D battalion 77 Army Brigade, Ypres, June 1917

[puzzledsearcher]

In World War 1 my father, Matthew Turnbull, was machined gunned in the leg and blown up. I have the large shrapnel removed from near his spine in the late 1930s and the bullet. I have found a record stating Gunshot wound IV (4) severe 03/07/1917. On another line Transferred to No. 18 General Hospital U.S. 12 10/07/1917. And another entry Notes written in the Observations Column: Ypres 26/06/1917. No. 64 Casualty Clearing Station.
First question: were shrapnel wounds recorded as gunshot wounds? If not where is the record for his shrapnel wound?
He had two service numbers. The first one was 144911, gunner Royal Army Medical Corps and the second, for which there are four entries, was 36249, gunner RFA. Why would a gunner be in RAMC?

Can anyone explain this.

[christanel]

Welcome to the British-Genealogy forums
If you came to us from Forces War Records reading this will explain the connection.
You are very lucky that your father's WW1 service records survived the bombing/fire of WW11 which destroyed over 60% of them. They are available to view on ancestry, are these the records you are using?
It says he was in France in 1914/15. The gunshot wound happened on 26 June 1917
There is also a Transfer Statement of Clothing and Necessities. In WW1 men were moved around to various regiments as they were needed and usually a new regimental number given. This was later changed so that a man kept the same number wherever he was transferred to.
There is also a letter to the army asking about Matthew's whereabouts as her (Grace's) letters to him have been returned. She also wrote another letter stating the authorities had given the wrong regimental number on the reply envelope.
Christina

[Jomot1]

If you have access to Ancestry then you can look at the Medal Rolls rather than just the index cards. The Medal Roll for the Victory & British War Medals list him as a Driver with the RAMC (114911) but state that he had previously served with the RFA as 36249. The Medal Roll for the 1914/5 Star shows he disembarked/first entered a theatre of war on 9 Sep 1915 as a Gunner with the RFA (36249)

I don’t know about the specifics of the use of the term ‘Gun Shot Wound’ but my Great Uncle was killed when a shell hit on his dug-out, and this was also described as ‘GSW’.

[fullscott]

I agree with Jomot1.
'GSW' was used for both 'Gun Shot Wound' & 'G(eneral?) Shrapnel Wound'.
My husband's grandad was never shot but had a huge scar on his back from a shrapnel blast.
His WW1 Pensioners' Record Card shows:

Invaliding Disability: GSW Back
Date of Origin: 3 July 1917
Cause of Disability: GSW Attrib (attributable)
Degree of Disablement: 30%

Source: Anc****y, WW1 Pension Records, HAW, page 15467

[puzzledsearcher]

I am grateful for these these timely and informative responses which answer some questions. Thank you.

As I am starting on this search, I am proceeding slowly and have subscribed only to FWR but will join Ancestry and other services.

These soldiers had experiences that boggle the mind. As my father Matthew Turnbull was wounded at least twice the evacuation chain has caught my attention. The records show only one evacuation from Ypres to CCS No. 64 then to No. 18 General Hospital and then to a ship. There was a train No. 26 noted but for what stage?

I am trying to fill in the detail for each stage.

[puzzledsearcher]

Christenal, To answer your question, the document I started with was a paper recording his discharge on 31 March 1920. He was in the Army a while as he joined the first week in September 1914. Why he remained a gunner all those years is a mystery to me because he was a bright man who was studying and working with his uncle, a County Analyst, before enlisting.

[Jomot1]

A newspaper report of his 1917 injury says that prior to enlisting he was serving his time as a motor engineer with Messrs Turvey & Co, Sunderland.

[puzzledsearcher]

You are a marvel. Thank you again.

Matthew never spoke to me of engineering. Matthew's father worked at what I think was called Turnbull Glass Works and he died as quite an old man running to a bomb shelter with his grandchildren during WW 2.

[puzzledsearcher]

Matthew enlisted 8 Sept 1914 but forum member says first entered a theatre of war on 9 Sep 1915 as a Gunner with the RFA (36249).

Still puzzled.

[peter nicholl]

This https://www.iwm.org.uk/collections/item/object/80031455 from The Imperial War Museum explains the background as far as basic training is concerned. Although the chap in question seems to have been a Driver, the general picture might help.