Hello. Welcome to the November edition. If you were looking for an October edition, well there wasn’t one as I was away! Yes, we were on the Western Front, and we also discovered fortifications in Italy – the Linea Cadorna. Hopefully, I can put some words and photos together on that topic for a future issue. We also visited a museum dedicated to a titan of WWI. Who or what was that? Well, it is on the last page of this newsletter.
In this issue, we have two articles by Keith, and thanks to him for all the effort that has gone into producing them. As ever, please send items of interest to me or Fiona.
Trevor
The Programme for 2014
1st November Denis McCarthy The Battle of Langemark.
Denis is doing a PhD in WWI studies at the University of Birmingham. Denis spoke to the branch some 18 months ago on the 16th Irish Divn.
6th December Members’ social event
Last Month’s Speakers – September and October
In September, Nigel Crompton came to speak to us on “HM Factory Gretna – the human and social side, a pictorial history of HM cordite factory in the Scottish borders.” In fact, he also dealt with some of the other munitions factories, including our very own Gwaith Powdwr at Penrhyndeudraeth. We have since sent him a copy of the recruiting leaflet used at the time (see overleaf).
Nigel explained some of the processes used in making the munitions, and the total absence of health and safety precautions, with sadly predictable results. If you want to know more, English Heritage have published a book “Dangerous Energy: a history of gunpowder and military explosives manufacture” by Wayne Cocroft.
In October, Adam Prime came at short notice to talk to us about the Indian Army in WWI. Adam is a PhD student at the University of Leicester. The Indian Army has been badly neglected both as a WWI subject, and also in terms of the recognition of its role in WWI. For example, the Indian Army memorial at the Menin Gate is only a few years old, yet if you look at the names and regiments commemorated on the Menin Gate itself, there are considerable numbers of Indian soldiers there. Did you realise that by the end of WWI, the Indian Army had gone from 240,000 to 584,311 strong? Adam’s talk was thus on an unusual topic but a very worthwhile one.
A recruiting poster for “munitionettes” for Gwaith Powdwr – is your Welsh up to translating it?
Staff Nurse Nellie Spindler
Keith Walker
Nellie was born in 1891 in Wakefield, Yorkshire. She was the first child of George and Elizabeth Spindler. She had two sisters, Lilly was born in 1896, May was born in 1904 and her brother George Edward in 1902. Her parents were married in Leeds in 1890. Her father was a police inspector and in the 1911 census they were living in 104 Cleaver Place, except for Nellie who had become a hospital nurse and was living in Park Lane. She trained as a nurse at Township Infirmary, Leeds during 1912-1915. The Leeds new workhouse was built to accommodate 800 persons, at a cost of £32,000. The foundation stone was laid in 1858 and the building opened 28th March 1861. In common with many workhouses, it later became part of the Leeds Township Infirmary which was funded by the Poor Law Guardians. In1995, it was converted into the Thackeray Medical Museum.
Nellie, as she grew up, would have seen many changes. The war in South Africa occurred between 1899 and 1902. Queen Victoria was coming to the end of her reign, 1863 – 1901. A new era emerged (Edwardian) after the crowning of King Edward. Nellie would have felt a great sense of duty, her father being a police inspector and her enrolment as a nurse.
When the war came in 1914, the young men volunteered in droves “after all it would be over by Christmas”. There was a sense of excitement and a chance to see a foreign land. A lot of these young men saw it as an opportunity to get away from what they saw as a dreary life. They had a great sense of duty “King and country and all that” but they were doing what they saw as “right”. The young women wanted to do “their bit” also. Nellie was a trained nurse
Nellie, from a painting by Soren Hawkes MA
and she answered the call and joined QAIMNS (the Queen Alexandra’s Imperial Military Nursing Service). This was formed in 1902 from Army Nursing Service, which was formed in 1881.
In August 1914, the QAIMNS were mobilised for duty with the BEF. The number of nurses in 1914 was 3,000. By 1918, this had risen to 23,000. Nellie worked as a staff nurse in Whittington military hospital Lichfield, before moving to Abbeville hospital France, and then going up to the front line. Some of these nurses were extremely brave. Nellie worked in a CCS (Casualty Clearing Station). The CCS Number 44 at Brandhoek was where Nellie served. Its particular expertise was in abdominal wounds which needed to be treated quickly due to the loss of blood and the chance of infection (and don’t forget there were no blood transfusions in 1914). That is why the 44th CCS was located only a couple of miles from the front line.
July 31st 1917 was a very busy day at Brandhoek. The first day of the Battle of Passchendaele (3rd Ypres) was raging, and the CCS was overwhelmed with casualties. Because of the position of the CCS they were under constant shelling. The CCS was close to the railway that was used to bring up supplies and then take back the casualties. On the 21st August, the shelling started at around 10am with two shells just missing the main quarters of the 44th CCS. One can only imagine the confusion going on, trying to treat the wounded and trying to stay safe, but later, one shell too many landed on the tented wards. Eye witness reports stated that Nellie was hit by shrapnel going through her body and just missing her heart. She was quickly cared for by her fellow nurses but within minutes she had lost consciousness and twenty minutes later her battle was over. It was 11.15 am. She was just 26 years old. Two Military Medals were awarded for actions taken that day: Elizabeth Eckett (sister E) 32 C.C.S. and Minnie Wood ( Sister in Charge) at 44 C.C.S.
Later that day, CCS was moved to Lijssenthock which was further back from the front line, so it is at Lijssenthock where Nellie rests. She was buried the day after her death, 22nd August 1917 with a full military funeral including the “Last Post” played over her grave. She is the only woman among 9,901 men (CWGC). Her grave reference is XV1-A3.
A report written at the time states:
Thursday, August 23rd. No 10 sta, St. Omer.
I’m afraid you will be very disappointed, but we are to reopen on the same spot – leave is off. The Australians are not to go back, but we are to carry on the abdominal work alone as we did before they came up. I imagine that this week’s push has gone well and that we’ve shoved their line back a bit, or they wouldn’t start the hospital there again. Westhoek Ridge is ours. I don’t know about St. Julien, but we’ve done well. The ground has been hard and the tanks have been able to get going and flattening out those pill boxes which held us up before.
I expected (for one rash day) to be telling you all about Tuesday (21st August 1917) at home tomorrow, but must write it now. The business began about 10am. Two came pretty close after each other and both just cleared us and No. 44. The third crashed between Sister E’s ward in our lines and the Sisters quarters of No. 44. Bits came over everywhere, pitching at one’s feet and we rushed to the scene of the action, and one just missed one of my night sisters getting into bed in our compound. I knew by the crash where it must have gone and found Sister E as white as paper but smiling happily and comforting the terrified patients. Bits tore through her ward but hurt no one. Having to be thoroughly jovial to the patients on these occasions helps us considerably ourselves. Then I came onto the shell hole and wrecked tents in the sisters’ quarters at 44. A group of stricken M.O.s were standing about and in one tent Sister N (Nellie Spindler) was dying. The piece went through her from back to front near her heart. She was only conscious a few minutes and only lived twenty minutes. She was in bed asleep. The sister who shared her tent had been sent down the day before because she couldn’t stand the noise, and the day and night conditions. The sister who should have been in the tent which was nearest was out for a walk, or would have been blown to bits, everything in her tent was, so was my empty ward next to Sister E. (Elizabeth Eckett) It all made one sick.
K.E. Luard (Kate Luard was the sister in charge of 32 CCS)
The War Diary states:
Aug 21
No’s 4,47,+61 ccs’s had been bombed last night with 120 casualties, 8 MOs and several sisters had been wounded. It is further stated that Brandhoek no’s 32, 44, and 3 Australian ccs’s had been shelled and one sister killed besides other casualties.
They were closing up the Brandhoek stations for the time being, as the enemy were systematically shelling the area. This certainly looks like an intentional attack on CCS.
Lijssenthoek
Lijssenthoek is the second largest cemetery in Belgium after Tyne Cot.
Lijssenthoek has 9,901 burials, of which only 24 are unidentified. It was started by the French in June 1915, then taken over by Commonwealth forces. The only concentrations are 24 graves to plot XXX1 in 1920 from isolated positions near Poperinghe, and 17 added to plot XXX11 from St Denij’s churchyard in 1981. It contains British, French, German and American graves, and includes a section of Chinese Labour Corps.
Tyne Cot cemetery.
Tyne Cot is a concentration cemetery with 11,956 burials of which 8,369 are unidentified. There are 343 burials around the Cross of Sacrifice. This area was an ADS (advanced dressing station) in October1917.
Tyne Cot Memorial has 34,949 names to the missing.
Brandhoek.
At Brandhoek there are 3 Cemeteries.
Brandhoek Military Cemetery 601 burials.
Brandhoek New Military Cemetery 514 burials, including Captain Noel Chavasse, V.C.and Bar
Brandhoek New Military Cemetery No3 849 burials
total 1,964.
Acknowledgement and References:-
Commonwealth War Graves Commission
Katherine Luard – Unknown Warriors (Publisher – History Press)
Wrexham Hospitals
Keith Walker
At the outbreak of World War 1, the military mobilized three buildings in Wrexham. They were the fever hospital, Roseneath and the infirmary.
Croesnewydd Auxillary Military Hospital, Wrexham was the name given to the old fever hospital. The fever hospital was opened on the 2nd October 1886. This was a 30-bed hospital located on the Croesnewydd road. The area now is the nurses living quarters.
The first casualties to come to Wrexham were admitted to the Croesnewydd Auxillary Military Hospital on the 1st November 1914. They were soldiers of the Belgium Army who were wounded at the battle of the Yser ( 16th -31st October 1914). Unfortunately two of them died.
Joseph Verdeken, born in Courtrai, Belgium. He served with the 1st regt of Chasseurs, and was wounded at Dixmude. He died on the 2nd November 1914 at Wrexham. He was twenty eight years old. He is buried at Wrexham Cemetery with the second Belgian fatality.
Philimon Van Beveren, born in St Giles, Dendermonde, Belgium. He served with 1st regt of the line and was wounded at Ramscapelle. He died on the 8th November 1914 at Wrexham, aged twenty four.
They are buried together in plot K 3018.
The old and new headstones for the two Belgian soldiers
Roseneath was built in 1864 by William Low (1814 – 1886) as a family home and office. William Low was a civil engineer. In the 1860s, he formed the Channel Tunnel Company. The plans for the tunnel were drawn up at Roseneath.
In 1912, it was bought by John Jones (1825-1913) a brewer and philanthropist who together with his brother William Jones (1819-1904) started the Island Green Brewery in Wrexham in 1850. The brothers formed a charitable trust which ran the convalescent homes for miners at Rhyl (1913-1970), Minera (1913-1951) and also the playing area at Garden Road, Rhosddu. John Jones left Roseneath and its grounds to the trust as a site for a new Wrexham infirmary. The trust is still operating helping the poor of Wrexham.
The military took Roseneath over at the start of World War One and used it as a military hospital. Its main use was to convalesce the soldiers before they returned to the front. It was run by military doctors, QAIMNS nurses, helped by Red Cross nurses and VADs
Roseneath was located at the junction of Rhosddu road and Grove Park road. It was incorporated into the War Memorial Hospital when it was built in 1926. Roseneath was demolished in the early 1990s when the hospital was reconstructed as Yale College.
In 1838, Wrexham Infirmary was built on Regent Street. It was designed by Edward Welch (1806-1868). The infirmary was used throughout World War One as a military hospital and is shown on the left below as it was in 1914.
The infirmary closed in 1926 when the War Memorial Hospital opened. The building was taken over by the Denbighshire Technical College and became the School of Art, which is now the North Wales School of Art and Design, part of the Glyndwr University (above right).
Staff and patients at the Infirmary, early in WWI.
References:-
CWGC
The Encyclopaedia of Wrexham by W. Alister Williams, Bridge Books 2001
Tailpiece
The two photos are connected. The top photo is from Sheringham in Norfolk where the first bomb dropped on the UK in WWI landed. The claim is disputed by Great Yarmouth but it seems that the bombs were dropped during the same air raid. But what is the bottom photo? It is a Zeppelin, flying above Lake Constance which lies between Switzerland and Germany. Yes, the Zeppelin factory still exists in Friedrichshafen! The modern Zeppelins are a lot smaller than their predecessors. They are of course helium-filled, not hydrogen-filled. The main products of ZF Friedrichshafen, as the company is known today, are hi-tec parts for the aviation and car industries, including gearboxes for helicopters. There is a wonderful Zeppelin museum on the shores of Lake Constance, which chronicles the beginnings of the airship dream of local boy Count Zeppelin in the early years of the 20th century to the end of the big airships with the Hindenburg disaster in 1937. More in a later edition!
Trevor Adams trevormcmadams@gmail.com