Battling Typhoid & Malaria on the North West Frontier

On the 8th July 1918, 100 years ago today, James Othen, who had married Annie Cobbold (my great grand aunt in law), was taken sick again and admitted to hospital.

James had travelled to India with the 1/4th Battalion Royal West Surrey Regiment in October 1916 arriving in Bombay in late December that year. The 1/4th Queen’s had moved to Tank to join the Waziristan Field Force in early 1917. However, the battalion was so stricken by illness that soon after its arrival it was withdrawn and dispatched to Dagshai and Jutogh in the Simla Hills to recover.

James was stationed in Dagshai and then moved with the rest of the battalion to Lahore in the spring of 1918. James had been hospitalised with Malaria in March 1918

On July 8th 1918 James Othen, was admitted to hospital in Amritsar, in the Punjab region of North West India suffering with what was initially recorded as P.U.O. (Pyrexia of Unknown origin), which is generally associated with high fever and raised body temperature, this however is later crossed out and replaced with an M – which given James previous hospital admission probably means a final diagnosis of malaria. He remained in hospital in Amritsar until the 14th August 1918 as part of the Enteric group of patients (Enteric meaning intestinal problems) when he was then transferred to the Enteric convalescence hospital until the 21st September 1918

Enteric (typhoid) fever is a systemic disease characterised by fever and abdominal pain caused by dissemination of Salmonella

Typhoid fever, also known simply as typhoid, is a bacterial infection due to Salmonella typhi that causes symptoms which may vary from mild to severe and usually begin six to thirty days after exposure.Often there is a gradual onset of a high fever over several days.Weakness, abdominal pain, constipation, and headaches also commonly occur.  Some people develop a skin rash with rose coloured spots and in severe cases there may be confusion.Without treatment, symptoms may last weeks or months.

The cause is the bacterium Salmonella Typhi, growing in the intestines and blood.Typhoid is spread by eating or drinking food or water contaminated with the feces of an infected person. Risk factors include poor sanitation and poor hygiene.

James had originally enlisted with the 5th Reserve Battalion “The Queens” Royal West Surrey on the 5th October 1914 aged 34 years and 6 months and was 5 feet 5 3/4 inches. He was living at 71 Orchard Rise, Dorking, Surrey and was considered physically fit. James was employed as a bricklayer's labourer at that time.

The battle in India for the troops and for James Othen in particular seems to have been against the conditions and the diseases rather than enemy fire.

Life goes on

Whilst the war raged on across the globe, the natural cycle of life carried on in spite of the hardships at home.

Alfred George Cobbold (my Great grandfather in law) was celebrating the birth of another son between October and December 1915. 

James J Cobbold was born in Reigate, Surrey and was the seventh child of Alfred George and May Rosetta Cobbold (nee Graffham). Alfred was born in Burnham, Essex in 1884, he married his wife May Rosetta Graffham in 1902 in Reigate, Surrey. Their six other children were Doris May (Born 1904 Great Bookham), Maud Winifred (born 1905, Dorking), Alfred Peter (Born 1907 Great Bookham), William Fred (Born 1909, Reigate), George Edward (Born 1911, Reigate) and Ethel (Born 1913, Reigate).

In 1911 the family were living at 10 Irrigation Road, Earlswood, Reigate, with Alfred working as a Carter in the sewage works.

May’s brother JohnJoseph Graffham had been killed on the 28^th July 1915, whilst serving with the 2^nd Batallion, The Queens, Royal West Surrey Regiment.

Alfred’s brother, Frederick Cobbold had recently celebrated the birth of another son. On the 12^th October 1915 in Bromley, Herbert Leslie J Cobbold, the fifth child Frederick and Lily Cobbold (nee Penny) was born. 

Frederick was my Great Grand Uncle in law and was born in Braintree , Essex in 1874, he married his wife Lily Penny in 1900 in Epsom, Surrey. They had four other children Lily (born in 1903 in Leatherhead), Frederick (born in 1905 in Dorking), William Albert (born in 1907 in Little Bookham) and Elsie Edith (born in 1909 also in Little Bookham).

In 1911, Frederick Cobbold was working as a cowman on a farm.

As yet I’ve not been able to confirm if either Alfred or Frederick served in the military during the Great War.

100 Years on...The story of my family in the Great War 1914-18

In the halcyon summer of 1914 the world stumbled inevitably, it seems now, towards a global conflict that would effect a whole generation. My hope, in this blog, over the next four years is to chronicle some of the stories and details of that human catastrophe as they effected my ancestors exactly 100 years before.

I can only claim to be a keen amateur family historian, so there may be mistakes or omissions as I go along, these are all honestly made and I would welcome advice, suggestions and any additional information that I haven't uncovered as yet. I'm sure there is plenty of information easily available on family history websites and maybe once I've retired after winning the lottery I will have the money to add to the family archives!

I hope my family, friends and long lost relatives which I'm slowly uncovering around the world through my family history research like this blog and find it interesting to them and if they wish to contribute their own WWI ancestor stories that would be very welcome.

My Grandfather - Arthur Hollins

Having spent many enjoyable years researching my ancestors I amazed how many must have been involved in WWI, many I have no service details for, but for that generation, it was rare for someone of active service age not to have been called to the colours in some way. So my research will continue and occasionally new information will come to light after the centenary of that event has passed. This blog is not intended to be a finished, polished academic study, but rather an organic and forever growing testimony to my family ancestors, so I hope you will forgive any chronological errors.

Sadly much of information that is easily obtainable concerns those that did not return home and I suppose we are all lucky that our direct ancestors did and that we are able to relate their stories.

This blog, rather than featuring stories of daring exploits and boys own capers is more about how ordinary young men left their family homes in Rugeley, Staffordshire, Wimbledon and Hackney for far flung fields of conflict, the horrors of which I cannot even begin to understand. I hope only to honour their memory in some small way and this blog over the next four years is my tribute to my family ancestors in the 1914-18 First World War.

Tony