The Conisbrough and Denaby 100 Project
Joseph Needham
Joseph Needham died at the 33rd Field Ambulance, Suvla Bay on 23rd November 1915.
He was born in the first half of 1891 to William Needham and Mary Elizabeth Browne, in Mattersey, Nottingham. William was a Shepherd and a Mattersey native, whilst Mary hailed from Gainsborough and was at least 21 years William’s junior at the age of 37 when Joseph was born. Joseph was their eldest child, and they went on to have a daughter Alice, 4 years later.
It isn’t possible to find Joseph on the 1901 census, however William and Mary are still living in Mattersey, and William – at the age of 77 – is still working as a shepherd on a farm. Neither Joseph or Alice are at home and it is quite possible that Joseph was already away in the Army – he was a reservist and prior to WW1 had been involved in battles in India and South Africa, earning himself several medals (with bars) during the Second Boer War.
Joseph married Mary Steel on New Year’s Day 1910, and the couple had a daughter Florrie (Florence) three months later. At the time of the 1911 census, the family are living at 3 Castle Street, Conisbrough and Joseph is working as a Carter for the railway company. In late 1915 when Joseph died, Mary lived at 10 Claremont Terrace, Conisbrough and was in 1916 awarded a pension of 18/6 (18 shillings and sixpence), with effect from 3rd July 1916. The paperwork states that this is to support herself and two children; further paperwork shows the second child to be John William Needham, who was born in January 1915.
Joseph first attested into the York and Lancaster Regiment on 8th March 1899 at the age of 19, in Pontefract. His paperwork shows that he had already had a period of service in the same regiment previously and presumably attested this time in order to serve in the Second Boer War.
The paperwork shows that Joseph was 5’ 81/8 inches tall, weighed 137lb (9stone 11lb), and had a chest measurement of between 32 and 35”. His eyes were light blue grey, and he had a fresh complexion. Unfortunately although several are listed, his distinguishing marks and features are illegible. Joseph was working as a ‘show traveller’, and hadn’t finished growing – paperwork shows that three months later he measured 5’81/4 and had gained several pounds and later still, in 1911 when as an Army Reservist he volunteered to re-engage into the army, he measured 5’101/2 inches. At this time, he signed up ‘for General Service in the Army’.
With regards to the First World War, Joseph’s medal index card shows that he first arrived overseas in France on 1st May 1915 as a Private in the 6th Battalion York and Lancaster Regiment. By the time of his death in November 1915, Joseph had been promoted to a Lance Corporal, which was the lowest rank of Non-Commissioned Officer (NCO) and meant he had command of a section.
Joseph’s casualty form shows several instances of illness or injury in his relatively short First World War service. In May 1915 he was in hospital in Versailles. Whilst his paperwork doesn’t show the illness, a local newspaper from the time states that in a letter to his wife he reported having been buried by a shell. The letter also includes a request for supplies.
“The doctors and nurses are very kind, and I am getting on nicely. Will you please send some cigs, writing paper and the Mexborough times? I enclose some small presents from a French lady to yourself and the children, which will serve as a memento.”
On the 15th May 1915, he was returned to England for recuperation and wrote again to his wife, stating that he was in the Lord Derby’s hospital, Warrington. His stay appears to have lasted until 12th September, when his paperwork states ‘Embarked’ to return to the Mediterranean Expeditionary Force, in the Dardanelles.
The final entry to his casualty form simply reads,
“Died from Natural Causes during Field Service.”
A letter in his paperwork, written to the War Office in March 1916 includes an account from the Medical Officer in charge of his case and sheds some light on the cause of his death. It reads;
“This patient was sent to hospital in November last at Suvla (35th Field Ambulance), suffering from catarrhal jaundice and Bright’s disease. I heard later that he had died in hospital but do not know when or where.”
Click for larger image
Catarrhal jaundice is another name for Hepatitis A, a viral liver infection, whilst Bright’s disease was a kidney disease, which would today be referred to as acute or chronic nephritis.
Joseph was awarded the British, Victory and 1915 Star Medals, which were claimed by his sister Alice and ‘George Steel’ – possibly Joseph’s father in law or brother in law.