Letter to Rev. W. Laporte Payne 19 Nov 14

(8055) 4^th Dragoon Gds

Jarvis St Hospital

Dublin

Ireland

19-11-14

Dear Sir,

Just a line to thank you for your welcome letter which I was very pleased to receive also the Testament. Well I do not know how long I shall be here as I had an operation a week ago, the doctors said that another half an inch and I should have been paralysed in both legs.  They took a splinter of my spine out in the operation so you see what a near thing it was.  It was at Messines where I was hit it was a terrible battle the sights were awful.  We were retiring as there only two regiments of cavalry trying to hold them back until the infantry could come up they numbered about 20 to our one.  We held them a day and a night but they were to much for us.  They were eventually driven back in the evening though I had left the firing line and was bringing a chum back who was wounded but we had not got far when a shell burst a few feet away that was all I remembered until I came too and when I started to crawl along about thirty Germans started firing at me but there I expect you have already heard what sort of men they are, they size all right killing our wounded, to come out and face our steel they never will with-out their artillery.  They would be lost, they even stripped our dead and wounded so as to wear our clothing to deceive us but they are paying dearly for it, and yet more so before they are finished.  Well I think I will close now.  Hoping to see you soon

Yours ever

Alfred Lilly.

Army Form B 261.

APPLICABLE TO ENGLAND.

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ORDER FOR THE RECEPTION OF A DANGEROUS

LUNATIC SOLDIER.

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Whereas, by the Army Act, section 91, as amended by the Army (Annual) Acts, 1899 and 1909, it is provided that the Army Council, or any Officer deputed by them for the purpose, may, if they or he think proper, on account of a soldier’s lunacy, cause any soldier of the regular forces, on his discharge, to be sent to the parish or union to which under the statutes for the time being in force he appears, from the statements made in his attestation paper, and other available information, to be chargeable; and such soldier, if delivered after reasonable notice, in England or Ireland at the workhouse in which persons settled in such parish, shall be received, and in Scotland to the inspector of poor of such parish, or union are received by the master or other proper officer of such workhouse, or such inspector of poor, as the case may be; and it is further provided by the said Act as so amended that the Army Council or any Officer deputed by them for the purpose, where it appears to them or him that any such soldier is a dangerous lunatic, and is in such a state of health as not to be liable to suffer bodily or mental injury by his removal, may, by order signified under their or his hand, send such lunatic direct to an asylum, registered hospital, licensed house, or other place in which pauper lunatics can legally be confined, and for the purpose of the said order the above-mentioned parish or union shall be deemed to be the parish or union from which such lunatic is sent, and that in England the lunatic shall be sent to the asylum, hospital, house or place to which a person in the workhouse aforesaid, on becoming a dangerous lunatic, can by law be removed; and it is further provided by the said Act, as amended by the Army (Annual) Acts, 1891, 1894, 1899, and 1909, that an order of the Army Council or Officer under section 91 of the Army Act, shall be of the same effect as a Summary Reception Order, within the meaning of the Lunacy Act, 1890; and the like proceedings shall be taken thereon as on an Order under that Act. *

* Note – Where the order directs the Lunatic to be received into any Asylum other than an Asylum of the County or Borough in which the Parish or Place from which the Lunatic is sent is situate, or into a Registered Hospital of Licensed House, it should state that the Army Council or Officer is satisfied that there is no Asylum of such County or Borough, or that there is a deficiency of room in such Asylum, or as the case may be, the special circumstances by reason whereof the Lunatic cannot conveniently be taken to an Asylum for such first-mentioned County or Borough.

Page 2.

And whereas it appears to me the undersigned being an Officer deputed by the Army Council for the purpose, from the statements made in the attestation paper of No 18134 Pte. Henry King a soldier, now of the Worcestershire Regt Corps, but about to be discharged therefrom, and from other information, that the said Henry King is, or on his discharge will be a pauper chargeable to the Parish of Poplar in the County [or Borough] of London.

And whereas it also appears to me from the Medical Certificate annexed that the said Henry King is a dangerous lunatic, and is in such a state of health as not to suffer bodily or mental injury by his removal.

And whereas it has been represented to me [that the Asylum at Woodford Bridge for the said County [or Borough] of London] is a place to which a dangerous lunatic if an inmate of the Workhouse, of the said Union or [Parish] could by Law be removed.

Now I hereby order and desire you to receive the said Henry King, as a patient into your Asylum.  Subjoined is a statement of particulars respecting the said Henry King.

1914. Dated the Sixth day of November 1914.
1915. Signed A. Altham M.G.

                            i/c Administration for General Officer Commanding in Chief Southern Command (absent on Duty)

to the Superintendent of the Claybury Asylum, Woodford Bridge

Asylum for the County of London,

or, the Lunatic Hospital of    or

Proprietor of the Licensed House of

Page 3.

STATEMENT of particulars relating to the said        Henry King

Name of patient, with Christian Name at length        King Henry

Age                                                                                         22 11/12 years

Married , Single, or Widower                                     Single

Name or Number of Corps, and Rank                        Worcestershire Regiment. Private

Religious Persuasion                                                  Church of England

Whether First Attack                                                  Yes

Age (if known) on First Attack                                  22

Supposed Cause                                                          –

Duration of Existing Attack                                       7 days

Supposed Cause                                                          Unknown

Whether subject to Epilepsy                                       No

Whether Suicidal                                                        No

Whether of temperate habits                                       Yes

Union or Parish to which the Lunatic}

appears to be chargeable                     }                      Poplar

Name and Address of Relative to whom}

Notice of Death to be sent                     }                  (Mother) Mrs. King, 20 Cahir                                                                             Street, Millwall Poplar.

Signed, Name, E. Hewitt

Major R.A.M.C., Registrar.

                                                            Royal Victoria Hospital, Netley

To be signed by Officer Commanding

Corps or Regiment.

Back page.

MEDICAL CERTIFICATE

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I, the undersigned O. J. Stephenson being a person registered under the Medical Acts, and being in the actual practice of the Medical Profession, hereby certify, that I, on the fourth day of November at D Block, Royal V. Hosp Netley in the County of Hampshire personally examined Henry King a Soldier of the 11^th Worcester Regt Corps, and that the said Soldier is a dangerous Lunatic and a proper person to be taken charge of and detained under Care and Treatment, and is in such a state of health as not to suffer bodily or mental injury by his removal, and that I have formed this opinion upon the following grounds, viz: –

1. Facts indicating dangerous Insanity observed by myself

Patient has aural & visual hallucinations, his memory is poor, is rambling and confused at times, & cannot fix his attention.

2. Other facts (if any) indicating dangerous Insanity communicated to me by others: Sergt Major H***, Pt has an insane expression, is slovenly & unresponsive, hears voices; & talks to imaginary people.

Signed, Name O. J. Stephenson

Place of Abode D Block, R. V. Hosp Netley.

Dated this fourth day of November One Thousand Nine Hundred and                    fourteen.

Pasted inside:

D Block R.V.H. INSTITUTION

Netley

To the Superintendent of the

COUNTY OF LONDON

LUNATIC ASYLUM at Claybury Woodford Bridge.

I hereby certify that No. 18134 Pte H. King 11 Worc Rgt is free from any infectious or contagious disease, and that, in my opinion, his admission into the above Asylum will not be attended with any risk of infection to the inmates thereof.

Signed Unreadable

Lieut R.A.M.C.  Medical Officer

Dated this 10^th day of November 1914

Also a letter:

3 Cahir Street

Millwall E

July 13^th 1915

Sir,

Many thanks for the discharge book which we received alright, this morning relating to my step-son Henry King (6770). Again thanking you for past kindness to him whilst he was a patient with you.

I remain

Your Humble Servant

1. Parkin.