Unfortunates

[grimmy]

Some stories of ex Manchester Regiment men for whom the end of their war service was only the start of their troubles.

[grimmy]

ALEC ROBERTSON PETRIE
Rank: Second Lieutenant
Date of Death: 13/02/1919
Regiment/Service: Manchester Regiment 3rd Bn.
Grave Reference K. CE. 12457.
Cemetery PEEL GREEN CEMETERY

[grimmy]

John William Webster

[grimmy]

Joseph Woodall

[grimmy]

Voices In His Head

Joseph Woodall, a First World War sergeant in the Manchester Regiment, lived in the Cleethorpes Poor Law Institute, where he had a crush on the Institute’s guardian, Mrs. Sarah Robinson. The couple had known each other a long time, and had lived together briefly in Manchester before he joined the army.

But Woodall was no longer mentally well. He complained constantly of hearing voices in his head, and was always practising with a pair of Indian clubs, which he would never let out of his sight.

On Friday, MARCH 14th, 1919, Sarah Robinson invited Woodall and another friend, Mrs. Elizabeth Evans, to supper with her. During the meal Woodall suddenly began beating them both with his Indian clubs. Mrs. Robinson died under the rain of blows, but Mrs. Evans recovered.

When Woodall was arrested three days later he appeared to have no recollection of the murder. He was tried at Lincoln Assizes and sent to Broadmoor.

[mack]

sgt 2784 joseph woodall[no H]was a special reservist,he joined his regt on 18th august 1914,he was 35yrs old at the time and working as a miner at blundell colliery,pemberton,he lived with his wife ruth[nee gundry]at 448 warrington rd,goose green,wigan he had five sons,he was posted to the 11th manchesters at gallipoli on 14th september 1915,he was sent home suffering from synovitis in his knees and transferred to classW on 29-7-1916 and returned to his job at the colliery,he applied to rejoin his regt in 1917 and was posted to the 3rd battalion at cleethorpes on 3-4-17,he was finally discharged as unfit on 18-4-18[synovitis]his wife and family were living at 409 warrington rd at the time.
superintendant harry osborn of lincolnshire police applied for his medical records on 26-6-1919 pending his trial for murder,this was shortly before they put a block on the request for medical records for any reason.

sgt woodall had formerly served in the south africa war with the 1st manchesters as pte 5108 j.woodall,present at the relief of ladysmith,he was discharged on termination of his engagement on 10-6-1909 after 12yrs service.

during his early prewar service,he had contracted gonorrehoea and syphillis and caught a severe case of malaria in the south africa campaign.
described as a very steady man.

mack

[mack]

sgt woodalls previous medical problems could have been the cause of his mental state,without the proper drugs,the STDs he contracted would have eventually caused mental problems and possibly insanity

mack

[mack]

act/cpl 3219 john,william webster served at gallipoli with the 1/5th manchesters but eventually invalided home with epilepsy,something he had suffered from since childhood,he was discharged as unfit on 16th november 1915,resided high brookes.north ashton,wigan,wifes name harriett

in 1919 he re-enlisted in the labour corps and went to france on 27th may 1919 with the 114th labour coy on exhumation and reburial work
1919,lived at 91 atholl st,earlstown

mack

[grimmy]

Good work Mack.

Anything on Petrie? His story is heart-breaking.

[kingo]

Petries story here ; http://themanchesters.org/forum/index.php?topic=5588.0
Thought i recognised the name 

[grimmy]

The topic is 'off limits' 

[kingo]

Sorry grimmy, now moved to this section below 

[grimmy]

Thanks Kingo. What a sad story.

I should have mentioned that all the above extracts are from The Times.

[mack]

sgt 2784 joseph woodall[no H]was a special reservist,he joined his regt on 18th august 1914,he was 35yrs old at the time and working as a miner at blundell colliery,pemberton,he lived with his wife ruth[nee gundry]at 448 warrington rd,goose green,wigan he had five sons,he was posted to the 11th manchesters at gallipoli on 14th september 1915,he was sent home suffering from synovitis in his knees and transferred to classW on 29-7-1916 and returned to his job at the colliery,he applied to rejoin his regt in 1917 and was posted to the 3rd battalion at cleethorpes on 3-4-17,he was finally discharged as unfit on 18-4-18[synovitis]his wife and family were living at 409 warrington rd at the time.
superintendant harry osborn of lincolnshire police applied for his medical records on 26-6-1919 pending his trial for murder,this was shortly before they put a block on the request for medical records for any reason.

sgt woodall had formerly served in the south africa war with the 1st manchesters as pte 5108 j.woodall,present at the relief of ladysmith,he was discharged on termination of his engagement on 10-6-1909 after 12yrs service.

during his early prewar service,he had contracted gonorrehoea and syphillis and caught a severe case of malaria in the south africa campaign.
described as a very steady man.

mack

tim
heres the story of sgt woodall

mack