Name
John George Wheeler
Conflict
First World War
Date of Death / Age
Rank, Service Number & Service Details
Awards: Service Medals/Honour Awards
Not Yet Researched
Cemetery/Memorial: Name/Reference/Country
Headstone Inscription
Not Researched
UK & Other Memorials
Biography
John Wheeler was first recorded in the Abbots Langley Parish Magazine Roll of Honour in November 1915, serving with the Hertfordshire Yeomanry. John was born in September 1896, and undertook a Medical at Hertford on 4th October 1915 where it was noted that he was “of very fair physical development”. At the time he gave his occupation as Jockey and Chauffeur, and was living at High Street, Abbots Langley. His Service Record noted that he received inoculations and vaccinations on 22nd October and 11th November 1915, and was posted to the Mediterranean Expeditionary Force (MEF) on 16th September 1916, and sent to Egypt, embarking at Devonport on the same day.
John disembarked at Basrah (sic) on 6th November 1916, and on 15th November joined his unit at Amara (Kut). On 12th April 1917 he was admitted to 39 Field Ambulance in the Field and on 23rd April was transferred to No 32 Hospital at Amara suffering with diarrhoea. He was discharged from hospital on 28th April, but on 6th June 1917 was admitted to a Casualty Clearing Station at Baghdad suffering from sand-fly fever, and on 11th June was admitted to hospital in Baghdad. He re-joined his unit on 14th July 1917, but was re-admitted to hospital at Karradu Camp with a recurrence of sand-fly fever on 8th September. John was discharged from hospital on 12th September 1917,and he remained with his unit until 14th April 1918 when he was re-admitted to a Field Ambulance once again suffering from fever and was transferred to 41 Casualty Clearing Station. On 22nd April he was discharged to his unit at Ramadi.
On 6th June 1918 John embarked at Basra for a period of leave in India. He returned on 10th August 1918 and re-joined his unit on 18th August. John remained in the Middle East after the War ended and returned to India on 4th April 1919, disembarking at Bombay on 9th April. On 20th April John was posted to a Special Service Battalion, but on 30th April was admitted to Casualty Clearing Station No 2 at Calcutta, and was discharged to hospital at Calcutta on 2nd June, suffering from Dengue Fever – an illness transmitted by mosquitoes causing fever, headaches, muscle and joint pains. He was discharged on 27th June and embarked for England aboard Hospital Transport “Himalaya” on 31st August 1919.
John was demobilised on 5th November 1919 to an address at Stanley Place, Ebury Bridge, London.
John Wheeler survived the War.
Acknowledgments
Roger Yapp - www.backtothefront.org
