Private Arthur Stevens, Devons and Labour Corps.

[Colchester]

I'm trying to find answers for an elderly family friend who is trying to understand how he died (after hostilities ended). I think that his service record was lost, as so many were, so I'm relying on fragments. My problem is understanding his likely whereabouts and identifying his Labour Corps unit. Buried at CWG Giavera del Montello cemetery, Italy, died 7 Dec 1918. Registers of soldiers effects confirm date of death and record him as '25652, 3rd Reserve battalion, Devonshire Regt, then tfrd, as 656444, 1034th Company Labour Corps. He is recorded as died '39 CCS France'. His medal card doesn't include the 14/15 star which confirms the Devons 3rd as being home served. I can't find 1034th Co. Labour Corps, nor such a service number!

Any help would be greatly appreciated!!
   

[Andy J2022]

The Long Long Trail has this about the locations of 39 Casualty Clearing Station:
"39th Casualty Clearing Station

War diary: National Archives WO95/499 (France) WO95/4207 (Italy)
25 February 1916: having mobilised at Aldershot, moved to Southampton and sailed on ship “Archangel” with 38 CCS
26 February 1916: landed at Le Havre
6 March 1916: arrived by rail at Etaples
2 May 1916: moved by rail to St. Ouen
31 July 1916: moved to Allonville and took over Rest Station, Infectious Cases Camp and Self-Inflicted Wound Hospital
11 February 1917: moved to Gailly
6 May 1917: moved to Tincourt
1 July 1917: moved to La Chapellette (near Péronne) (exchanged with 34 CCS)
9 July 1917: arrived by overnight rail at Oosthoek via Dunkirk
21 November 1917: left by rail, going via Adinkerke, Longeau, Modane to Cittadella (Italy, arrived 26 November)
Remained in Italy. "

From 26th Novemeber 1918 the CCS was at Istranta, North of Venice. This is where Pte Stevens would have died and why he is buried at CWG Giavera del Montello. See the map on the LLT website here: https://www.longlongtrail.co.uk/battles/the-campaign-in-italy-2/italy-casualty-evacuation-chain/

[AlanBoyd]

There are some meagre records for Arthur Stevens 656444 at Fold3.

Date and cause of death: 7/12/18 bronchopneumonia contracted while on AS.

wife Phoebe, mother Laura

[Andy J2022]

There is a fairly extensive set of records about the work of the unit and records of patients treated at 33 CCS at the National Archives in series MH106, pieces 806 to 866.

[Andy J2022]

Lots more on the Labour Corps here: https://www.longlongtrail.co.uk/army/regiments-and-corps/the-labour-corps-of-1917-1918/

[jim1]

LLT says just this:
1034 Coy. (Base motor transport depot)
So he was at one of the 2 Infantry Base Depots in Italy
attached to the ASC.

[Colchester]

Thanks everyone. Am I safe in telling the family that he died because of an illness rather than wounds. Whichever way round it's ironic that, after all those years of conflict, he died aged 37, after it had finished!

[cath151]

Soldiers medical records have an entry for
A. Stevens 9th Devons att.(?) 1034 Labour Co 25652
Pte. Stevens  A. 
21 months completed with Field Force
Cause of death Influenza
Date of discharge (by death) 7.12.18
Sick convoy 2.12.18
Religion CE
It would be possible to get a death certificate for him from the GROs military and overseas indexes .
Cathy

[jim1]

A interesting snippet from Cathy states he was in the 9th. Devons
& attached to the LC.
The 9th. were also in Italy but returned to France in Sept. 1918
so he must transferred into the LC while in Italy & before Sept. 1918.