The Armistice has been signed
This memo was sent from the Officer in Command of No 4 Stationary Hospital on 11 November 1918, I assume probably to every ward in the hospital so that the news could be announced to the patients.
Staff Nurse Elizabeth Jones from Smethwick, who kept this memento amongst her letters and photographs seems to have got her patients to sign their names on the memo and it is a lovely snapshot of who was there on that momentous day:
I have had a go at transcribing the names here but have struggled with some. Any suggestions of what these names should be?
Cpl Guest, Royal Engineers
Pnr J Leneve [?] 301st Road Construction Company Royal Engineer
Lucienne Henri 133 ????
Pte LA Cole MT Army Service Corps
R Daly 911 Area Employment Company
Pte HF Finn MT Army Service Corps [Howard Frederick Finn M2/200817]
2 AM J Moore Royal Air Force
Pte C[G?] Moat 120 Light ----- Batt
????? 167 Infantry
Roy [Rey?] Rt aeronautique ballon zz
Rosseels Gendarmerie Belge
????????? 128 Infanterie
???????? 168 Infanterie
????????
P Brown Cameron Highlanders
B Butcher 16 Yorkshire Bn
Feldwebel Kuthmann
?????? Zimmermann
Musketier Fermer Infantry Regiment
Infer???? Schreiber
Q?????? 42 Reg
D Greening Royal Army Medical Corps
L Solomon Royal Army Medical Corps South Africa
JR Gair 10 East Yorkshire Regt
Gnr A Himan Royal Garrison Artillery – [Arthur Himan, 170626]
Pte PA Smith Royal Army Medical Corps
Gnr F Moy Royal Garrison Artillery
HG Winchcomb Army Service Corps MT [Henry G Winchcombe M2/131666. Service record shows that he signs his name without the e on the end. Henry was from Wickham in Kent. He enlisted on 13 October 1915. He was married with 3 children. His time in No4 Stationary hospital does not appear on his service record but he does appear to have been suffering from malaria so perhaps this is what he was in for.]
W Beebe 301 Road Construction Company Royal Engineers [Walter Beebe 20014. From Sheffield. He was 49 years old when he enlisted in 1916]
WAG Kelson RECPS [William Arthur Kelson.305154.]
W Langrick Army Veterinary Corps [William Langrick 16923. Enlisted 12 August 1916. Discharged 15 April 1919.]
AH [R?} Metcalfe 18 York & Lancs
Bdr HG Webb Royal Garrison Artillery
Sapper F Gurnani[?]
?????????? Royal Irish Regiment
Sideways:
T Smith Royal Garrison Artillery
J Clare Royal Garrison Artillery
T Weston RGA
Lt Colonel ET Inkson who was the officer in command of the hospital unfortunately did not sign the slip - which is a shame because he was a Victoria Cross winner:
On the 24th February, 1900, Lieutenant Inkson carried Second Lieutenant Devenish (who was severely wounded and unable to walk) for three or four hundred yards under a very heavy fire to a place of safety. The ground over which Lieutenant Inkson had to move was much exposed, there being no cover available.