Historic Records Men of 1914

Arrived overseas: 15 August 1914. Connection: Nurse Oliver's autograph album. You can read a lot more about Horace Wood, Nurse Edith Oliver, and Chailey generally on my Chailey 1914-1918 blog . Horace was a career soldier who had joined the Royal West Kent Regiment in April 1910. He was an early arrival overseas and he would later be wounded on the second day of the Battle of Loos, 26th September 1915, returning to England nine days later on the 4th October 1915. In this undated photograph, which must however, date to post August 1916, two wound stripes can clearly be seen on his lower left forearm. You can read Horace Wood's story here on the Chailey 1914-1918 blog .

Arrived Overseas: 17 September 1914. Connection: Phyllis Robinson autograph album. Little could Phyllis Robinson have imagined, when she wrote her name and date in a small autograph album in 1914, that before the end of the year was out, the pages would be filled with the names of captured German soldiers, wounded Belgians, and convalescing British soldiers. Her name and the date - 5th July 1914 - are written on the inside front cover, but there is nothing eles to identify her. She was unmarried - one entry reads, "Phyllis Robinson is your name / Single is your station...") and was possibly a VAD nurse, one of several with her name.  Thirteen of the identifiable British soldiers in her album set foot ashore in France in 1914 and so I was delighted to win this at auction a couple of years ago.  In common with many of the men, 9367 Pte Joseph Quinn of the 2nd Battalion King's Own Scottish Borderers, simply recorded his name, rank, regimental number and regiment. He'd ar...

Arrived Overseas: 14 October 1914. Connection: Victory Medal. Years ago I swore I'd never buy a single medal that had been disunited from its group. But I was young[er] and foolish then, and have since bought hundreds of single medals, and even re-united a couple. For those starting out on their medal collecting hobby, and even for grizzled old hoarders like me, the Victory Medal from the 1914-1918 War can offer hours of researching pleasure for a very modest investment and, besides which, like all British designed medals - and perhaps some from other countries too - it's an object of aesthetic beauty. This particular Victory Medal, which cost me £28 in March 2022, was once owned and earned by 54571 Gunner Edward Brown of the Royal Field Artillery. He'd joined the regiment on the 20th January 1909 under his real name of Milward, deserted in 1910, and then almost immediately re-joined under the alias of Brown. He served overseas with IV Bde RFA in the 7th (Meerut) Division f...

Arrived overseas: 23 August 1914. Connection: Victory Medal. Frederick Vincent Keen was technically still a boy - he was 17 years and 10 months old - when he attested with the Royal Field Artillery at Oxford on the 8th March 1909. He signed up for six years' service with the colours and six years on the reserve and so was still in uniform when Britain went to war in August 1914. He served in France from the 31st December 1914 and remained there until 1915. A detailed service history does not survive for this man but we know that he was in Salonika between 1915 and 1917 and then in Egypt from 1917 until 1919. He was discharged on the 7th March 1921, 12 years to the day since he had attested, and having been issued with a new army number, 1003005, in the interim. Notes in a Royal Artillery enlistment register record that his rank on discharge was that of corporal and that his character was rated as very good. There is also a note that prior to service as a career soldier, he had serv...

  Arrived overseas: 23 August 1914. Connection: Photograph. William joined the army on the 10th March 1913 and he was still in the UK, completing his training at Dover, when Britain went to war in August 1914. This photo of him is undated but probably dates to about June or July 1913. Wiliam set foot ashore on the same day that the BEF first engaged the German Army at Mons, and shortly afterwards, William too was in the thick of the fighting. He was an early casualty, reported wounded and recuperating in the 2nd Northern General Hospital in Leeds by October 1914. He did not return to France and was discharged as a result of wounds on the 24th July 1915. Nothing else is known about this man.

Arrived overseas: 12 August 1914. Connection: Victory Medal. Extensive paperwork survives for Gordon Henry Bridger in series WO 363. This shows that he was born in Eastbourne, Sussex and enlisted with the Worcestershire Regiment at Brighton on the 7th June 905 aged 18 years and two months. He stood five feet, seven inches tall and weighed 115 lbs, which is 8.2 stone or 52kg, and seems incredibly light by today's standards. Gordon served with the 3rd Battalion, Worcestershire Regiment until he was transferred to the Army Reserve in July 1911. Three years later, on the 5th August 1914, he was mobilised and, despite not having served in the army for three years, found himself in France a week later. He was diagnosed with VDH (Valvular Heart Disease) in March 1916, re-diagnosed with DAH (Disordered Action of the Heart) five days later, and returned to the UK. He remained in the UK until November 1916 when he was transferred to the Royal Engineers and sent back to France. He was wounded...