This Week in World War One, 5th February 1915

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Berwick Advertiser title 1915

5th FEBRUARY 1915

MINDRUM

Louvain town hall in ruins
Rubble in front of the ruined town hall in Louvain after its sacking by the German army in 1914.
© IWM (Q 53271)

On Thursday, January 28th, a lecture was given in the school in aid of the Belgian Relief Fund.  The lecturer was M. Wouters of Antwerp, whose account of his personal experiences of the war was listened to by a deeply interested audience.  M. Wouters went through the whole of the earlier part of the war, including the sieges of Liege and Antwerp, and the sacking of Louvain and Namur.  Thereafter he was invalided to England.

His account of these terrible times was thrilling and showed what a heroic part gallant little Belgium had played for the saving of Liberty and Civilization. The lecture was illustrated by lantern views of some of the horrors wrought by the ruthless Germans, and concluded with a passionate appeal to Englishmen for more help in men and money.  The proceeds amounted to £5, and this will be sent to assist in a small way in relieving the distress prevailing among the unfortunate people the story of whose self-sacrificing bravery will forever “re-echo down the long corridors of Time.”

Belgain refugees
Belgian refugees in 1914. Image from Wikimedia Commons.

 GIFTS FOR SICK SOLDIERS AT BELL TOWER HOSPITAL

Mr Robertson, books; Miss Pearson, eggs; Mrs Young, St Leonard’s Cakes;Miss Weatherhead, 31 Castlegate, eggs; Miss Herriot, scones; Miss Tait, Bridge Street, currant loaf; Miss B Fair, illustrated papers; Mrs Wilsden, The Elms, apples and oranges; Miss Alder, Halidon, soup; Miss Wood, Horncliffe, beef jelly; “A Friend”, morning papers; “A Friend”, bananas; Mrs A. Darling, Bondington, scones; Mrs Herriot, Sanson Seal, cakes; Miss Herriot, do, loan of gramophone and records; Mrs Gemmel, 25 Low Greens, daily papers and vegetables; “A Friend”, Two puddings.

 

Advert for Fairnington & Sons drapers
Advert from the Berwick Advertiser 5th February 1915

 

Mr Henry Mulrea Johnston

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Henry Mulrea Johnston was born in County Down, Ireland in 1877 and studied medicine at Queen’s College, Belfast graduating in 1903.  He went on to study and work at Trinity College, Dublin before moving to London in 1910 where he worked at St Bartholomew’s and Great Ormond Street Hospitals and became a fellow of The Royal College of Surgeons in 1911.  In 1912 he was appointed Resident Medical Officer at The Royal Victoria Infirmary in Newcastle.

 

During WWI he joined the RAMC and was posted to a hospital in Sidcup where he concentrated his efforts on deformities of the face.  Prior to joining the army he had been committed to research using the latest radiological techniques for diagnostic purposes, something that was evident in his research for many years.  An image in an article from the British Dental Journal demonstrates some of the pioneering work that Johnston was involved in whilst at Sidcup and it is also possible that it is Johnston who is pictured on the right of the picture. http://www.nature.com/bdj/journal/v217/n6/full/sj.bdj.2014.820.html

14 year old male with cyst of the humerus treated with with intra-medullary and osteo-periosteal grafts. 6 weeks after operations HOSP/STAN/10/1/30/3
14 year old male with cyst of the humerus treated with with intra-medullary and osteo-periosteal grafts. 6 weeks after operation
HOSP/STAN/10/1/30/3

 

Following the war he was also appointed Visiting Surgeon to Stannington Children’s Sanatorium, a role which he carried on until 1945.  In his obituary from the British Medical Journal it is remarked that “In general surgery he loved to demonstrate bone tumours and cysts and to illustrate his cases with beautiful radiographs of his own taking.”  Amongst the records of Stannington Sanatorium we have a selection of photographic copes of some of Mr Johnston’s x-rays reflecting some of his interests outside of the Sanatorium.  The collection of images shows patients of varying ages with different skeletal deformities, most of which appear to be unrelated to tuberculosis.

Male, age 8. Perthe's disease affecting femoral head. HOSP/STAN/10/1/24/1
Male, age 8. Perthes’ disease affecting femoral head.
HOSP/STAN/10/1/24/1
Female, age 22. Right hand. HOSP/STAN/10/1/21/1
Female, age 22. Right hand.
HOSP/STAN/10/1/21/1

Click on images to enlarge

 

Sources:                                                                                                                                                                           ‘Henry M. Johnston, F.R.C.S’, British Medical Journal, Vol. 2, No. 4724, 21 Jul 1951, pp. 181-182

British Dental Journal http://www.nature.com/bdj/journal/v217/n6/full/sj.bdj.2014.820.html  [24 Nov 2014]

This Week in World War One, 29th January 1915

by

Berwick Advertiser title 1915

29 JANUARY 1915

WOUNDED SOLDIERS ENTERTAINED AT BERWICK

The wounded soldiers and patients to the number of 16 and the staff at the Berwick Barracks Hospital were entertained to tea and a musical programme on Saturday last by Mrs Roper, Castle Terrace, through the kind permission of Major Steele. Accompanying Mrs Roper were Miss Roper, the Misses Forbes, and Lieut.-Colonel Hunter of the Welsh Cyclists.

After an enjoyable tea an excellent musical programme was gone through and in the course of which refreshments were dispensed. At the close Private Mutter proposed a hearty vote of thanks to Mrs Roper for her kindness in entertaining them and this the men responded to by cheering lustily. The tea was prepared by Private Corstorphine, with the assistance of the Misses Forbes, while the following members of the staff also gave their assistance:-Sergeant Thos. Mutter, Private R Mutter, and Private W.F. King.

A doctor and nurses treat a wounded soldier in hospital
Treating a wounded soldier in hosptial. Credit: Wellcome Library, London, ref: L0009336, CC by 4.0

 

BERWICK FREEMAN’S EXPERIENCES AT THE FRONT

Capt. J Cairns, a Berwick freeman, who was Executive Engineer of Bombay, Baroda and Central India Railway, resigned immediately war was declared and came home to join his regiment. He was attached to the 1st Battalion East Yorks., which, after six weeks in the trenches, was relieved by another regiment, at which time there were only 30 yards between them and the front German trench. The men of his company (in the pauses of grenade throwing) pitched biscuits and bully beef tins at the Germans. A few days before Christmas, Capt. Cairns was brought home by the War Office, but malarial fever from the muddy trenches developed and for a fortnight he was seriously ill. Now on his recovery he has been posted to Royal Engineers and appointed for special work to the staff at the War Office.

 

Red Lion Hotel advert
Advert from the Berwick Advertiser, 29th January 1915

 

 

 

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