The John Rylands Library recently accepted on deposit a collection of diaries written by a Methodist army chaplain John Henry Gibbon (1880-1933), who served in Salonika with the 67th Brigade of the 22nd Division between November 1916 and June 1917. Continue reading “Faces of Salonika : John Henry Gibbon – Methodist army chaplain”
Category: Faces of Salonika
A series of images of those – from all sides – who took part in, or witnessed, the First World War campaign in Macedonia from 1915 to 1918.
Charlie Bailey: muleteer and black Welsh miner
My thanks go to Ben Franks for sharing with us this fascinating blog about Charlie Bailey, who served with 22nd Division in Salonika:
Faces of Salonika : Daisy Dobbs MM, TFNS
My thanks go to Geoff Botting who has kindly provided these details and photos of his remarkable grandmother, Daisy Dobbs, who was a nurse in Salonika, where she won the Military Medal for her courage. The man she later married, George Botting, was also a holder of the Military Medal; surely a unique occurrence!
Remembering William James Pearce : 1919
In this final instalment of extracts from William Pearce’s diary of the campaign in Macedonia, we have a timely reminder that men were still serving overseas, even though the guns had fallen silent. My thanks to Mark Pearce, William’s great-grandson, for making this diary available.
Remembering William James Pearce : 1918
The diary of Willaim Pearce – who served with a mechanical transport unit of the BSF – continues into 1918. My thanks to Mark Pearce.
Remembering William James Pearce : 1917
The diary of William Pearce, who served with an ASC Mechanical Transport Unit as a mechanic, continues into 1917. My thanks to Mark Pearce.
Remembering William James Pearce : 1916
My thanks go to Mark Pearce who has very kindly shared extracts from his great-grandfather’s diary about his time in Salonika and allowed me to put them here. Extracts from 1917, 1918 and 1919 will follow shortly.
Faces of the Balkans : Festive Feldartillerie
Here’s a recent addition to my postcard collection which is, conveniently enough, festive. This time we are going over ‘the other side of the wire’ with a German postcard.
Continue reading “Faces of the Balkans : Festive Feldartillerie”
Remembering 180629 Sapper Harry Ernest Wilkinson, Royal Engineers
Some months ago the Society was contacted by Harry Wilkinson’s granddaughter who wanted to know more about his war service. Little is know about it, except that ‘he fought both against and later with the Bulgarians’ and ended up in Constantinople. Happily, he returned home safely.
Continue reading “Remembering 180629 Sapper Harry Ernest Wilkinson, Royal Engineers”
Faces of Salonika : a group from 1917
Another eBay purchase! Unfortunately this photo has few details, other than a note that it was taken in Salonika in 1917. The greeting on the back reads: Fondest love to Mary, Salonica. May 1st 1918, so this seems an appropriate time to publish it. It may have been taken at a hospital as it shows (seated) a captain and corporal of the RAMC. The man standing in the centre has the cap badge of the Worcestershire Regiment, so that would be the 11th Battalion (78th Brigade, 26th Division on the Doiran Front).