Back from Salonkia

Alfred Walter Reed Lewis (my Great Grandfather in Law,) serving with A company of the 41^st Field Butchery in the Army Service Corps, had been stationed in Salonkia, Greece since October 1915.

In December 1915 the British element fought a battle at Kosturino, north of Lake Doiran,

However, the intervention came too late to save Serbia and after a brief winter campaign in severe weather conditions on the Serbian frontier, the Anglo-French forces found themselves back at Salonika.

At this point the British advised that the troops be withdrawn. However, the French - with Russian, Italian and Serbian backing - still believed something of strategic importance could be gained in the Balkans and started preparing the port of Salonika for defence.

Alfred had suffered with heart trouble since he was 16, often becoming short of breath during periods of physical exertion and whilst doing heavy work at Salonkia in November his heart began to trouble him again.

He was posted back to England arriving on home shores on the 30^th January 1915, 100 years ago today. He was hospitalised and diagnosed with Valvular Heart Disease (Mitral).

Paid three Shillings a day

On the 12^th January 1916 Corporal Charles Henry Bush, serving with the Royal Army Medical Corps (RAMC) was appointed Clerk. He was serving with 35th Company and was based at the New End Military Hospital in Hampsted.

New End Military Hospital

Charles had been born and grew up in Wimbledon, Surrey. He had served in South Africa and had been stationed at No. 9 General Hospital in Nantes during 1914, returning back to England at Christmas 1914. In July 1915 he had been promoted to Corporal and now with his new appointment he was being paid 3 Shillings a day.

As part of the application Charles was required to submit a letter to check hand writing and composition and in it he describes his experience as a clerk, a job he had done for over four years, including being a clerk in the office of the PMO Cape Colony and that he had been appointed as the chief clerk at the New End Military Hospital on the 25^th March 1915.

Hand writing test

His elder brother Alfred Charles Morris Bush, a Regimental Sergeant Major with the RAMC had been killed in Gallipoli in August 1915