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- Hurdcott Camp during the Great War -


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World War 1 One ww1 wwII greatwar great 1914 1918 first battalion regiment

Hurdcott Camp



26th Sep 1915 Sheffield City Battalion arrive at Hurcott Camp  The 12th York and Lancs Battalion arrive at Hurcott Camp for their final training before deployment to the front. Col Mainwaring stood down as CO being replaced by Lt.Col. J.A. Crosthwaite.

29th Oct 1915 13th East Yorks leave Ripon  13th East Yorks leave Ripon on 29th of October 1915 for Hurdcott Camp.

16th Nov 1915 Sheffield City Battalion move to Larkhill  The 12th York and Lancs Battalion move from Hurcott Camp to Larkhill for parts 3 and 4 of the Musketry course. Each man was issued with his own SMLE Rifle and the course included firing from trenches as well as on the traditional ranges. A few days after arriving at Larkhill an order was received to prepare to proceed to France.

30th Nov 1915 Half of Sheffield City Battalion complete musketry course  With the musketry course at Larkhill completed, the Sheffield City Battalion marched to Hurcott Camp.

2nd Dec 1915 Half of Sheffield City Battalion on leave  The War Diary of the Sheffield City Battalion records that the order to prepare to proceed to France has been withdrawn and half the battalion was given leave, until late evening on the 3rd. The other half was on leave from the morning of the 4th until late evening on the 5th.

5th Dec 1915 12th York & Lancs ordered to Egypt  Orders arrive for the Sheffield City Battalion to prepare to move to Egypt and tropical kit was issued.

14th Dec 1915 13th East Yorks leave Hurdcott Camp  13th East Yorks leave Hurdcott Camp at 8am on December 14th for Salisbury then left Salisbury at 1.15pm arriving at Devonport at 9.15pm.

20th Dec 1915 A & B Coys 12th York & Lancs leave Hurcott Camp  A & B Coys, Sheffield City Battalion marched out of Hurcott Camp and entrained for Devonport at Salisbury Station, the train left at 5am. C & D Coys marched out of the camp at 2.30am with their train leaving at 6.25am. The Battalion transport left the camp at 5pm.

The trains were shunted onto the dockside at Keyham Docks and the majority of the Battalion boarded the SS Nestor. A small party from the Battalion transport boarded HMT Malakoota to travel with the Divisional Artillery.

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Those known to have trained at

Hurdcott Camp

during the Great War 1914-1918.

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263099

Edmund Linley D Coy., 12th Btn. Yorkshire Regiment (Green Howards)

I have a letter, written in 1915, from my grandfather, Edmund Linley, to his sister Amy in Sheffield. The letter is on headed notepaper: YMCA with HM Forces on Active Service. He has written his address as Hut 30, D Company, 12th Battalion, York Regiment. Stationed at 15th Lines Hurdcott Camp, Salisbury.

Jane Inglis




257923

Pte. Joseph Edwin Kee 57th Battalion (d.26th September 1917)

In recently assisting my son in a school humanities project, I found that a member of my family who died at The Battle of Polygon Wood had also trained at Lark Hill during July, August and October of 1916. Joseph Kee served with the 57th Battalion, Australian Imperial Force in WW1. He had returned from serving in Alexandria, Egypt. Joseph was later at the Hurdcott Camp in England before returning overseas to France.

He was 22 when he left Melbourne, and only 25 when he died. My grandmother who would have been his niece if he had lived. She spent much of her time researching her family history and maintaining wonderful records. I am grateful for her taking such care in recording Joseph's service and keeping his memory alive in my family. My heart goes out to all those affected by the tragic loss of such tremendously courageous men and I can only hope that in such dark times those men found friendship and comfort with each other.





250242

Cpl. Royal Victor Aynsley 54th Battalion

Roy Aynsley submitted his Enlistment application in the Australian Imperial Forcesin April 1916. On the 9th of June 1916 when he was 18 years old, Roy signed his attestation paper of Persons Enlisted for Service Abroad. He was part of the 7th Reinforcements, 54th Battalion, AIF.

On 6th of June 1916, Roy had undertaken a medical examination that listed his details as follows:

  • Age: 18yrs 9 mths
  • Height: 5ft 3 ½ in (161cm)
  • Weight: 136lb (62kg)
  • Complexion: Fresh
  • Chest: 32 ½ in, 34 ½ in
  • Eyes: Hazel 6/10, 6/10
  • Hair: Brown

Roy completed his initial army training at the Australian Imperial Expeditionary Forces No.20 Musketry School at Liverpool in October 1916. On the 25th of October 1916, Roy embarked at Sydney on the HMAT Ascanius, bound for England. Roy disembarked in Davenport on 28th December 1916 and Marched into the 14th Training Battalion in Hurdcott, Wiltshire. Hurdcott was the site of a training facility for Australian and New Zealand troops. Roy was trained as a Lewis Gunner.

On the 14th of November 1917 Roy was transported from Southampton to France as a member of the 7th Reinforcements, 54th Battalion. He was taken on strength on the 22nd of November 1917. After Roy's arrival in France, his battalion was involved in numerous engagements between March 1918 and the end of the war in October 1918. Roy was wounded in action on the 1st of September 1918 during the attack on Peronne and the Anvil Wood engagement. He was shot in the hand and the right leg. Roy was admitted to an Line of Communication field hospital on the 2nd of September and had the bullet removed. He was then invalided to England on the 5th of September and admitted to the 3rd Western General Hospital for recovery on 6th of September 1918.

He took a furlough in London from the 12th to 28th of November 1918, by which time the war had ended. He departed Liverpool aboard the HMAT Nestor on the 12th of December. Roy arrived in Sydney on the 14th of February 1919.

He attended the Garrison Hospital at Victoria Barracks on the 18th of February 1919. Roy was discharged from the Australian Imperial Expeditionary Force with the Rank of Corporal on the 20th of March, 1919. On discharge there is a record of him availing of a free return train ticket to Parkes, in the central west of New South Wales, but no reason as to why. However, it is possible he was visiting Minnie Bell who was a nurse during those years. Records are scant during this period but it is known that Roy resumed his career at the Government Savings bank of NSW and was back in Katoomba at the time he married Minnie Bell on the 22nd of March 1922.

Arthur Aynsley




223978

Pte. Martin Joseph Purcell 33rd Btn.

Martin Joseph Purcell was born on 9th June 1881, the son of Martin and Catherine Purcell of Orundumby, Walcha, New South Wales. He was working as a labourer in Kootingal when he enlisted on 13th March 1916. He left Sydney on the Anchises and after a few months of training in England was injured on 26th October 1916. Martin then transferred to France on 21st of November 1916 landing at Rouelles.

On 23rd July 1916 he was shot in the head and rejoined his unit until he was granted leave. While in England he became ill with rheumatism and after rest was sent back to battle. On 19th August 1918 he suffered severe gas burns to both buttocks and his left side and was left with a bad cough. After spending time in Sutton Veny and Hurdcott he was finally shipped home on 20th December 1918, discharged as medically unfit (could not see well in the dark). Martin Joseph Purcell died in Walcha on 27th January 1959. He was not married and had no children.

He was one of eight children - seven boys and one girl. All of his brothers enlisted. Three saw war - one made the supreme sacrifice, one returned and three suffered health irregularities. His cousin Frederick Arthur Roper also enlisted into 33rd Battalion 9th Brigade D Company as well as my great grandfather James Hickey 4/33rd from Tenterfield.

Karen Payne




220575

Pte. Arthur Leolin Bellenie 13th Btn. East Yorkshire Regiment

My grandfather was named Arthur Leolin Bellenie. He enlisted at Hull on 18th November 1914 into 13th East Yorkshire Regiment. He went to Ripon and left there Oct 29th 1915.

His diary records: Left Hurdcott Camp 8am Dec 14th for Salisbury then left Salisbury at 1.15pm arriving at Devonport at 9.15pm. The troopship Simla set sail at 5.30 am March 1st from Port Said to sail to Marseilles. Passed the Med Fleet at 2am Mar 4th. Passed Malta at 11.30pm. Passed Island of Pantellaria at 2pm Mar 5th an Italian convict settlement.Mar 8th arrived Marseilles 7pm. The place is full of ships. Mar 9th disembarking from S.S. Simla at 2pm.'

I have not had any luck in finding his name in any ancestry records. I believe he was taken prisoner on 14th November 1916 as that is the last date in his diary. When he returned, at the end of the war, he was amongst the ex-prisoners met by Queen Mary and we have a photograph of him in the background with the Queen. It is a photograph in the Royal Collection

Vivienne Mabbott






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