Hospitalised with Malaria

On the 26^th March 1918, 100 years ago today, James Othen, who had married Annie Cobbold (my great grand aunt in law), was admitted to hospital in Lahore suffering from Malaria. James had travelled to India with the 1/4^th Battalion Royal West Surrey Regiment in October 1916 arriving in Bombay in late December that year.

The 1/4^th Queen’s 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 However, the battalion was so stricken by illness that soon after its arrival it was withdrawn and despatched to Dagshai and Jutogh in the Simla Hills to recover.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, aged 42, was admitted to hospital suffering from Malaria on the 26^th March 1918 and after blood tests was given in total 300 grams of quinine over the next few days to treat the effects until his release on the 6^th April. Research suggests that around 1.5 Million soldiers from all sides fell victim to Malaria (Malaria Journal 2014) with between 0.2 and 5% of cases proving fatal.

At home his wife Annie was looking after their seven children. Rosey (aged 13), Mabel (11), Alfred (9), Florence (7), Charles (6), Sydney (3) and their youngest Daughter, Edith (1) who had been born between Oct and December 1916, just as her father was embarking for India

Meanwhile over 5,000 miles away in Reigate, Surrey James’ sister in law, May Rosetta Cobbold (nee Graffham) and her husband Alfred George Cobbold (My Great Grandfather in law) were going through both joyous and harrowing times.

Between April and June 1918 their eighth child Lily was born in Reigate and during the same period their youngest child James J Cobbold passed away aged 3. May was also looking after her six other children, Doris (aged 14), Maud (13), Alfred (11), William (9), George (7) and Ethel (5). [Alfred George Cobbold was most likely serving with the 1st Divisional Signal Company, Army Service Corps, but research is on-going to confirm this]

May’s brother Corporal John Joseph Graffham had been killed in July 1915 serving with the 2^nd Battalion The Queens Royal West Surrey Regiment.

On a slow boat to India

James Othen married Annie Cobbold (my great grand aunt in law) in 1905 in Epsom, Surrey. They had four children Rosey (Born 1905), Mabel (1907), Alfred (born 1909) and Florence (born 1911) and in 1911 were living at 32 Folkland Hill, Dorking, with James working as a labourer.

James had been born in 1880 in Farnham, Surrey the youngest son of Charles and Elizabeth Othen. James had 4 older brothers and two older sisters. Annie Cobbold was the daughter of Alfred and Sarah Cobbold (nee Alston) and had been born in 1886 in Burnham, Essex. After marrying James the family lived in Great Bookham, Surrey where their first three children were born and then 1910/11 they moved to Dorking where Florence was born.

Annie had two older brothers Frederick (born 1874 in Braintree, Essex) and Alfred (born 1884 in Burnham, Essex). Alfred's brother in law John Joseph Graffham had been killed whilst serving in France with the 2nd Battalion The Royal West Surrey Regiment in July 1915

James had enlisted with the 5^th Reserve Battalion “The Queens” Royal West Surrey on the 5^th 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. 

He had been stationed in England since enlisting but on the 28^th October 1916 James, was at Devonport, embarking with the 1 / 4^th Battalion Royal West Surreys to India.

Deadly work under the cover of darkness

On the night of the 29^th July 1915, 100 years ago today, The 2^nd Battalion, The Queens, Royal West Surrey Regiment set to work improving the front communication trenches in their sector around Rue – des – Berceaux.

The War Diary for the 29^th / 30^th July reads as follows.

29^th July 1915

Officers 32. Other ranks 961

From Hospital 2 To hospital 4

2/lt. W. Battiscombe to the 1^st Bn. 

A working party consisting of 8 officers and 287 N.C.O’s and men improved front communication trenches during the night.

30^th July 1915

Officers 31. Other ranks 959

From Hospital 2

Killed 3

Wounded 5

To hospital 5

The three soliders killed were Cpl. Frank William Cousens , Pte. B. Mannerings and Corporal John Joseph Graffham, my Great Grand Uncle in law.

All three soldiers are buried in the Rue-Des-Berceaux Military Cemetery, Richbourg-L’Avoue, North of Bethune in the Pas De Calais.

Rue Des Berceaux Military Cemetery

Corporal John Joseph Graffham (9443) was 26 years old and left behind his wife Daisy and one year old son Albert who were living at 9, Felwick Place, Red Hill, Surrey. He is buried in grave Reference I.B.17.

He is buried next to his comrade Corporal Frank William Cousens (9195) aged 24 who was the son of John and Rose Cousens, of 28, St. Peter’s Grove, Canterbury, Kent. Grave reference I.B. 18

Private B Mannerings (3716) was buried in Grave reference I.C. 14

Corporal John Graffham had fought in some of the heaviest fighting of the War so far and his battalion had suffered a significant amount of casualties since it had landed in Zeebrugge in October. Including the First Battle of Ypres and the Christmas truce of 1914

I have been writing this blog for a year now and this is the first one which records the death of an family ancestor, even now 100 years on, the sense of loss can still be felt, 

One wonders the catastrophic effect of John’s death on his wife, Daisy and son, Albert, back home in Red Hill, as well as his parents, Peter and Sarah and his brothers and sisters including his older sister May Rosetta Cobbold (nee Graffham) who was pregnant with her seventh child.

Lest We Forget

The Kitchener Connection

Lord Kitchener was the Secretary of state for war during the First World War (until his death in 1916). His recruitment poster, a masterpiece of marketing, encouraged millions of young men to join up and do their bit.

On the 9^th July 1915 Lord Kitchener inspected the 2^nd battalion The Queens Royal West Surrey Regiment. The regiment including my Great Grand Uncle in law John Joseph Graffham lined the road north of St. Hilare.

It was not the first time John Graffham’s battalion had been inspected by senior commanders. On the 21^st April Field Marshall Sir John French (Commander in Chief of the BEF) had inspected the regiment.

And on 27^th May the Allies supreme commander, General Joffre had inspected the regiment. The 2^nd Battalion war diary for that day stated:

Gen. Joffre, C-in-C of the allied forces honoured the 7^th Division this afternoon by inspecting it. The Division was formed up in a large field near Bas Rieux just east of Lillers. The 22^nd Bde was in the centre, each Bde being formed up in mass of battalions in quarter column. Gen. Joffre accompanied by F.M French and other distinguished officers passed down the lines after which three cheers were given and the troops marched past.

My Grandmother, Dorothy Renshaw, working as a domestic servant at Shugborough Hall for Lord Anson, the Earl of Lichfield, was once presented along with the rest of the staff to Lord Kitchener apparently for the excellent table setting. (Family Verbal History).

Dorothy Renshaw

I am still researching the exact date of when this event happened.

Dorothy was born in Brereton, Staffordshire on the 9th January 1902, The youngest of three daughters of George and Matilda Renshaw (Nee Thompson). In 1911, Dorothy and her parents were living at 8 Talbot Road, Brereton, with George being employed as a Coal Miner. Dorothy's sisters Alice was working as a domestic servant in Longdon (near Rugeley) and Elizabeth was married to Joseph Vernon, who also worked as a Coal Miner and were living at 6 Talbot Road.

Continuing the Kitchener connection, my Great Uncle Benjamin Hollins, originally from Rugeley, but living in Armitage in 1915 with his wife Hilda and two young children Benjamin and Henry, had been out in France serving with the 1/6^th North Staffordshire Regiment since March. His third son was born between April and June 1915. The boy’s name -  George Kitchener Hollins.

We did what was asked of us.

Corporal John Joseph Graffham of the 2^nd Battalion The Queens, Royal West Surrey Regiment had been serving on the Western front since arriving with the rest of his regiment from South Africa on the 4^th October 1914 and had been in the thick of the some of the heaviest fighting of the War. The night of the 15^th and 16^th May was no exception.

Battalion War Diary for 15th / 16th May 1915

During the night of the 15^th & 16^th May there were several showers of rain. At 2.30am there was an issue of rhum. At 2.45am the bombardment of enemy’s trenches & wire commenced & continued till 3.15am.

At 3.15am precisely the leading platoons of A coy scaled the ladders and rushed towards the German trenches to their front. It was now just daylight. As soon as our men showed their heads above our parapet the enemy opened intense rifle fire and seemed in no way affected by the artillery bombardment.

The Queens successfully took the first trench and two more trench lines before reaching their objective the communications trench at around 6am but were heavily counter attacked and eventually had to withdraw to the first captured German Trench by 7.30pm

The battalion war diary lists 435 casualties, 11 officers killed and 8 wounded and 147 other ranks killed, 237 wounded, 42 missing, 6 died of wounds, 2 missing believed killed and 1 wounded and missing.

The diary entry concludes

The battalion had done what was asked of it but at great cost.

One can only imagine what my Great Grand Uncle in Law went through that night and had already gone through since October the previous year. But despite the heavy number of casualties John Graffham survived to fight another day.

Tony