THE WOUND STRIPE

We have recently acquired a brass Wound Stripe sleeve badge, issued to British troops who were wounded in action and whose names appeared in the official Casualty List.

The wound stripe was suggested by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle who had seen French ‘poliu’ (informal term for French infantryman during the First World War, literally translates as ‘the hairy one’) wearing them on their tunics. Field Marshall Sir William Robertson, 1st Baronet, GCB, GCMG, GCVO, DSO, Chief of the Imperial General Staff supported the idea and with the approval of King George V was first authorised under Army Order 204 of 6th July 1916, which in turn was followed by an Army Council Instruction No.1637 of 22nd August ‘…it is notified for information, that the term ‘wounded’ refers only to those officers and soldiers whose names have appeared, or may hereafter appear, in the Casualty Lists as ‘wounded’. The braid will be supplied to officers and soldiers under regimental arrangements, and Commanding Officers will ensure that it is not worn by those who are not entitled to it. Sufficient for two jackets will be supplied to each man.”

The Official wound stripes were issued from 14th August and those wounded since 4th August 1914 were also entitled to them under the same criteria. As originally issued the wound stripe was made from Russian braid but as this proved to get easily dirty and dull a number of commercial companies made and produced them, such as the one we have acquired which was from Lambourne’s of Birmingham, which could be removed from the tunic to be polished as required. A cloth version was also produced. The stripe was to be worn just above the cuff on the left sleeve of a man’s tunic being placed so that any long service stripes or trade insignia could be placed above it.

A soldier who was unlucky enough to be wounded multiple times was entitled to wear a maximum of three wound stripes, and in awarding them ‘to those officers and soldiers whose names have appeared or may hereafter appear in casualty lists rendered by the Adjutant General’s office at a base overseas, or by the G.O.C. any force engaged in active operations. Reports in hospital lists are not to be regarded as authoritative for this purpose.’ (Army Council Instruction No. 2075 of 3rd November 1916.)

The casualty lists were originally published by the War Office and printed in national newspapers; it was then up to the editors and staff of regional or local newspapers, such as the Goole Times to read and extract from them the names of men who were likely to fall within the readership of their publications. In the early summer of 1917 with increasing paper shortages and mounting concerns from the public as to the frequency and numbers of men being reported as ‘Killed, Wounded, Missing, Prisoner of War’ –sometimes being given as ‘presumed’, led to the Government taking control of the publication of the Official List, under His Majesty’s Stationary Office, being printed by Hayman, Christy, & Lilly, Ltd., London; the first issue being published on 7th August 1917, and the last on 4th March 1919. These Weekly Lists were themselves made up of six ‘Daily Lists’  with each list being separated into a number of ‘Parts’. For officers, only their surname, rank, initial(s) and unit title were given; for the ‘other ranks’ – under the headings above, name, number, initial(s), place of residence or next-of-kin were given. The Lists for the army and Royal Flying Corps/Royal Air Force were separate to those of the Royal Navy, though they shared the same publication process. A significant number of Goole men were named within the official Casualty Lists throughout the years of the War – at the time of writing this article, over 300 such entries dating from 7th August 1917 have so far been found.

 

Extract from Casualty List No.87 published 3rd September 1918. National Library of Scotland; Shelfmark GWB.30.

One Goole man who was so named was Leonard Bertram Coolledge, No.205604 Private Hampshire Regiment. His name was printed in List No.87; Part VII published on 3rd September 1918. Owing to the loss of Leonard’s service record there is no detail as to the date or nature of the wound suffered, or to which battalion he was assigned to at that time. An inclusion within the List would be approximately six weeks after the event occurred and to a large degree the man’s family would already be aware of the fact prior to the publication, regardless as to the reason why he was named – this news may have come directly from the War Office, the man himself, a comrade in the same unit or a commanding officer of his platoon or company.

A ‘Briggs, Boothferry Road’ studio photograph showing Private Leonard Bertram Coolledge with his father John, with the wound stripe being worn as directed. Courtesy of Josephine Cooper.

 

Inland Waterways Transport, Royal Engineers 1916 Football Team Photograph

Very recently a picture of a Royal Engineers football team, pictured in France during 1916, was published within the pages of the Goole Times. The accompanying information mentioned that a man named Matthew Glaves, of Goole, was within the picture and that he, along with his four brothers served in the Army during the First World War.

Matthew’s brothers were Ernest, George, Wilfred and Ambrose – Matthew being the ‘middle’ one.

The following information has been extracted by Chris Laidler, from three Services Records that have survived the years since the ‘Great War’.

 

Matthew enlisted on 8^th Dec 1915, being assigned to the Inland Waterways Transport, Royal Engineers, as No. 156928. Upon his attestation form he gives his home address as 16 Widop Street and that he was employed as a coal trimmer on the docks. Aged 26 years and 11 months he gives his next-of-kin as his wife, Mary Ann (nee Barlow) whom he married in April 1911, as well as naming his children – Annie Mary (b. June 1913) and Ambrose Leslie (b. Dec 1915 – days after he enlisted).

 

After his initial training he was ‘mobilised’ on 3^rd April 1916 and posted to I.W.T., R.E. Ten days later he is appointed to the rank of Sapper. From 11^th Aug Matthew was raised to the ‘Superior’ rate of ‘Engineer Pay’ meaning an extra 1s 8d per day; and from 11^th Feb 1917 as ‘Very Superior’ and granted 2s. (This money would be in addition to his normal rate of pay of 1s 2d per day.)

 

Matthew left England for France on 10^th May 1916, and arriving the next day he was immediately posted to his unit. On 6^th June he was admitted to hospital – cause not recorded, rejoining his unit two weeks later.

 

At some point Matthew was granted leave to the UK, but he was to lose 14 days’ pay after overstaying his leave pass by 24 hours, reporting at 4pm on 18^th October.

 

Matthew was admitted to 5^th Stationary Hospital, St. Omer on 10^th Nov 1917 suffering from severe appendicitis; permission for Mary Ann to visit him being refused. The date on which he left hospital is not entirely readable but during the latter half of Jan 1918. He was again admitted to hospital on two other separate occasions – 16^th Dec for 8 days; and 2^nd Aug 1919 for about ten days, neither the hospitals or the reasons for both admittances’ being recorded.

 

Sometime during 1918 he is allocated a new regimental number – 509309, and it is with this number he is discharged on 21st Sept 1919 at the RE Depot, Chatham. At a medical examination taken six days earlier he claims to be ‘not suffering from any disability due to my military service’.

 

Matthew Glaves seated middle row, second left.
(Picture courtesy of Dave Roe)


Matthew gives his address on discharge as 31 Elsie Street; he is still there in July 1922 when his British War and Victory Medals are sent to him.
 

Ernest enlisted on the same day as Matthew, giving his home address as that of his father Tom – 3 Widop Street, whom he also names as his next-of-kin. Aged 33 years and 11 months he states his trade as ‘Seaman’.

 

Like his younger brother he too is assigned to I.W.T., R.E., as No. 149676. Mobilised on 27^th Jan 1916 he is promoted to the rank of Sapper four days later. He left England on 9^th March, joining his unit upon his arrival in France.

 

On 27^th April he is appointed (and paid) as a Lance-Corporal; in mid-October 1917 he is appointed as Acting/2^nd Cpl. In early 1918 he is assigned a new regimental number – 501905. In Oct 1918 Ernest is subsequently promoted to the rank of Corporal.

 

From 27^th Aug 1918 Ernest is granted 14 days leave to the UK. About three months after his return to France he is admitted to hospital in mid-October; where he stays for nearly three weeks. After being discharged he is sent to 12^th Command Depot, thence to ‘J’ Infantry Base Depot, from where he       re-joins his unit on 17^th Dec.

 

At some point during early 1919 Ernest is granted a further 14 day period of leave to the UK, being back in France before 23^rd April when he is again admitted to hospital – no cause given; he is returned to the UK aboard the Ambulance Ship ‘Brighton’, arriving on 4^th June.; being admitted at some point to Kitchener’s Military Hospital, Brighton.

 

Having served for 3 years 193 days Ernest is discharged from the Army on 7^th Aug 1919. Upon discharge he is assessed as having 30% disability due to bronchitis, being ‘attributable to Service’ and a weekly pension of 9s was to be paid from 8^th Aug, which was to be reviewed after 26 weeks.

 

Ernest states his intended residence as his former home in Widop Street; but by the time his medals are awarded in July 1922 he is living at 16 Marlboro’ Avenue.

 

On 11^th Dec 1915, Wilfred enlisted, just like his brothers at Goole, and like them he is posted to Inland Waterways Transport, Royal Engineers, as No. 149715. He too gives his home address as 3 Widop Street, his age as 25 years 2 months and that he was employed as a (locomotive) cleaner. No date is given as to his eventual transfer to the Railway Company, R.E.

 

Wilfred was ‘mobilised’ on 31^st Jan 1916, being appointed to the rank of Sapper that same day. On 20^th March he is posted to the Mediterranean Expeditionary Force, embarking at Falmouth three days later; disembarking at Corfu on 14^th April – departing on 1^st May for Greece. Wilfred’ stay in Greece is brief being returned home from Salonika on 30^th May.

 

Subsequently based at Sandwich Camp Wilfred is ‘admonished’ for overstaying his pass, having being recalled by telegram for leave to expire midnight Sunday 2 July, and being absent for 18 hours. Penalty imposed by 2 Lt RG Wright, OC B Coy being loss of pay for 2 days.

 

On 23^rd Aug Wilfred is informed in Part II Orders that he is rated for ‘Engineer Pay’ of 2s per day, being payable from 28^th. On 5^th March 1917 Wilfred is admitted to hospital having had a football kicked in to his face and displacing his septum, being released to his unit seven days later.

 

Wilfred again leaves the UK on 29^th June 1917, bound for France, arriving the following day. In early 1918 Wilfred is assigned a new regimental number – 501925.

 

After having a period of leave (to the UK) in March 1919, Wilfred seems to have spent some time away from his unit, rejoining 282 Railway Company R.E. on 26^th May. On 3^rd Sept he returns to the UK, being discharged on 4^th October 1919, whereupon Wilfred gives his address 3 Widop Street.

 

Wilfred signs for his British War and Victory Medals on 6^th July 1922, though no address is given.

 

Despite the good fortune that all five of the Glaves brothers' survived the War, due to the fact that a lot of records were lost during WW2, it has been unable at the time of writing to determine the units that George and Ambrose served with, but looking at the details of those that have survived it would appear that these two men’s records have been lost.