Wedding photograph 1917 Casualty label used in 1915
My maternal grandfather was born 7 April 1888. He qualified as a teacher in 1911. In 1914 at the beginning of WW1 he enlisted into 1/5 Bn. South Staffordshire Regiment. By the time the Bn. set off for France on 1st March 1915 he was already promoted to sergeant. The Bn. travelled from Saffron Walden to Southampton by train. During this journey 5 of their Clydesdale horses were lost due to being loaded into unsuitable railway wagons. They fell and died. Embarked on Empress Queen, they sailed to Le Havre. There they were issued with extra equipment and then marched over several days via Rouen, Montrollier, Buchy, Abbeville, Boulogne, Calais, St. Omer to Arneke, all in dreadful weather, marching in snow and sleeping under canvas. Much kit including horses and rations was lost en-route, the extra kit and equipment, issued in Le Havre, including sheepskin jackets and field cookers were then withdrawn. After several weeks of training and relocation they entered the front line trenches between Bailleul and Neuve Eglise outside the village of Wulverghem, trenches 9-10. They spent the month in the lines taking casualties at a steady rate. On 27th April Sergeant Stevens said that he was indicating to officers the weakness of their defences and lack of sufficient sandbags in front of the fire-step. At this time, to prove his point, a sniper shot him. The bullet passed through his face, breaking his jaw and removing many teeth, deafened him in one ear and damaged one eye. He was evacuated to the Aid Station set in a mental hospital in Bailleuil and then evacuated by wagon, train and ship to Number 1 Military Hospital in Aldershot. After treatment here he was moved to convalescence in Mablethorpe and later rejoined his Regiment as S.Q.M.S and was stationed at Catterick. After the cessation of hostilities he returned to his career as a teacher and later Headmaster.

Photograph
Brierley Hill
wedding
Bailleuil Military Hospital
Casualty Label
A cardboard label with strings which was attached to casualties. This one is for the subject and indicates on the reverse: Gun Shot Wound: Face : Severe