Historic Records Men of 1914

Arrived overseas: 7 October 1914. Connection: Postcards (x2). You could be forgiven for thinking that this man was serving with a Scottish regiment. Nothing of the sort. Charles Hulbert, an infantryman with an English line regiment, has swapped his uniform with a Scottish PoW and posed in what would have been novelty dress for him. Charles's regimental number indicates that he joined the Wiltshire Regiment on about the 20th January 1910, and he was stationed with the 2nd Battalion in Gibraltar when Britain went to war with Germany in August 1914. The battalion returned to England on the 3rd September 1914, and a little over a month later, on the 7th October 1914, the men, 1100 strong, disembarked at Zeebrugge. Seventeen days later, on the 24th October, Charles was captured. By now, the battalion strength had now been reduced to 450 of all ranks, with just two officers, and by the end of the month, shellfire would reduce the total by a further 200 men. The location and date of this ...

  Arrived overseas: 7 October 1914 Connection: Photograph Private Richard Wenlock was the recipient of this postcard, sent by his cousin in 1909. Richard had attested with the Scots Guards at Liverpool in February 1909 and, typical of Foot Guards attestations, signed up for three years with the colours and nine years on the reserve. He was actually transferred to the reserve after having served two years and 296 days and would not wear uniform again until mobilised on the 6th August 1914. Richard arrived overseas on the 7th October 1914 and appears to have served continuously with the regiment until blinded on the 6th May 1915, his papers recording, "GSW [gunshot wound] both eyes". He was first sent to Lewisham Military Hospital on the 20th May 1915, and afterwards transferred to St Dunstan's in Regent's Park. He was discharged from the army in September 1915 and received a weekly pension of 25 shillings for life. It was whilst he was being nursed at St Dunstan's ...