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FRED HITCH VC .
Sapper Mason


Joined: 05 Sep 2005
Posts: 333
Location: ANGLESEY
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Hello once again,
My topic this time concerns an old favourite of mine, FRED HITCH VC. A number of questionsstill require an answer, i hope i will get them via this forum. In a well known picture FRED is shown with his arm in a sling and what appears to be a GOOD CONDUCT STRIPE, is this correct or part of the bandaging?

When FRED got wounded nearly 40 pieces of his scapula were removed and the injury eventually was the cause of his leaving the army. I wonder just how big these pieces were and although restricting his movements he at one point became a publican, drove taxis and apart from stints as a Commissionaire was also a porter.

The injury did restrict him but to what degree?, more than once he returned to the post of Commissionaire, a job created i believe in the main for ex- servicemen unable to obtain work. The other jobs i have mentioned required a deal of physical effort, reason enough i think for the changes in occupation.

The fact that no gangrene set in and he travelled to Durban and thence to the UK after seeing Surgeon Brown on the 29th Jan 1879 points to a wound although severe not a dramatic as first sounds. He did suffer all his remaining life but i often wonder just how big was the loss of bone etc of this wound?

It is said that he never went to Brecon yet a look at his papers seems to contradict this, again a case of poor record keeping as the 24th were known for or did indeed FRED go to Brecon at some point in his brief career? Much new evidence has come to light regarding FRED and his family and i admit to a bias to him, nonetheless ALL who took part in that campaign deserve more research into their lives . Thank you, Graham.
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Martin Everett


Joined: 01 Sep 2005
Posts: 786
Location: Brecon
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Dear Graham,

You need to look up WO116 - the Chelsea Medical Board records. I expect that will fill in some of the gaps and well as other RD defneders who were medically discharged.

Yes Hitch did come to Brecon (10 March 1877) 3 days after he enlisted and then was posted to 2nd Battalion in May 1877 who were in Dover at that time. I do not understand your comment about poor record keeping. Also there is no evidence that he committed a crime and was given the option of enlisting in the army rather than taking the punishment. He was enlisted by an army pensioner (not serving soldier) who needed a magistrate (or an officer) to witness the oath at enlistment.

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Martin Everett
Brecon, Powys
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Sapper Mason


Joined: 05 Sep 2005
Posts: 333
Location: ANGLESEY
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Dear Martin ,
Thank you for your response , to qualify my comment regarding poor record keeping i say this , it is known that many records and details of a mans career were often mis-quoted or entered incorrectly in some cases , in various papers ect it has been reported that in certain cases the 24th`s records were not I00 % as could be argued in many other regiments . Thank you for confirming FRED HITCH VC did indeed go to Brecon , albeit briefly . The picture of his arm in a sling seems to show a GOOD CONDUCT stripe just below his elbow and not part of the sling or bandage , visits to KEW are a must with so much to do of course , access to WO 116 and WO 117 are a must of course for both medical and service discharge details with the PIN data for pensions as well. Thank you again , Graham .
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FRED HITCH VC .
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