All posts tagged Gaza

“He has had the good fortune to be drafted to Reading for treatment”

There was news of several of the soldiers from Reading’s Broad Street Congregational Church.

PERSONAL

We should like to offer our somewhat belated, but very sincere, congratulations to Captain Horace Beer of the RAF on his promotion. Captain Beer obtained his captaincy, it appears, several months ago; but it was only recently that the news reached us. He is now serving at the headquarters of the RAF and he has our best wishes for the future.

News has been received that Private E. Layton Francis has been wounded. He was serving with the London Scottish in Palestine, and many of our readers have enjoyed his vivid descriptions of places and people, which have appeared from time to time in these pages. Private Francis is now in one of the Stationary Hospitals in Gaza, suffering from a gunshot wound in his right arm. Beyond this there is no further information at the moment. We hope, however, that the wound is not serious, and that our friend may have a speedy recovery. Meanwhile we express our sympathy with Mr and Mrs Ernest Francis and their family in their anxiety.

Private F. W. Snell has been seriously wounded in the head and face while fighting in France. He has had the good fortune to be drafted to Reading for treatment and is now lying in No. 1 War Hospital. He is making good progress. We earnestly hope it may continue, and that before long we may see him back in our midst.

We are glad to see our young friend, Private George Hathaway, back at Broad Street. Private Hathaway was training with the Royal Warwicks, but he has been on the sick list for some time, and has now obtained his discharge. We trust that before long he may be restored to health.

BROTHERHOOD NOTES

We deeply regret to have to report the death of Brother Ernest Ward of Westfield Road, Caversham, who recently died of wounds….

Our musical director and choirmaster, Brother Wynton-Turner, will have commenced his military duties by the time these notes are in the hands of our readers. We wish him every success.

Reading Broad Street Congregational Magazine, June 1918 (D/N11/12/1/14)

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by berkshirerecordoffice on 25 June, 2018  •  Permalink
Posted in Behind the lines, Joining up, News from the Front: the grim reality of war, Nursing the wounded, Roll of honour: the war dead
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Posted by berkshirerecordoffice on 25 June, 2018

https://berkshirevoiceswwi.wordpress.com/2018/06/25/he-has-had-the-good-fortune-to-be-drafted-to-reading-for-treatment/

“I witnessed all the terrific bombardment from land and sea against the Gaza defences, and shall never forget the awful spectacle”

A Maidenhead man bears witness to the fighting in Palestine.

OUR SOLDIERS.

Reginald Hill has left Sheffield Hospital, and hoped to have left hospitals for ever, but very shortly after getting home he had a slight relapse, and at the time of writing is a patient at Cliveden. We hope his stay there will be very brief.

Harold Islip is in hospital at Trouville, suffering from trench fever. He expects shortly to be in training for a Commission.

Ernest Bristow will probably be at Cliveden by the time this has reached our readers’ hands.

George Ayres has been transferred to a Field Company of the Engineers, and is at Anglesey.

Reginald Hamblin is in a Flying Corps, and is training at Totteridge.

Herbert Hodgson is in a camp near Salisbury Plain.

Benjamin Gibbons is in Ireland.

Leonard Beel sends a letter (which has evidently had a soaking in sea water) with vivid account of what he has seen in Palestine. He says:

“I witnessed all the terrific bombardment from land and sea against the Gaza defences, and shall never forget the awful spectacle. Afterwards I had a good look around Gaza, and saw the results of the bombardment, but unfortunately missed the several interesting spots associated with Samson’s career through want of a guide.”

He speaks, too, of visiting Ashdod, Lydda, the Vale of Ajalon, and Jaffa, where Simon the tanner entertained Peter, and where Dorcas was raised.

“The native villages,” he says, “are picturesque from a distance only. Inside they are usually worse than any English slum, full of filth and squalor. It is months ago since I last saw an Arab with a clean face.”

His one regret is that he has missed seeing Jerusalem and Bethlehem.

Maidenhead Congregational Church magazine, June 1918 (D/N33/12/1/5)

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by berkshirerecordoffice on 20 June, 2018  •  Permalink
Posted in Behind the lines, Hopes and prayers: the religious response, News from the Front: the grim reality of war, Nursing the wounded, Service at home
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Posted by berkshirerecordoffice on 20 June, 2018

https://berkshirevoiceswwi.wordpress.com/2018/06/20/i-witnessed-all-the-terrific-bombardment-from-land-and-sea-against-the-gaza-defences-and-shall-never-forget-the-awful-spectacle/

Starving and orphan children walked, some from Jerusalem and others 200 miles, to obtain food and shelter from the British

A missionary organisation was helping care for child refugees in British-occupied Palestine.

WORK OF THE CHURCH IN THE WAR ZONE

A Lawn Meeting was held at the Rectory on June 6th, when a most interesting account was given of the work of the Church in the Mohammedan Land of Palestine.

Miss Roberts told of how the Church Missionary Society were asked to re-open their Hospitals at Gaza, of the starving and orphan children who had walked, some from Jerusalem and others 200 miles, to obtain food and shelter. She exhibited samples of the lace work done by these children and others, and was ready to receive orders.

She showed how the Military Authorities were relying for such help upon the Church Missionary Society, and the danger of having numbers of orphans to maintain without the provision of funds. A voluntary collection was made, producing £2 6s 6d. This included a cheque from a lady who could not attend.

Sulhamstead parish magaizine, August 1918 (D/EX725/4)

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by berkshirerecordoffice on 6 June, 2018  •  Permalink
Posted in Behind the lines, Children and the war, Enemy nations and individuals, Life on the Home Front, New opportunities and other changes for Berkshire's women, Nursing the wounded, Safe asylum: refugees in Berkshire
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Posted by berkshirerecordoffice on 6 June, 2018

https://berkshirevoiceswwi.wordpress.com/2018/06/06/starving-and-orphan-children-walked-some-from-jerusalem-and-others-200-miles-to-obtain-food-and-shelter-from-the-british/

“His keenness put him on a plane by himself, and it would be well for the Army if we had more like him”

Several Ascot families received bad news.

Miss Dorothy Innes Lillington is at the Church Army Club at Calais, and will be glad to see any Ascot men who may find themselves at that Base.

News was received on November 15th that Stewart Jarvis died in hospital of wounds on November 9th, and that George Taylor was wounded, both in Palestine. Deep sympathy will be felt for the parents whose son’s body lies in that Holy Land which he has helped to wrest from the Turks, and let us hope for good news of Taylor’s condition. Probably both received their wounds in that gallant charge near Gaza which was reported in the Press.

There are still a number of men’s names in the Church porch without any Christian names, – please try to supply these.

Mrs. Wye has received the following from the Captain of the R.H.A. Battery to which Victor belonged. He died on October 11th of wounds received on 9th.

“Sergt. Wye had not been with us long, but quite long enough to prove his sterling qualities as a No.1 in action. I have seldom dealt with a more enthusiastic N.C.O., and feel that we have lost a Sergeant of great potential value to the service. He was a thoroughly nice fellow, and all who knew him feel his loss. His keenness put him on a plane by himself, and it would be well for the Army if we had more like him.”

Ascot section of Winkfield District Magazine, December 1917 (D/P151/28A/9/12)

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by berkshirerecordoffice on 20 December, 2017  •  Permalink
Posted in Behind the lines, New opportunities and other changes for Berkshire's women, News from the Front: the grim reality of war, Nursing the wounded, Roll of honour: the war dead
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Posted by berkshirerecordoffice on 20 December, 2017

https://berkshirevoiceswwi.wordpress.com/2017/12/20/his-keenness-put-him-on-a-plane-by-himself-and-it-would-be-well-for-the-army-if-we-had-more-like-him/

Good news from Gaza

There was progress on the Western Front and fighting against the Ottoman Empire.

7 November 1917
Passchendaele taken this week [and] to Gaza – good news.

Diary of Florence Vansittart Neale of Bisham Abbey (D/EX73/3/17/8)

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by berkshirerecordoffice on 7 November, 2017  •  Permalink
Posted in News from the Front: the grim reality of war
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Posted by berkshirerecordoffice on 7 November, 2017

https://berkshirevoiceswwi.wordpress.com/2017/11/07/good-news-from-gaza/