First World War British Silver War Badge - Private Herbert Simpson, Labour Corps (formerly Royal Engineers)
Silver War Badge - 359508
Private Herbert Simpson, service number 293822, was born in 1868 and was already a middle-aged man when he enlisted during the First World War. He joined the Army in London on 14 September 1915, initially serving with the 3rd Labour Battalion, Royal Engineers, one of the specialised units responsible for construction, manual work, and vital non-combat labour along the lines of communication. Later in the war he transferred to the Labour Corps, where the vast majority of older soldiers and those of limited medical fitness were placed as the Corps expanded.
Simpson served both at home and overseas, including a period in France, carrying out the physically demanding labour that kept the British Expeditionary Force functioning. By early 1918 his health had deteriorated. His military service papers record “debility due to age and stress of service”, a common diagnosis for older men whose wartime duties took a toll on their strength. He was admitted to Carrington Military Hospital, Nottingham, before being discharged as no longer physically fit for war service on 1 May 1918.
After leaving the Army he returned to 6 Preston Terrace, Bunbury Street, Nottingham, where records list his wife, Ellen Simpson, as his next of kin. A pension was granted in recognition of the decline in his health caused by his service.
A man who volunteered in his late forties, served faithfully in the heavy labouring units of the Royal Engineers and Labour Corps, and whose health broke down under the strain of wartime conditions.
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AJMS Medals