General Chat

Just think, your ancestors might have been part of history

More men died in the Crimean War from disease than from injuries. Men fared better in Workhouse hospitals than in the hospitals set up for our brave servicemen William Russell is thought to be the first War correspondent, and his reports in the Times raised awareness of the atrocities of the time

An ancestor of mine died in the Crimian War. Able Seaman John Symons, Royal Naval Rifle Brigade, HMS Queen. Died at the Battle of Sebastapol, May 1855.

Do you know if died from wounds or disease? It seems tropical disease killed an awful lot of the men. Dee xx

No idea Dee. I am presuming he died in the battle. On a Crimian War site there is mention of monuments over there and members of HMS Queen are on one of them. His name is on it. His name is also on his parents gravestone at Egg Buckland Church, Plymouth. It must have been pretty horrible in the Crimia.

I'm studying it at the minute, they seem to have had pretty awful conditions. Never really listened when we did such things at school, now they seem to have more significance as our ancestors would have lived through the hardships of the time Dee x

I think disease usually does kill more soldiers than actual combat does. The hospital at Scutari in the Crimean war was built over a cesspit and was a good place to get infected, if you'd survived the journey across the Black Sea in the first place. The flu pandemic of 1918 killed about 40 million people world wide, which is more than all the soldiers and civilians in both world wars put together. nell

Hi Nell I had heard about the flu, but not been aware of the numbers Am now reading the life story of Mary Seacole, which should be good, she has a lovely way with words Dee xx

She is very interesting , Dee. There was recently a programme about her on TV. Rosalyn

Hi Rosalyn Our tutor bought the video in of the programme, it was very good. I knew about Florence Nightingale, but Mary was new to me Dee x

I have a rellie who was a Navy Doctor. He became a Deputy Inspector of Hospitals after he volunteered to go on board and take care of the infected Eclair. Must find out what the boat was infected with.

it's a fact that more people have been taken off the battlefield through disease or injury than by the enemy in EVERY campaign since and including the crimean. even the first world war, more people were rendered unserviceable through trench foot than bullets or shells. paul...

Yes Helen, I saw a documentary on the Crimea and Scutari and operations without anaesthetic, clean dressings etc. those nurses must have been really dedicated.....poor devils.