Private RG Chegwin Killed at home

[Guest David Hughes]

Recently I discovered that my gran's brother was not killed in France in 1915, as I was led to believe by relatives, but was accidentally killed whilst serving with the Royal Army Medical Corps in the Southern General Hospital in Plymouth. According to his death certificate, there was a coroner's inquest into his death. Would anybody know if there any way of getting the details of the inquest, or would that no longer exist? Also, where exactly was the Southern General Hospital in Plymouth - does anybody know? And finally, because my great-uncle's theatre of war is listed as home, I understand he wouldn't have been entitled to service medals, even the Silver War Badge - can anybody shed any light on that? I believe he enlisted in the RAMC when WW1 broke out. His details: Private RG Chegwin, 1742, Royal Army Medical corps.

[DirtyDick]

Hello

1) Whilst he would not be entitled to any service medals if he remained in UK (unlike WW2, when home service counted towards the War and Defence medals), he would be entitled to a Death Plaque, since this was given to every serviceman who died, either during the War or from war-related causes until the early 20s, whether they served at home or abroad. So, in all probability a Death Plaque is out there somewhere.

2) As to the Hospital, there is a thread that should be available via the search facility, which lists lots of military hospitals.

3) On the CWGC, he is listed as being in the Plymouth (Weston Mill) Cemetery.

4) You may be able to get service papers from the PRO, also MiC (even though he apparently didn't qualify for medals) from the same place.

5)Have you contacted local Plymouth papers to see if they have any articles about his demise - especially if it was an accident?

Cheers

Richard

[Sue Light]

David

There is a 70 year closure on Coroners' reports, so those for WW1 are available. There is every chance that yours has survived, and should be held at the County Record Office. There are two in Devon, and I should try an enquiry to the Plymouth office at:

West Devon Record Office

I have recently looked at some for soldiers who died in Sussex during the war, and they are full of fascinating detail - unfortunately the Sussex Coroner had totally illegible handwriting, but well worth the search.

The main body of No. 4 Southern General Hospital was contained in school buildings in Salisbury Road, Plymouth.

Sue

[Jonathan Saunders]

5)Have you contacted local Plymouth papers to see if they have any articles about his demise - especially if it was an accident?

Almost certainly a report would have been carried in the local paper if my own locals are anything to go by. By "local" I mean both Plymouth and the local papers of your relatives home village/town (if different to Plymouth). It would be best to identify the respective local archives offices and phone to confirm they have copies of local papers available and pay a visit yourself and search through from the first paper after his death to, say, four plus weeks later.

Good luck.

[boris]

This is a similar tale to mine, I started researching my grandfather and my family asked me to look up my great uncle who died at a training camp in england ....Dirtydick is right about the medals and death plaques....there are no medals for him just a death plaque and scroll......and Signals has also noted what i found in a local news paper of the time...there was a good article on him with photo.....but still a shroud of mystery! i dont know if we are looking at suicide, murder or misfortune!

[VivP]

Boris, and others

My uncle's story is very similar: if you go to the Soldiers section, you'll see it at http://1914-1918.org/forum/index.php?showtopic=11395

Because my uncle Otto died of TB in a Lunatic Asylum, I imagine the family didn't want publicity about him, so there's almost nothing in the local paper.

One of Otto's six sister's information has so far proved right. What I haven't mentioned yet is that auntie Flora said Otto had been hit deliberately on the head by a fellow recruit. The school he taught at in Birmingham has some archives, but nothing with Otto mentioned. He seemed just to vanish between 1914 and 1922, when he died.

Does anyone know what sort of hospitals recruits wounded in training would have been sent to? Possibly in the Brighton area?

VivP

[Sue Light]

Viv

I don't think you should assume that there was any stigma attached to dying of TB in an Asylum. In areas that had no separate isolation hospital, a block of an asylum was often used as a sanatorium - it was ideal, as the asylums were normally detached from the main town, and often built on a 'villa' system of ward blocks in an open air parkland setting. A quick search of Google throws up other people dying at Wells Asylum of TB in the early part of the century.

The larger training camps had their own hospitals - e.g. Moore Barracks Hospital at Shorncliffe, but there were many smaller camps in Sussex that would not have had these facilities and would most likely have used No. 2 Eastern General Hospital at Brighton for illness or accidents.

Sue

[Guest David Hughes]

Many thanks to those people who kindly replied to my e-mail asking for help and guidance. I have followed up the various leads provided, and have now managed to track down contemporary reports about my great-uncle. My thanks again.

[VivP]

Thankyou, Sue.

According to our aunt Flora, Otto went mad after being hit on the head by a cricket ball during training. Even today there is a definite stigma atttached to madness. It was quite a shock to discover the actual cause of death was TB.

Somerset County Asylum seems to have had large grounds, as all the old Asylums did.

From what Flora said, Otto must have been training near Brighton when he was injured and went mad. I'm having to work backwards from his death at Wells, to try to find out which regiment he was in. It seems to be an impossible task! Shall try to find No. 2 Eastern General Hospital in Brighton now.

onwards and upwards,

VivP

PS your site is very interesting!

To the left, should be Otto in 1909, aged 17

[boris]

R.E. My earlier post on this thread. I have just recieved the death cert. of my g.uncle, R.T. Moore 13507 6th East Yorks, stationed at Benton Park, Grantham. In the Cause of death it states ''Suicide by drowning whilst in a state of tempory insanity'' Sue, i look forward to to finding the coroners report!