RootsChat.Com

General => Armed Forces => World War One => Topic started by: jane k on Friday 12 November 21 11:09 GMT (UK)

Title: What is this injury?
Post by: jane k on Friday 12 November 21 11:09 GMT (UK)

Thanks to help here I have been able to access my grandmother`s first husband`s service record. 

He Died from wounds "SW left arm"
Any ideas what SW stands for?  It was at Passchendale so I`m prepared for it to be unpleasant

Title: Re: What is this injury?
Post by: Dyingout on Friday 12 November 21 11:15 GMT (UK)

Shrapnel wound would be my best guess

Title: Re: What is this injury?
Post by: majm on Friday 12 November 21 12:03 GMT (UK)

SW as in Severe Wound?

JM

Title: Re: What is this injury?
Post by: jane k on Friday 12 November 21 12:41 GMT (UK)

thanks, yes sadly Severe Wound makes sense

Title: Re: What is this injury?
Post by: ShaunJ on Friday 12 November 21 17:12 GMT (UK)

I've seen SW defined as Shrapnel Wound in the context of Canadian and Anzac WW1 medical records.

UK forces generally (but not always) used the standardised acronym GSW (gun shot wound) to cover both bullet and shrapnel wounds. But see https://www.greatwarforum.org/topic/231470-medical-abbreviations/

Title: Re: What is this injury?
Post by: jane k on Friday 12 November 21 17:31 GMT (UK)

Shrapnel Wound also seems likely.  I`ve seen a description of what was happening on that day and there was an awful lot of shrapnel flying around

Title: Re: What is this injury?
Post by: Ashtone on Friday 12 November 21 17:32 GMT (UK)

My grandfather's records indicate SW in several different instances. He definitely had shrapnel wounds to the legs and groin. Post-WW1 he was in and out of hospitals due to his wounds. He eventually died of bladder cancer.

Title: Re: What is this injury?
Post by: NSWP on Saturday 13 November 21 03:05 GMT (UK)

I would say SW is shrapnel wound plenty of that flying around.  One often sees GSW on military records, that is Gunshot wound.