Hot on the heels of yesterday's revelations, today I discovered a reasonably close relative, a first cousin twice removed (my gran's cousin), who had a humiliating experience when he joined the Army towards the end of WW1. His Army record shows he was 18yrs 11mths old when he joined up. A former farm labourer (a Waggoner), he had brown hair, brown eyes and a fair complexion. Reasonably tall at 5'8", there was nothing of him as he weighed barely 8 stone (116 lbs). His chest was just 33 1/2" with 1 1/2" expansion. He was scarcely in a league of his own size wise, having read plenty of Army records which record similar physiques, and think of the Bantam Regiments. Keith's great uncle was only 5'4" tall (his mum was about 4'10"!) That's what a poor diet does for you.
He joined the 3rd Battalion Northants Regiment and was posted for duty on the 22nd May 1918, his ship leaving from Southampton for the Front.
It was soon noticed that despite passing the physical tests, things were not as they should be. Walter had a Disability - quite a big and meaningful disability sadly - as he has a speech impediment in the form of a stutter. Not just a bit of a stutter when he got flustered either, "has stuttered since childhood" as one officer wrote down, didn't really quite cover the enormity of his disability.
His final Medical assessment show it plainly: "He is quite incapable, through his hesitation in speech, of doing military duty. He would be useless as a sentry." Harsh words indeed, but worse was to come. "Stutters very badly. Almost incapable of speech. States (he has been) the same since 9 yrs. Physique and health good." Then the remark, written by some Doctor who added the final damning endictment in the margin: "Not fit for a soldier." I hope to God Walter never read it. He was discharged in April 1919 "No longer physically fit", having been presumably kept away from the main theatre of war and given menial tasks to carry out. Perhaps that stutter saved his life - who knows?
He returned home and in the 1921 census was living with his parents and working as a General Labourer. He married in 1928 and died in the 50s. He and his wife were not blessed with children (which happens more often than you think - I suppose it balanced out the dozen or more that other families had).
So Walter, you are not forgotten, and I wouldn't mind betting that you were a natural with horses, who didn't give a damn about whether you stuttered or not. (My gran's line were very good with animals). Which just leaves me wondering, what the hell happened to him when he was just 9 years old, to affect him so badly he never overcame it? Or was it a fault in the wiring of his brain? We'll never know.
He was more fortunate than his almost namesake, who I found recorded dead from Shell Shock in Bolton (having been shipped home). Another namesake (but totally different Army number) was in the Sick Bay at Catterick Barracks with Venereal Warts (!) and several other men had Gonorreah and one Syphalis. Just to balance out the Influenza, Anal Fissure, Bronchitis, Lumbago, etc.
Poor Walter! I hope that he found his niche in life and was happy during his remaining years, in spite of having no children.
ReplyDeleteWell, the 1939 record has him down as a "tile slabber" which I understand means that he put tiles face down into a frame, and then spread concrete across the back so they made something such as a fireplace? Which was then turned over when set, and grouted.
DeleteThat's a sad tale, but it did keep him safe while serving in some capacity. I too immediately wondered what happened to him age 9. That may be the sadder story. Abuse? Bullying?
ReplyDeleteIt's hard to say. A clip round the ear? A fall where he hit his head and caused a neurological problem? Something which effected him emotionally?
DeleteThose are a lot of sad stories you are uncovering. I hope Walter had a contented life.
ReplyDeleteIndeed - people lived hard lives in those times. I'm sure there were happy lives too, but only some stories are able to be uncovered and told.
ReplyDeleteGoodness, what a tragic story. I was left in shock to discover that my Grandfather was in the workhouse at a very young age along with his younger brother. As you say you wonder what happened to Walter at age 9 that was so profound in effect on his life. and yes, I agree. Whatever it was was quite likely so ,profound yet in its own peculiar way it saved him. Uncovering of family history is not an easy job, is it?
ReplyDeleteYes, the Workhouse word always hits hard. Keith's grandfather ended his days in one, but only because it had a hospital wing and he had several bad strokes and could no longer be cared for at home. The saddest thing in my tree is my 2 x g. grandmother losing 3 of her 4 children to Scarlet Fever in the space of a week.
DeleteOh, I am sure that his discharge hurt, but he lived, married and worked which is wonderful. Those were very hard times and diets were not good.
ReplyDeleteGod bless.
Well, I think his disability certainly kept him away from the front line though I'm not sure if I can check that - his regiment did not necessarily have him up amongst the ranks - more likely handling the horses as that was his pre-war occupation.
DeleteWhat a sad story you have found - your family history is certainly interesting.
ReplyDeleteI thin everyone's is. On one close branch of the family the father was very involved when the Communist Party was being set up in London! Plus Keith's genes were in the veins of Emmeline Pankhurst as her mother had our surname and all the folk with the spelling of that name are genetically linked.
DeleteA very sad story - you have certainly done some research into his story and the one in the previous post. I have a family tree of the paternal side my cousin who was a genealogist did going back to 1578 but, apart from more information on people in the last 150 years, most of it is just names and dates. It is the stories you can uncover as you have done that fascinate me. It brings people to life and tells their story.
ReplyDeleteIt's a wonderful distraction from worry etc. I am still upset about losing that long standing friend, but it simply couldn't go on. It is the details of people's lives, however humble, which bring family history to life.
DeletePirate's father and grandfather were waggoners too...and stuttering runs in the family...as did being bullied at school (and at home by his next up brother, twelve years older)
ReplyDeleteHe was the youngest - had a brother 2 yrs older and then one 10 years older, and 7 sisters in between. Who is to say what the home situation was? No mention of this as a disability in the final column of the census. Perhaps it was only really bad when faced by authority - and that was certainly there all the time in the Army.
ReplyDeleteYou are finding some stories to ponder on. Re the physical description I remember Vera Britton of "Testament of Youth" being astonished to see American troops and how healthy and robust they looked after the poverty and war privations on the British men.
ReplyDeleteIndeed. Life was harder here for many working class men. Very poor diets andhard wor.
DeleteThese last two posts have wonderfully resurrected two people long gone from this world. I loved reading their stories. Poor Walter! I hope that he had a happy life, and that the 'sweat of his brow' earned him the respect of those he worked with and for.
ReplyDeleteYour managing to find out some wonderful details about your family aren't you. It must keep you buzzing with all the new information and revelations.
ReplyDelete