Soldier Patients: sick and wounded at Chailey 1914-1918

Surviving British Red Cross records tell us that between August 1914 and November 1918, the ladies of Sussex 54 VAD nursed a total of 958 soldier patients at Hickwells and Beechlands. That means that Nurse Oliver’s album represents less than 14 per cent of admissions although of course, she would have had a hand in nursing the majority of the men who passed through the two hospitals.

One hundred and twenty nine sick and wounded soldiers left their marks in Edith Oliver's album. They, and a handful of soldiers from another album kept by Nurse Rose Beatrice Smythe (indicated by an asterisk) are recorded below.

Men highlighted in bold were killed in action or died as a result of wounds or sickness. Where PHOTOS or SERVICE RECORDS survive, these have been highlighted. WO363 is the so-called "Burnt-Documents'" series at The National Archives. WO364 is the Pension Series. WO 374 are officers’ records. In time, all of the WO363 and WO364 records will be directly accessible on-line via Ancestry.co.uk. Many are available now. To conduct your own search of this WW1 archive, enter the names of the soldier in the boxes below:

Names in italics are those of a further 33 men who spent time at either of the two hospitals and are mentioned in contemporary sources. Regimental details, where stated, are those noted at the time the men were at Hickwells or Beechlands.

I would be delighted to hear from anybody who has further information on any of the patients listed here, or indeed anyone who can add another soldier name to the Hickwells and Beechland House roll call. Please do contact me.

3246 Private John Thomson ALLAN, 1/4th Gordon Highlanders

Private J ANDREW, 4th Northamptonshire Regt

Staff Sergeant ATKINSON

23331 Private W H BADDOCK, 3rd Grenadier Guards

L/10314 Private Charles BANKS, 1st Royal Fusiliers

2767 Private William BARBIN, 42nd Australian Imperial Force

3962 Signaller Chris BARCLAY, 2/10th (Scottish) King's Liverpool Regt

43009 Private Herbert Richard BARNES,13th (West Ham) Essex Regt WO 363 RECORD

486742 Sapper Arthur BEE, 470th Field Coy Royal Engineers

Lance-Corporal BEECHING

602919 Private James BENTLEY, 7th (British Columbia) Canadians

86771 Private Thomas S BENTON, 41st Signal Coy Royal Engineers

Driver BRADLEY

Corporal Albert BRANDON, 1/7th Middlesex Regt

Private BRASSINGTON

2/338493 Gunner H S BRIGHT, Royal Artillery

Private T W BROWN, Durham Light Infantry

Private S F BROWN, 2/9th Middlesex Regt

1218 Private W BROWN, 1/9th Middlesex Regt

22824 Private Henry Robert BURN, 2nd Worcs Regt WO 363 RECORD

G/4780 Private Edward John BURNAGE, 2nd Royal Sussex Regt WO 364 RECORD

Private D BUTCHER, 2nd Royal Sussex Regt*

1359 Private William J BUTTERS 1/20th London Regt WO 364 RECORD

1583 Sergeant William CALVERT, 1/5th East Lancs Regt WO 364 RECORD

290444 Private Archibald John CAPHAM, 1/4th Suffolk Regt WO 363 RECORD

Private A CARTHIDGE, Royal Sussex Regt*

16534 Private William CHADWICK, 7th KOSB WO363 RECORD

12419 Private Charles Robert H CHAMBERS, 7th Norfolk Regt WO363 RECORD

Corporal CHATTERTON

41441 Private Thomas George CLARKE, Norfolk Regt

Driver CLEARY

Driver J CLEGG, Army Service Corps*

Lance-Corporal COATES

R/1480 Rifleman Stan COLLINS, 12th Kings Royal Rifle Corps

16621 Private James COWLEY, 1st Kings Own Royal Lancaster Regt

Lance Sergeant CROFT

7567 Private John CURRIE, 10th Gordon Highlanders

Private DAVEY

Drummer DAVIS

Gunner DAVIS

Private DAWSON

88802 Driver George William DEER, Royal Field Artillery

Rifleman DEERS

12517 Cpl Frederick John DENTON, 9th Essex PHOTO WO 364 RECORD

2605 Corporal John DICKS, 9th Essex Regt

6155 Private Frank Chivers DIXON, 1st Wiltshire Regt WO 364 RECORD

3655 Private Martin DONNELLY, 1/5th East Surrey Regt

Private DORCHESTER

Private DUFFY

Corporal A A C ELDRIDGE, Royal Fusiliers

22782 Lance Corporal Ernest FAIRBROTHER, 10th Loyal North Lancashire Regt

5363 Private W FERGUSON 3rd Border Regiment

Private Joseph R FISH, 86th Aero Squadron, USA

Private FLYNN

Private FOSTER

16880 Private Joseph FRENCH, 9th Essex Regt

Private FROST

11908 Private Carles Hellas FUERE

8355 CSM John William Beeby GALE, 2nd Bedfordshire Regt

Bombardier GARLAND, Royal Artillery

S/7793 Private Andrew GEDDES, 1/7th (Deeside Highland) Gordon Highlanders

50082 Driver James GILBERT, Royal Field Artillery

Private GOLDBOROUGH

2726 Thomas Leo GOLDEN, CEF*

Private GORDON

Private GRAY

11796 Private John E GRIFFITHS, The Duke of Wellington's (West Riding Regt)

Private HALE

Rifleman HARDCASTLE

L/6723 Private Frederick HARDING, 4th Middlesex Regt WO 364 RECORD

Private HARDY

21/1522 Private Charles Edward HARRALD, 24th Northumberland Fusiliers

Private HARRISON

Private HART

SR/7386 Private William HAYDON, 1st Royal Fusiliers

Rifleman F HEAD

2367 Trooper George S HICKS, 3/1st Bedfordshire Yeomanry PHOTO

Bombardier William HILL, Royal Artillery

Private HILTON

14598 CQMS Oswald Daniel HITTER, 10th Essex Regt WO 374 RECORD

6850 Rifleman Robert Mearns HOBBS, 1/5th Cameronians (Scottish Rifles)

SE/9585 Private Albert HOIDGE, RAVC

Private HOLLERAN

20491 Private William HOLT, 20th County of London Regt

Private HOLYROD

Private HUBBARD

Private HUME

Sergeant H HUNTER, Coldstream Guards

Private JENNINGS

64720 Gunner Henry JOBSON, Royal Field Artillery*

Private JOHNSTONE

22002 Private D JONES, Army Service Corps

Private KEARTON

21675 Private O KEENAN, Border Regt

10298 Private Ernest J KELSEY, 22nd (Kensington) Royal Fusiliers

19797 Private Alfred Ephraim KENNARD, 6th Duke of Cornwall's Light Infantry

1366 Lance Corporal Ernest LADD, 5th Buffs PHOTO

17797 Private Albert LEGGETT, 1st Northamptonshire Regt

19740 Private Joseph LEIGH, 3rd Border Regt

Private LINCOLN

Private LISTER

Corporal LITTLER

5365 Pte George Robert Alfred LUCAS, 8th RWK WO 364 RECORD

230 Private Herbert MAGINNIS, 10th Scottish Rifles WO 363 RECORD

G/5793 Lance Corporal Ernest Arthur MALINS, 6th Royal West Kent Regt PHOTO

L/8576 Private Albert MANKTELOW, 2nd Royal Sussex WO 363 RECORD

Private McBRIDE or MACBRIDE

4082 Lance Corporal Andrew McCRORIE, 2nd Royal Scots

Private McCANN

Private Angus McKENZIE 1/5th (Sutherland & Caithness Highland) Seaforth Highlanders

Private McWILLIAMS

Sergeant MILNE

2844 Harry Gordon MILSOM, CEF*

Corporal NASH

Private NEWTON

Rifleman R NICHOLSON

Private OLIVER

2537 Rifleman Harold William PARKINSON, 1/8th City of London Regt

11066 Band Boy John William PATE, 3rd Dragoon Guards

8108 Private Bernard PICTON, 2nd Connaught Rangers*

7480 Private Reginald PIMBLE, 1st Gloucestershire Regt PHOTO

Private H PROCTOR, Duke of Wellington's (West Riding)

Private RAYNOR-SMITH

15429 Sergeant Arthur Samuel REEVE, 8th KOSB WO364 RECORD

Corporal W R D F REYNOLDS, 3rd Royal Fusiliers

205445 Private Joseph Henry RICHARDS, 11th East Yorkshire Regt

Private A G RICHARDSON, 1st Royal East Kent Mounted Rifles

8030 Private Henry Walter RICHARDSON, 1st Dorset Regt

Sergeant RICHEY

G/3325 Private Arthur Charles RIDGER, 7th East Kent Regt

Walter ROBERTSON, 2nd Argyll & Sutherland Highlanders

Private J E ROBINSON

2229 Tpr Alfred ROCK, Royal Horse Guards WO364 RECORD

914 Bombardier Francis E RYAN, Royal Field Artillery

L/6738 Private Charles SABOURIN, 1st East Surrey Regt PHOTO WO 363 RECORD

SR/1921 Private James William SALMON, 4th Royal Fusiliers

Lance-Corporal SARGEANT

Lance-Corporal SAVAGE

Private SHAKESPEARE

Sergeant SHEPPARD

10690 Cpl John William SHERIDAN, 12th Northumberland Fusiliers WO363 RECORD

10181 L/Cpl Thomas Clement SKURRAY, 6th Royal Berkshire Regt*

57941 Lance Corporal Albert Edward SMITH, 20th Canadians PHOTO

Private E SMITH, 2nd Welsh Regt*