illness as opposed to combat casualties.

[Tyneside Chinaman]

This probably won't show up properly either, but it shows date of transfer, regiment and number of men transferred out of the CCS.

Transferred Regt Total 29/11/14 COLDM GDS 7 GLOSTER 1 L N LANCS 2 M F P 1 R F A 2 RAMC 1 S W BORDERERS 1 W RIDING REGT 1 29/11/14 Total 16 30/11/14 A S C 1 B WATCH 3 CAM HDRS 2 GLOSTER 5 K R R C 1 L N LANCS 3 LIFE GDS 1 NORTHANTS 3 R ENG 1 R F A 4 R G A 2 R M FUS 2 R SUSSEX 5 RAMC 1 S W BORDERERS 4 SCOTS GDS 1 WELSH 1 30/11/14 Total 40 01/12/14 A S C 1 B WATCH 1 WORCESTERS 1 01/12/14 Total 3 02/12/14 A S C 3 R F A 1 R SUSSEX 1 02/12/14 Total 5 03/12/14 A S C 5 B WATCH 4 BEDFORDS 1 CAM HDRS 3 COLDM GDS 11 GLOSTER 3 GREN GDS 4 HERTS 2 HUSSARS 2 IRISH GDS 3 K R R C 2 L N LANCS 1 LONDON SCOTT 7 NORTHANTS 15 QUEENS 1 R DGNS 1 R ENG 8 R F A 22 R G A 5 R H A 2 R M FUS 8 R SUSSEX 15 R W SURREY 2 RAMC 3 S W BORDERERS 9 SCOTS GDS 2 WELSH 1 03/12/14 Total 142 04/12/14 A S C 6 A V C 1 B WATCH 8 CAM HDRS 4 COLDM GDS 2 GLOSTER 2 GREN GDS 1 HUSSARS 1 K R R C 2 L N LANCS 4 LONDON SCOTT 5 NORTHANTS 9 R ENG 3 R F A 14 R G A 1 R M FUS 5 R SUSSEX 11 R W SURREY 7 S IRISH HORSE 3 S W BORDERERS 2 SCOTS GDS 7 WELSH 3 04/12/14 Total 101 05/12/14 CAM HDRS 1 NORTHANTS 1 R G A 1 R SUSSEX 1 05/12/14 Total 4 06/12/14 A S C 2 B WATCH 1 CAM HDRS 1 COLDM GDS 2 HUSSARS 1 K R R C 2 L N LANCS 7 LONDON SCOTT 2 NORTHANTS 5 O&BLI 1 R ENG 2 R F A 10 R M FUS 1 R SUSSEX 3 RAMC 2 S W BORDERERS 7 SCOTS GDS 2 WELSH 3 WORCESTER 1 06/12/14 Total 55 07/12/14 A S C 4 B WATCH 4 CAM HDRS 6 COLDM GDS 4 GLOSTER 1 K R R C 2 L N LANCS 4 LIFE GDS 1 LONDON SCOTT 1 NORTHANTS 3 R F A 19 R G A 3 R H A 1 R M FUS 1 R SUSSEX 11 RAMC 2 RGA 1 S STAFFS 1 S W BORDERERS 2 SCOTS GDS 3 WELSH 1 07/12/14 Total 75 08/12/14 A S C 5 B WATCH 1 FRENCH ARMY 1 K R R C 3 L N LANCS 4 NORTHANTS 2 R F A 6 R SUSSEX 2 S IRISH HORSE 1 08/12/14 Total 25 09/12/14 A CYCLIST CORPS 1 A S C 3 B WATCH 3 CAM HDRS 1 COLDM GDS 3 GLOSTER 2 K R R C 1 L N LANCS 2 LONDON SCOTT 3 NORTHANTS 3 R ENG 1 R F A 19 R G A 1 R H A 1 R M FUS 2 R SUSSEX 7 RAMC 1 S IRISH HORSE 2 S W BORDERERS 1 SCOTS GDS 1 WELSH 2 09/12/14 Total 60 10/12/14 LONDON SCOTT 1 R F A 6 R M FUS 1 R SUSSEX 1 RAMC 2 S W BORDERERS 2 SCOTS GDS 1 10/12/14 Total 14 11/12/14 A S C 7 B WATCH 3 CAM HDRS 1 COLDM GDS 4 GLOSTER 8 K R R C 7 L N LANCS 8 LONDON SCOTT 2 NORTHANTS 10 R DRAGOONS 1 R ENG 4 R F A 20 R G A 1 R M FUS 3 R SUSSEX 9 R W SURREY 3 RAMC 8 S IRISH HORSE 1 S W BORDERERS 2 WELSH 1 11/12/14 Total 103 12/12/14 A CYCLIST CORPS 1 B WATCH 3 COLDM GDS 3 GLOSTERS 2 K R R C 2 L N LANCS 5 LONDON SCOTT 1 R ENG 4 R F A 10 R G A 1 R H A 1 R M FUS 1 R SUSSEX 10 R W SURREY 2 RAMC 1 S W BORDERERS 3 SCOTS GDS 3 12/12/14 Total 53 13/12/14 A S C 3 B WATCH 2 LONDON SCOTT 1 NORTHANTS 1 R ENG 1 R F A 5 R G A 1 R SUSSEX 5 13/12/14 Total 19 14/12/14 A S C 3 B WATCH 2 COLDM GDS 2 GLOSTERS 12 HUSSARS 2 K R R C 7 L N LANCS 7 LEICESTER YEO 1 LIFE GDS 2 NORTHANTS 8 R ENG 3 R F A 19 R G A 4 R M FUS 5 R SUSSEX 14 R W SURREY 1 RAMC 1 S IRISH HORSE 1 S W BORDERERS 4 SCOTS GDS 1 WELSH 2 14/12/14 Total 101 15/12/14 A S C 2 B WATCH 4 CAM HDRS 2 GLOSTERS 3 K R R C 4 LIFE GDS 3 LONDON SCOTT 3 NORTHANTS 13 R ENG 1 R F A 14 R SUSSEX 7 R W SURREY 1 RAMC 2 S W BORDERERS 12 SCOTS GDS 1 WELSH 1 15/12/14 Total 73 16/12/14 A S C 2 L N LANCS 2 LONDON SCOTT 1 R ENG 1 R F A 2 R SUSSEX 5 WELSH 1 16/12/14 Total 14 17/12/14 A S C 1 B WATCH 4 CAM HDRS 2 COLDM GDS 4 GLOSTERS 3 K R R C 3 L N LANCS 7 LONDON SCOTT 7 NORTHANTS 8 R ENG 1 R F A 14 R SUSSEX 9 R W SURREY 1 RAMC 5 S IRISH HORSE 1 S W BORDERERS 3 SCOTS GDS 3 WELSH 5 17/12/14 Total 81 18/12/14 A CYCLIST CORPS 3 A S C 1 B WATCH 3 GLOSTERS 6 K R R C 5 L N LANCS 19 LONDON SCOTT 5 NORTHANTS 19 R ENG 1 R F A 12 R FA 1 R SUSSEX 11 S W BORDERERS 6 SCOTS GDS 2 WELSH 2 18/12/14 Total 96 19/12/14 CAM HDRS 1 COLDM GDS 1 GLOSTERS 1 K R R C 2 L N LANCS 2 R F A 1 R SUSSEX 7 R W SURREY 1 S IRISH HORSE 1 SCOTS GDS 2 19/12/14 Total 19 20/12/14 B WATCH 1 CAM HDRS 2 GLOSTERS 1 HUSSARS 2 K R R C 2 L N LANCS 1 LONDON SCOTT 4 R F A 3 R H A 1 R SUSSEX 8 R W SURREY 1 RAMC 2 S I RISH HORSE 1 S W BORDERERS 1 20/12/14 Total 30 21/12/14 A S C 3 B WATCH 1 CAM HDRS 1 COLDM GDS 1 GLOSTERS 2 K R R C 3 L N LANCS 3 NORTHANTS 6 R ENG 1 R F A 3 R H A 2 R SUSSEX 4 R W SURREY 1 RAMC 1 S W BORDERERS 1 SCOTS GDS 1 WELSH 1 21/12/14 Total 35 22/12/14 CAM HDRS 1 R F A 1 22/12/14 Total 2 23/12/14 A S C 3 CAM HDRS 2 GLOSTERS 1 K R R C 1 L N LANCS 6 LEICESTER YEO 1 NORTHANTS 1 R F A 5 R FA 2 R H A 1 R SUSSEX 4 RAMC 2 SCOTS GDS 2 23/12/14 Total 31 24/12/14 A S C 1 K R R C 1 R F A 1 24/12/14 Total 3 Grand Total 1200 Transferred Regt Total 29/11/14 COLDM GDS 7 GLOSTER 1 L N LANCS 2 M F P 1 R F A 2 RAMC 1 S W BORDERERS 1 W RIDING REGT 1 29/11/14 Total 16 30/11/14 A S C 1 B WATCH 3 CAM HDRS 2 GLOSTER 5 K R R C 1 L N LANCS 3 LIFE GDS 1 NORTHANTS 3 R ENG 1 R F A 4 R G A 2 R M FUS 2 R SUSSEX 5 RAMC 1 S W BORDERERS 4 SCOTS GDS 1 WELSH 1 30/11/14 Total 40 01/12/14 A S C 1 B WATCH 1 WORCESTERS 1 01/12/14 Total 3 02/12/14 A S C 3 R F A 1 R SUSSEX 1 02/12/14 Total 5 03/12/14 A S C 5 B WATCH 4 BEDFORDS 1 CAM HDRS 3 COLDM GDS 11 GLOSTER 3 GREN GDS 4 HERTS 2 HUSSARS 2 IRISH GDS 3 K R R C 2 L N LANCS 1 LONDON SCOTT 7 NORTHANTS 15 QUEENS 1 R DGNS 1 R ENG 8 R F A 22 R G A 5 R H A 2 R M FUS 8 R SUSSEX 15 R W SURREY 2 RAMC 3 S W BORDERERS 9 SCOTS GDS 2 WELSH 1 03/12/14 Total 142 04/12/14 A S C 6 A V C 1 B WATCH 8 CAM HDRS 4 COLDM GDS 2 GLOSTER 2 GREN GDS 1 HUSSARS 1 K R R C 2 L N LANCS 4 LONDON SCOTT 5 NORTHANTS 9 R ENG 3 R F A 14 R G A 1 R M FUS 5 R SUSSEX 11 R W SURREY 7 S IRISH HORSE 3 S W BORDERERS 2 SCOTS GDS 7 WELSH 3 04/12/14 Total 101 05/12/14 CAM HDRS 1 NORTHANTS 1 R G A 1 R SUSSEX 1 05/12/14 Total 4 06/12/14 A S C 2 B WATCH 1 CAM HDRS 1 COLDM GDS 2 HUSSARS 1 K R R C 2 L N LANCS 7 LONDON SCOTT 2 NORTHANTS 5 O&BLI 1 R ENG 2 R F A 10 R M FUS 1 R SUSSEX 3 RAMC 2 S W BORDERERS 7 SCOTS GDS 2 WELSH 3 WORCESTER 1 06/12/14 Total 55 07/12/14 A S C 4 B WATCH 4 CAM HDRS 6 COLDM GDS 4 GLOSTER 1 K R R C 2 L N LANCS 4 LIFE GDS 1 LONDON SCOTT 1 NORTHANTS 3 R F A 19 R G A 3 R H A 1 R M FUS 1 R SUSSEX 11 RAMC 2 RGA 1 S STAFFS 1 S W BORDERERS 2 SCOTS GDS 3 WELSH 1 07/12/14 Total 75 08/12/14 A S C 5 B WATCH 1 FRENCH ARMY 1 K R R C 3 L N LANCS 4 NORTHANTS 2 R F A 6 R SUSSEX 2 S IRISH HORSE 1 08/12/14 Total 25 09/12/14 A CYCLIST CORPS 1 A S C 3 B WATCH 3 CAM HDRS 1 COLDM GDS 3 GLOSTER 2 K R R C 1 L N LANCS 2 LONDON SCOTT 3 NORTHANTS 3 R ENG 1 R F A 19 R G A 1 R H A 1 R M FUS 2 R SUSSEX 7 RAMC 1 S IRISH HORSE 2 S W BORDERERS 1 SCOTS GDS 1 WELSH 2 09/12/14 Total 60 10/12/14 LONDON SCOTT 1 R F A 6 R M FUS 1 R SUSSEX 1 RAMC 2 S W BORDERERS 2 SCOTS GDS 1 10/12/14 Total

[phil andrade]

All in all, though, a huge success story, wouldn't you say ?

Bearing in mind the scale and intensity of the conflict, and the harshness and exposure it entailed, the statistics indicate remarkable standards of care.

This was, arguably, especially so in 1914, when the rapid deployment and sudden onslaught of battle, along with retreat and a climactic defensive battle, followed by a very severe winter, must have imposed enormous demands. The routine of trench warfare had not consolidated, and this was bound to make things harder.

Phil (PJA)

[phil andrade]

A reference to German experience is called for here.

The sanitatsbericht gives detailed figures for hospital admissions.

I reckon the battle casualties here are understated - not by design, I hasten to add, but by simple inability to keep track - but the ratios are revealing and make for interesting comparisons with the British experience. Most strikingly, they indicate the severity of the winter and the impact on health. These are for the Western Front in 1914 :

August : 136,417 battle casualties ; 66,911 sick. Ratio...2.04 to 1

September : 201,911 battle casualties ; 111,918 sick. Ratio ...1.8 to 1

October : 146,314 battle casualties ; 145,060 sick. Ratio ...1 to 1 ( near as damn it )

November : 98,387 battle casualties ; 182,927 sick. Ratio...1 to 1.86

December : 60,208 battle casualties ; 178,906 sick. Ratio...1 to 2.97

Overall : 643,237 battle casualties ; 685,722 sick. Ratio....1 to 1.07

In terms of absolute numbers November was the worst month for sickness ; it's also the month with the highest rate of sickness as a percentage of troop strength ( 10.73% ).

I would suggest that these figures throw the British experience into good light, with an indication of relatively high standards of health in the BEF....but this is rather tentative, I confess.

To be complacent about deaths from illness being limited to a few hundred is all very well, until you countenance the fact that General Grierson was among them.

Phil (PJA)

[Guest]

Some detail - From the 11 Inf Bde War Diary - the number of Officers and men who were hospitalised wounded or sick who returned before the end of December 1914 was surprisingly low:

Unit...............................Officers....ORs

1st Somerset LI.................3............25

1st East Lancs..................0............15

1st Hampshires.................0.............0

1st Rifle Bde.....................1.............4

Total.................................4............44

Number of Officers and OR Battle casualties and Non Battle Casualties

Unit...............................Officers....ORs......Off (sick)....OR (sick)

1st Somerset LI................36...........703.........10............450

1st East Lancs.................27.......... 643..........4............260

1st Hampshires................38............605........11.............NA

1st Rifle Bde....................25............696..........4.............NA

Total...............................126.........2,647........29.............NA

No of Officers and men who served continuously from 22 August to end of December 1914:

Unit...............................Officers....ORs

1st Somerset LI................4............266

1st East Lancs.................10..........256

1st Hampshires.................1...........336

1st Rifle Bde.....................5............247

Total................................20.........1,105

[phil andrade]

The last total of 4 officers and 44 men is surely a misplaced figure ?

Incidentally, I have just reached for one of my favourite Great War source books MEMORIES OF FOUR FRONTS , in which the author, Lt. General William Marshall, gives an account of his tour of duty as Battalion Commander ( 1st Sherwood Foresters) in the winter of 1914 on the Western Front.

He alludes to the strain and discomfort of the early days of trench warfare, with heavy casualties from enemy fire ; but the only mention he makes of losses through sickness is in the case of two of his officers :

" Hume and Castle, both constitutionally unable to stand the wet, cold, and strain, went sick very shortly and were never again passed fit for service."

Phil (PJA)

[Guest]

The last total of 4 officers and 44 men is surely a misplaced figure ?

Incidentally, I have just reached for one of my favourite Great War source books MEMORIES OF FOUR FRONTS , in which the author, Lt. General William Marshall, gives an account of his tour of duty as Battalion Commander ( 1st Sherwood Foresters) in the winter of 1914 on the Western Front.

He alludes to the strain and discomfort of the early days of trench warfare, with heavy casualties from enemy fire ; but the only mention he makes of losses through sickness is in the case of two of his officers :

" Hume and Castle, both constitutionally unable to stand the wet, cold, and strain, went sick very shortly and were never again passed fit for service."

Phil (PJA)

yEs. ... a cut and past error. Now amended.