Dvr Henry THURLBY, ASC, died 27.12.15 in Salonika

[Guest Pete Wood]

First, the information held by the CWGC

Name: THURLBY, HENRY

Initials: H

Nationality: United Kingdom

Rank: Private

Regiment: Army Service Corps

Unit Text: 120th Coy. 28th Div. Train

Age: 21

Date of Death: 27/12/1915

Service No: T4/143624

Additional information: Son of Mary Ellen Thurlby, of Bishop St., Queenstown, Co. Cork.

Casualty Type: Commonwealth War Dead

Grave/Memorial Reference: 31.

Cemetery: SALONIKA (LEMBET ROAD) MILITARY CEMETERY

Cemetery: SALONIKA (LEMBET ROAD) MILITARY CEMETERY

Country: Greece

Locality: unspecified

Location Information: Thessalonika (Salonika) is a town at the head of the Gulf of Thessalonika. The Cemetery is on the northern outskirts of Thessalonika, adjoining the Roman Catholic French and Italian War Cemeteries. It lies on the west side of the road to Seres.

Historical Information: At the invitation of the Greek Prime Minister, M.Venizelos, Salonika (now Thessalonika) was occupied by three French Divisions and the 10th (Irish) Division from Gallipoli in October 1915. Other French and Commonwealth forces landed during the year and in the summer of 1916, they were joined by Russian and Italian troops. In August 1916, a Greek revolution broke out at Salonika, with the result that the Greek national army came into the war on the Allied side. The town was the base of the British Salonika Force and it contained, from time to time, eighteen general and stationary hospitals. Three of these hospitals were Canadian, although there were no other Canadian units in the force. The earliest Commonwealth burials took place in the local Protestant and Roman Catholic cemeteries. Salonika (Lembet Road) Military Cemetery (formerly known as the Anglo-French Military Cemetery) was begun in November 1915 and Commonwealth, French, Serbian, Italian and Russian sections were formed. The Commonwealth section remained in use until October 1918, although from the beginning of 1917, burials were also made in Mikra British Cemetery. After the Armistice, some graves were brought in from other cemeteries in Macedonia and from Scala Cemetery, near Cassivita, on the island of Thasos. There are now 1,648 Commonwealth servicemen of the First World War buried or commemorated in this cemetery. The Commonwealth plot also contains 45 Bulgarian and one Serbian war graves.

No. of Identified Casualties: 1681

SDGW tells us that Henry was:

Born Dover

Enlisted Cork

Residence Queenstown

It seems, to me, quite unusual that Henry was born in Kent and moved (probably with his family, judging by his age?) to Ireland. It was normally the other way around – emigration from Ireland…..

Henry is buried next to 6343 Pte Charles Adam Anderson of 2 Cameron Highlanders who died on the same day. Henry was an early casualty in the Lembert Road cemetery, which had only been open some 5 weeks; the burial of the first soldier, Pte Joseph Firman RAOC took place on the 22.11.15.

Each Division of the army had it's own transport, called the Divisional Train. It was the 'workhorse' of the Division in terms of carrying stores and supplies, providing the main supply line to the transport of the Brigades, Battalions, and Artillery and other attached units. It initially comprised 26 officers and 402 other ranks of the ASC, looking after 378 horses, 17 carts, 125 wagons and 30 bicycles. These comprised a headquarters and 4 horse transport companies (one for each infantry Brigade, and one for Divisional HQ and other troops).

28th Divisional Train 170, 171, 172 and 173 TF Companies, ASC. Transferred from 1st London Division on 21 December 1914. This train was transferred to 33rd Division on 13 November 1915. A new train, originally trained for the 13th Division, joined on 16 November 1915. It consisted of 120, 121, 122 and 123 Coys ASC. The Divisional Train was reorganised to account for the special conditions in Salonika in October 1916, and 856, 857, 858 and 859 Coys were added to the Train. 10161 Company ASC also joined 228th Brigade in the Division.

From the Long, Long Trail – general information on the Salonika Campaign

In October 1915, a combined Franco-British force of some two large brigades was landed at Salonika (today called Thessalonika) at the request of the Greek Prime Minister. The objective was to help the Serbs in their fight against Bulgarian aggression. But the expedition arrived too late, the Serbs having been beaten before they landed. It was decided to keep the force in place for future operations, even against Greek opposition. The Greek Chief of the General Staff in Athens had told them " You will be driven into the sea, and you will not have time even to cry for mercy" (Some Greek factions, including King Constantine, were pro-German). The outcome of the Gallipoli campaign was in the balance and most shipping in the area was involved so they really had no choice.

What happened?

During the first four months of 1916 the British Salonika Force had enough spadework to last it for the rest of its life. Large amounts of barbed wire was used and a bastion about eight miles north of the city was created connecting with the Vardar marshes to the west, and the lake defences of Langaza and Beshik to the east, and so to the Gulf of Orfano and the Aegean Sea. This area was known as the 'Birdcage' on account of the quantity of wire used. The Bulgarians and Austrians also fortified the heights of the hills surrounding Salonika during the same time which had dire consequences later on. The original two Brigades eventually were reinforced by larger units until 22nd, 26th, 27th and 28th Divisions were there. If the Bulgarians had descended from their Doiran and Struma heights it would have been very difficult to ' push us into the sea', for the force was deployed to fortify an advanced defensive line. In Dec 1915 the British element fought a battle at Kosturino, north of Lake Doiran, after withdrawing from Serbia. After this there was little action except for occasional air-raids on Salonika.

So our man, Henry Thurlby appears to be newly arrived in Salonika and to have fallen ill very quickly and died.

[Guest Pete Wood]

According to the Free BMD search, our man was actually Henry George Thurlby – born in September 1893. This means our man was 22 when he died, and not 21 as stated on the CWGC register - information which was given by the next of kin.

But he was not the first Henry in his family; he had a brother Henry who was born and died in December 1889. This Henry was a twin; his sibling, Mary Ellen Thurby also died at birth.

Mr and Mrs Thurley called their next two children after their deceased twins; so Henry George also had a sister called Mary Betresa Thurlby – born in June 1892.

[Steven Wright]

Fascinating research, Pete!

Thanks!

Steve