
Kate Haworth

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No. 54 General Hospital

Patient Reports.

Those known to have worked or been treated at
No. 54 General Hospital
during the Great War 1914-1918.

Can you help?

If you enjoy this site please consider making a donation.

Announcements

Want to know more about No. 54 General Hospital?

Recomended Reading.

Links

The Wartime Memories Project - No. 54 General Hospital during the Great War -

No. 54 General Hospital

Patient Reports.

Those known to have worked or been treated at No. 54 General Hospitalduring the Great War 1914-1918.

Can you help?

If you enjoy this site please consider making a donation.

Announcements

Want to know more about No. 54 General Hospital?

Recomended Reading.

Links

The Wartime Memories Project
- No. 54 General Hospital during the Great War -

Those known to have worked or been treated at
No. 54 General Hospital
during the Great War 1914-1918.