Netley Hospital & the Green Howards

Soldiers of the 19th Foot would first have passed through Netley soon after it opened. These soldiers would initially have been on active service in British India, but would have obtained their Discharge from the regiment on medical grounds.

After a long and arduous journey by land and by sea from India, lasting up to six months, they would have arrived at Netley for treatment and final Discharge to Pension (or otherwise).

Although a jetty was built (in 1865) to allow ships to bring soldiers directly to the hospital, it does not appear to have been very successful. The soldiers may well have arrived from Portsmouth, making the final leg by rail.

The brief records of some of these soldiers can be seen by examining records held at the National Archives in Kew, London.

For example, WO116/94 and WO116/95 contain the pension records for discharged soldiers in 1867 and 1868 respectively. The records are in the form of entries made in ledgers on a weekly basis, and record the result of examinations for pension, - whether granted, how much for, and on what grounds. Each week, the first group of soldiers entered in the ledger are those "Examined at Netley". (The soldiers listed are from a number of regiments, - the records shown below are only for soldiers of the 19th Foot).

31 December 1867.
Examined at Netley.
1613 Walter Weir of 19th Foot.
28 yrs old. Tailor. 5'6" tall. From Bute, Argyll.
4 yrs 7 months service in Burmah (?). Indifferent conduct. Pension Disallowed.
Discharged on grounds of "Dyspepsia with clinical complications, probably result of weakness caused by dysentry attacks in hot climate."

31 March 1868.
Examined at Netley.
2059 Sergeant Major Patrick Colgan.
39 yrs old. 21 9/12 yrs service.
From Killoughly, Ireland. Labourer. 5' 8" tall.
Discharged on grounds of "Phthisis Pulmonalis Incip."

1903 Sergeant Edward Byrne.
44 yrs old. 22 5/12 yrs service.
From Rathville, Carlow, Ireland. Labourer. 5' 10" tall.
Discharged on grounds of "Asthenia, unfit for active service."

2225 Corporal Patrick McNamara.
41 yrs old. 21 1/12 yrs service.
From Askeaton, Limerick, Ireland. Labourer. 5' 11 7/8" tall.
Discharged on grounds of "Asthenia, gunshot wound left thigh at Battle of the Alma."

Also discharged;-
1882 Private John Byrne (from Ireland)
2189 " Thomas Duffy (from Ireland)
2083 " Patrick Dwyer (from Ireland)
1099 " Michael Kearns (from Ireland)
1017 " William James (from Warwick)

(Note the 1 English man with the 7 Irish men!)

The above examples of soldiers Discharged to Pension after treatment at Netley are no more than a sample of the total. Every few days a ship would arrive from British India carrying soldiers from several regiments. All of these soldiers would have been discharged from service, initially, in British India and then after a long and tiring journey would arrive at Netley for further treatment and final Discharge from the Army.

A much clearer idea of the journey they faced before this final Discharge can be gained by reading the experience of Sergeant J Waterhouse in 1870.