8030 Private Henry Walter Richardson
was a career soldier who was probably a convalescent patient at Hickwells in early 1915.
He has two entries in Nurse Oliver’s album, both along similar lines. The
first reads:
8030 Pte H. Richardson
1st Batt Dorset Regt
Was caught napping by
the famous General (one) O clocks
Artillery at Missy [this is crossed out and “Missines” written on top] stopping
three shrapnell bullets and his only
regret is that he couldn’t get his
own-back.
This page is shared with entries
from L/6738 Private Charles Sabourin of the 1st East Surrey Regiment and Corporal Albert Brandon of the 7th Middlesex Regiment. The second entry reads:
Wounded at Messines by shrapnel receiving
three Bullets, Hand Shoulder & Head
What ever I may do
Or wherever I may be
I shall remember all of you
For your kindnesses to me.
Oh if ever I get the Chance
To see some more of those Alamand
I will just make some of them Dance
For their injury to my Hand
Richardson’s entry is along very similar lines to that of Private Sabourin and one gets the feeling
that they had much in common. Both were regular soldiers, both served with the 5th
Infantry Division and both received severe wounds in the early stages of the war which would finish their part in the action. In their few lines the two men both express disappointment, regret and bitterness
at being wounded and both mourn the opportunity of not being able to exact some revenge.
“General One O’Clock:”, mentioned in Richardson’s first entry is General
Von Kluck who commanded the German First Army. The “Alamand” in his
second entry are “Allemands”, French for “Germans”.
Henry Richardson’s military
history is sketchy but we can piece together some basic details. His medal index
card notes that he has a middle initial (W), while his entry on the silver war badge roll records the fact that he enlisted
on 28th August 1906. This almost certainly marks him as a
reservist who was recalled to the colours immediately war was declared. There
are just too many men with the name Henry Walter Richardson to identify him with confidence on census returns but if he joined
the army in 1906, assuming he joined as a man rather than a boy, he would have been born around 1888 or earlier.
The 1st Dorset Regiment arrived
in France on 16th August 1914 and was soon in action at Mons and Le
Cateau. Richardson obviously survived these encounters and was probably wounded in November or December
1914 when the battalion was in the Messines area. The following extracts are
taken from the war diary of the 1st Dorsets.
2nd November 1914
About 6pm
PLOEGESTEERT WOOD
A Coy moved to road about 1/2 mile west of LE GHEER as support to Battalion in trenches in that locality. B and D Coys ordered to entrench in PLOEGESTEERT WOOD south of CHATEAU on PLOEGESTEERT-MESSINES Road. C
Coy remained in reserve.
5th November
10:05am
French expected to attack MESSINES
5:30pm
Orders issued for Bn to remain in present position.
7pm
Heavy rifle fire from our trenches near MESSINES Road. Also heavy German rifle fire. Report brought in that Germans had broken through. Report
sent to
Somerset L.I. to this effect. Preparations made to counter attack with
C Coy.
7:30pm
Fire slackened. No sign of the enemy.
8pm
Reported to Colonel Butler, situation satisfactory. Fog very thick - quiet
night.
6th November
[Quiet]
7th November
12:30 am
Heavy rifle fire
8:30am
Information received that General attack by Germans was expected. All
companies warned for instant readiness.
12 noon
Reported little activity by either French or Germans.
8th November
Quiet day - nothing unusual. Casualties 1 killed. 2 wounded.
16th November
5 killed, 2 wounded
18th November
Relieved by R Irish Fusiliers
On 17th December the battalion
relieved the East Surreys in trenches south of the Wulverghem-Messines Road
18th December
WULVERGHEM
One killed, 11 wounded
19th December
2 killed, 1 wounded
21st December
6:55pm
Trenches heavily shelled by new battery about due North of INN 1/2 mile SW of M of MESSINES.
10:55pm
Orders issued for tomorrow - same lines as today - our guns will shell new battery.
Casualties - 6 wounded.
Henry Richardson was discharged
form the army as medically unfit on 17th
February 1916. He
was entitled to the 1914 Star and bar, and the British War and Victory Medals. He
also received a silver war badge.
Sources and Acknowledgements
· The
National Archives: Medal Index Card
· The
National Archives: British War and Victory Medal Roll: C/2/101 B11 Page 718: WO 329/1289
· The
National Archives: 1914 Star Medal Roll: C/2/5 Page 111: WO 329/2457
· The
National Archives: Silver War Badge Roll: C/296: WO 329/3016
· The
National Archives: War Diary 1st Dorsets: WO 95/1572
Read more about Henry Richardson in Hickwells - Part 5 of The Hospital Way
